Page 52 of Malicious Marriage

“As the limit allows,” he replies.

“I tried to forget about you tonight,” Conor drones on. “I tried but no one is as pretty as you. No one understands me like you do. We had so much fun together and I didn’t even care about the other guy!”

Other guy? Now I’m intrigued.

“I undersaaaand,” Conor groans. “Sacrifices and stuff, but what if we didn’t have to? What if we just told the truth and told everyone about our love? I’d be there, y’know. I’d be there when your family disowns you. I’d care for you and our little one. I’d be such a good man for you, I would.”

Disown?Bobby and I exchange a curious look.

“Please, Trisha, just talk to me. I love you, okay? I love you so much!”

Wait a second, Trisha?

I turn back around to Conor as he hangs up the phone and eye the device. As it starts to slip from his limp fingers, I reach around and catch it.

There’s no way… right?

“Conor, did you say Trisha?” Luckily, his phone is still unlocked as I take it and scroll through to his recent calls.

“Mhmmmmm, love of my damn life.” He hiccups sharply.

“Trisha as in Trisha Wilcox?” The number he called is saved only as Trisha with a bunch of heart emojis.

“That’s her, that’s my girl,” Conor slurs. “I love her so much and I was gonna be such a great dad until she fucked off. I know I was. I’d be a good man for her and a good dad for… our baby…”

He slumps forward, passed out, as a stunned silence fills the car.

Hisbaby?

23

DEAN

Hailey Byrne.

The eldest daughter of the Byrne family and the only person Clover seems to have left in the world—other than a debt-inducing uncle, but given how little she speaks about him, I don’t hold him in particularly high regard. Her disappearance is enough to cause concern by most every day standards, but the more I look into Hailey, the more my concern deepens.

Typically, in our line of work, someone vanishing for any period of time means they’re dead. There are no second chances in this life. Clover claimed Hailey liked to travel a lot, but my people have only been able to drag up minimal information on Hailey and her travels. It sits before me, spread across my desk like confetti while I nurse a scotch and mull over the way forward.

Marrying Clover in just over a week’s time tightens my timeline on finding out exactly what happened to her, especially if I want to find her and reunite her with Clover before we tie the knot. Three months is a small window in any other walk oflife except ours. Empires rise and fall within the space of three months.

Sipping my drink, the burn down my throat fades as I lightly shuffle through the papers before me. Hailey and Clover appeared to be as close as two sisters can be, judging by their social media interactions, but it all tapered off about four years ago.

Presumably, this is when Hailey started traveling as a result of the death of their father. The Byrne family aren’t exactly prevalent in our world. If it wasn’t for meeting Clover, I doubt they would ever naturally cross my radar. They’re one of a thousand smaller families that make up the foundation of my family’s empire, but no one family holds much importance. They often shift like sand as minor squabbles and bad blood remove families from the equation as often as new ones form.

I read through their history until it’s imprinted in my mind, and my heart aches for Clover. Her mother passed away when she was only six years old, her father four years ago, and now her sister has vanished. She’s alone in the world with only Bobby for company.

Maybe that’s why some of her behavior has been so odd and why her home looked like no one really spent much time there. She’s one person rattling around a mansion while her uncle seemingly gambles away what’s left of the family wealth. As soon as Clover and I tie the knot, I’m removing that man from any family accounts he shouldn’t have access to. Just a glance at the family public accounts is enough to tell me how often he squanders wealth that doesn’t belong to him.

“Dean?” Don knocks softly on the door and enters when I look up. “Busy?”

“Not really.” Setting my drink down, I rise from my chair. “Can I get you a drink?”

Don shakes his head. “I’m good, thanks.”

I sit back down with a small smile and eye the papers in his hand. “Those for me?”

“Yeah. The list of Russian bachelors you wanted.” He hands them to me with a small frown. “Although some explanation would be useful.”