Page 49 of Malicious Marriage

“Dean… thank you!” She suddenly throws her arms around me and hugs me tightly, so I return the hug as firmly as I dare.

“It’s no problem at all.” Did she expect me to say no when someone she cares about is missing?

“Nothing else in the world matters to me more than her safety,” Clover mumbles against my shoulder, then she steps back and quickly tucks her hair behind her ear. “Not a thing.”

“Family is important. I understand. Trust me, Clover. I will help you find her.”

22

CLOVER

“Why are you shaking?” Bobby takes his eyes off the road to give me his usualstop itlook so I press my knees together to try and combat the urge to release the nervous energy building inside me.

“I’m not.”

“Dude.”

“Sorry, reflex. I just…” I shake my head and drum my fingers against the door while Bobby weaves us through the city. “I’m just thinking.”

“About?”

“Dean.”

“Are you thinking about him or his dick?”

“Bobby!”

“What? You’re the one who’s been sad for the past couple of days ever since you laid down the law with him. No blurring business and pleasure, remember?”

“I know, it’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

“He agreed for us to get married before the end of the month.”

“And?”

“I’m just… I feel like I’m waiting for him to pop up and tell me that it’s all a trick and he’s not really going to help me at all.”

“You know what might make you feel better?” Bobby’s eyes dart about the road as he turns us onto his street.

“What?”

“Telling him the truth.”

“Bobby…”

“No, listen. I get that you’re wanting to be married because then his money will be your money and you’ll have all the resources to find Hailey. I support that. I also understand why you told him the loan shark money was to find Hailey. I think that’s a good step. But this is getting messy. He clearly likes you, so why not think about telling him the whole truth?”

“You know why.”

“Do I?”

“You didn’t see what I saw at the gala or hear about how he talked about his ex lying to him. As soon as he finds out I’ve lied, nothing else will matter. He’ll drop me like hot coal and I’ll be back to square one, only without a rich guy to help me get my family back.”

“Do you really think he wouldn’t understand?” Bobby pulls up outside his house and turns off the engine. “He seems… decent for a rich criminal.”

“Honestly?” Unbuckling my seatbelt, I watch it slide back into place and sigh. “I think the social pressure, his family pressure, the shit with his ex and how highly they hold reputation will mean he won’t understand. He’s balancing on this very fragile plate surrounded by rumors and facing down doing what he wants versus what his family needs. And I’m helping him gain breathing room. But I know what I saw at the gala. He’d become a carcass for those vultures the moment people learned he made a mistake and got involved withsomeone who isn’t just a nobody but was disowned from their family.”