Page 50 of Malicious Marriage
“And when your uncle comes back?” Bobby asks softly.
“By then… by then, we will be married and as you said, I’ll have all the money and the power to find my sister and with her, we can take my family back. And we’re already planning an amicable divorce so it won’t matter. He’ll be busy with his baby and I’ll have Hailey back.”
Bobby nods slowly. “I’m not against you, just to be clear. I just wanted to know what you’re thinking.”
“But you don’t agree with me.” My eyes narrow. “I can tell.”
Bobby shrugs. “It doesn’t matter if I do or I don’t. I’m in this with you and I support you. If this is how you want to play it, then that’s what we’ll do.”
His words of comfort don’t do much to make me feel better but he doesn’t understand Dean like I do. He’s made it clear how much he values trust, and I don’t want to be someone else who lied to him. Because Bobby is right. I care about Dean a lot and in such a short time, it’s almost overwhelming.
And deep down, I don’t want to lose him. He makes me feel lighter every time he smiles at me. I can’t risk his finding out the truth until a ring is on my finger and his money is mine.
Hailey is my goal.
Nothing else matters. Or so I tell myself.
As Bobby climbs out of the car and heads inside, I follow at a slower pace while dialing Ryan’s number.
“Hey, bitch, it’s about time you called.”
“I’m calling to tell you that I wired what I owe you directly to your boss. So we’re done, you understand? You don’t contact me again, you don’t come near me. You don’t eventhinkabout me.”
“Powerful words for someone in your position.” Ryan snorts. “Aye, I heard the money arrived. How’d you manage that?”
“None of your business.”
“Was it your rich little boy toy? Did he pay you before or after you spread that foul cunt?”
“Goodbye, Ryan.”
“You’ll be back,” he growls. “Men like Dean? They don’t stay with fat fucks like you for long. He’ll want someone thin and pretty, more so when he finds out you don’t even have a good family name to prop him up. You’re nothing, Clover. You hear me? You’re just a fucking stain on everyone you?—”
I hang up before I can hear any more and stand at the bottom of the steps with my heart pounding.
Fuck that guy. I hate him. What did I ever see in him?
“You coming?” Bobby reappears at the door. “Frankie’s making burgers.”
“Yeah.” I force a smile and hurry up the steps while putting Ryan out of my mind. “I’m starving.”
Dinner with Bobby, Frankie, and their adorable son Thomas is as exciting as it always is. Frankie’s cooking is delicious and while he doesn’t know all the details, he voices a similar opinion as Bobby regarding telling Dean the truth. I know they mean well, but they don’t know him like I do.
They don’t fully understand what my bad reputation—or lack of—could really do to a family like the Savoys. Too many are hungering for their downfall due to jealousy or worse. We eat burgers, share stories, and I spend a good forty minutes helping Thomas paint the animals he saw at the zoo today. My elephants could definitely use some work.
Before long, Frankie kisses my cheek and invites me to stay over, but I decline. Frankie carries Thomas off to bed, and Bobby offers to drive me home, which I accept, although we both know there’s no other way I can afford to get home.
Halfway back to the manor, he gets a call that diverts our destination.
“You don’t mind, do you?” Bobby asks as he quickly does a U-turn and heads deeper into the city.
“Not at all. Who is it we’re picking up?”
“Conor. He’s a friend of a friend, technically.”
“Technically?”
“Well, everyone in the security racket sort of runs in the same circles, y’know? I knew of Jack before I met him but had never met him in person. You sort of keep those contacts in case you’re ever looking for work, and guard or protection of Mafia heirs is a specific set of skills.”