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CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Tara

I’M SO LOST in my thoughts that I don’t realize an hour has passed, and we are still driving. Looking out the window, I try to see if I recognize the signs on the road. We left Milwaukee and are on the Interstate, heading towards Chicago. “What’s going on? Why are we leaving Milwaukee?

Sean is busy typing on his phone. He pauses long enough to answer me. “Your place isn’t safe.”

“What do you mean? It was a robbery, don’t I need to be there to talk to the cops? I need to see what they took, call my insurance, and get a new place. I need to go back.”

Sean turns to me. “I get this is happening fast sweetheart. I wish I could give you time to slowly acclimate to my life, but it’s not possible. Our family is in the middle of a civil war. Killian’s cousin Patrick is trying to take him out. He’s been sabotaging our shipments, attacking people on the streets, and he made a deal with the Cartel to find girls for their human trafficking business.”

“Trafficking? Is that the kind of business you do?” My voice cracks and hits an octave I didn’t know was possible.

“Fuck no.” He barks back. Then he closes his eyes and takes a breath. “No.” He says calmer this time. “The Doyle Family doesn’t do business like that. We aren’t law abiding citizens by any means, but we never. Never touch trafficking. Neither do our allies, the Italians and Russians.”

I believe him. Holy shit I believe him, and I can’t express how much that point of information calms me.

“We have a lot of legal business, like Eclipse, a few restaurants, hotels, dry cleaners, and such. Our underground side deals in illegal gambling and underground fighting, drugs and weapons. Though we are cautious even with those. We don’t lace our drugs with toxic shit, and it’s banned from being sold in schools.” I nod along. While I’m not happy about some of the underground business, none of those are deal breakers for me.

Deal breakers? What the fuck am I thinking? Am I really going to let him get away with forging a marriage license? Am I really going to let him drag me around wherever he wants because he ‘claims’ me? What does that even mean, am I just a pawn to him, or a vessel to carry his children?

I have so many questions.

I’m so confused.

Why does he have to be involved with the mafia, why couldn’t I have gotten pregnant with a car salesman or something?

Sean’s phone pings. He opens the message and curses.

I’m curious what is on the screen. If I ask, would he show me?

Or I could lean over and see.

I go with option two.

I wish I hadn’t. The message has pictures. Pictures of my apartment. A lot of my stuff is missing, but I would recognize my thrift store rug anywhere. Only now it’s covered in blood, and shattered glass.

“Oh my god.” I can’t stop it before the words tumble from my mouth.

“Shit.” Sean curses and tosses his phone up front to Callum.

“Oh my god. Was that blood? It was blood wasn’t it? Why is there blood on my floor?” I feel my stomach beginning to churn. I throw my hands up to plug my nose. I focus on breathing through my mouth and trying not to vomit.

Sean waits until I lower my hands, and my stomach settles, before he answers. “Your apartment wasn’t a random robbery. You were targeted. The men who broke in were supposed to kidnap you. They attacked my men.”

“Your men?” Thinking back to this morning, I realize I let Sean drag me out while there was still two men in suits inside.

“Yes.” He answers.

“Why? Why target me? Why were your men there?”

“Someone must have found out about your connection to me.”

“Me? I’m no one. Why would someone come after me?”

He gives me a look. One that takes me a moment to decipher. “Oh my god. It’s because of you! They are after me because of you. Pull over. Let me out!” I grab onto the handle of the door and try to force it open. We are easily going seventy miles per hour in the middle of a major road, but my mind can’t think about that. The only thought running through my mind is that I need out. I need to get away from Sean. I’m frantically pulling and pushing against the car door. It’s not moving. “Let me out.” I scream.

Sean gently pries my hands off the door, and tucks me into his side. Immediately I begin to sob. I can’t go back. Not just to my apartment. But to my life. I will never be safe.

“We don’t know whose after you.” He says as though trying to soothe me.

I shake my head. “I don’t care. I need to get away from you.”

“No.” He says sternly. Taking my chin in hand, he tips my head up so I am looking him in the eye. “I’m the only one who can keep you safe.”

“You’re the reason I’m in danger.”

He puts his hand on our baby. “This. Our child, is why you are in danger. Someone must have found out that you’re pregnant with my kid. Now that they know, they won’t stop. They will do everything they can to kidnap you.”

“Because of your whore! Because that woman tried to trap you, now I’m stuck with you.” I pull away from him and move as far away as I can. “Why? Why would they want me?”

“To get to me. I’m sorry sweetheart, but your life is tied to mine.” He reaches out for me, but I flinch away. I can see the hurt in his eyes when I do. “I know you didn’t ask for any of this. We’re going back to Chicago, it’s the best place to keep you safe.”

“And leave behind everything I care about?”

He doesn’t answer.

I stay leaned against the door, and stare out in silence for the duration of the ride.

I need to get away from him. I need to leave. Go far away.

My hand goes to my belly. I’ll protect you little nugget. I’ll do whatever I can to keep you save.

A little over an hour later we are pulling up to an unfamiliar building. It’s tall. Probably close to fifty floors.

“Where are we?”

“Home.” He says

“To your place?” I clarify.

He just hums and nods.

We take the elevator up to the forty-seventh floor. There is a small entry way with two doors. One looks like it leads to an emergency staircase. The other opens to a spacious and bright room. It’s layout is similar to my apartment, but at least three times the size, probably more. There is a couch and living room set to the right. To the left is a large kitchen, that looks like it would be a chef’s dream. I don’t cook much, but I could do some damage in there. Beyond the kitchen is a dining room table that looks like it sits ten. On the far side of the living room, it looks like there is a hallway. Probably leading to the bedrooms and bathroom.

I start to sob again. I’m not even sure why I am crying.

It could be stress of the day. The baby hormones. Or any number of other things.

Suddenly Sean is in front of me, pulling me into his arms. “Hey, look at me.” I can’t. He’s the reason behind all this. He’s the reason I’m pregnant. Why I’m married to someone I don’t know. Why my apartment was the scene of an attack, and someone threatened to kidnap me.

“I’m not trying to hurt you.” He says trying to soothe me. “I just want to keep you safe.”