Page 27 of Malicious Marriage (Mafia Lords of Sin #9)

DEAN

I take a day to process Clover’s news and calm myself down enough that anger won’t lead my reaction.

It gives me time to ensure that Ryan’s death is suitably swept under the rug, pay Bobby’s hospital bills, and ensure he receives no trouble from the law about Ryan’s sudden demise.

I also insist that Clover stay with me until the wedding so I can keep an eye on her and ensure that no one else harms her during the days between now and our wedding.

Don isn’t best pleased, considering he still hopes to persuade me against marrying her, but given how she brought news of Trisha to me without hesitation, it is the final reassurance I need that I’m making the right choice.

But that understanding comes with pain. Pain that the baby I’ve been preparing for, the baby I’ve been dreaming about in the quiet nights when I’m alone, the baby I’ve set up trust funds and protections for, might not actually be mine.

The revelation comes with agony but also a small voice in my head that scolds me for not catching on to this sooner. Trisha is twisted enough to lie about this, but it’s not something I can act on without concrete proof. My only choice is to speak to her face to face.

“Mr. Savoy.” Her doorman greets me with a bow. “Are you here to see Mr. Wilcox?”

“Miss.”

His brow lifts faintly. “Ah! You’re in luck. Miss Wilcox is in the drawing room.” He sweeps an arm aside to invite me, and I accept with a polite, minimal smile. “I’m afraid your security will have to wait here. Miss Wilcox is very particular about who she lets near her right now.”

Jack shoots me a look of understanding and shrugs off his jacket while walking to a small hardwood chair in the foyer. “Relax. I’ll wait right here.”

“Thank you, sir.” The doorman bows slightly then motions for me to follow.

I walk familiar halls, pass paintings I used to admire and art pieces I used to envy.

In my earlier years, Wilcox Manor was a place of light and love, and a wealth of excitement.

Back then, they always rolled out the red carpet for me in their attempts to sway me right into Trisha’s arms. I’m almost impressed that they hid her psychotic ways for so long, but nothing will compare to the deep, unsettling pain that erupted inside me the first time I caught her trying to snog someone else.

The resulting argument was spectacular in terms of her mental gymnastics to make me the one at fault.

Some things never change.

“Miss Wilcox?” The doorman knocks gently on the door to the drawing room and pushes it open. “Mr. Savoy is here to see you.”

“Oh!” Trisha squeaks inside. “Give me a moment!”

“I don’t have a moment,” I say, barging past the doorman and into the room.

Trisha spins on the spot and quickly drapes herself down onto one of the recliners, resting one hand over her large belly. “Dean! You never enter a woman’s room without permission.”

“Should I remove him, Miss?” The doorman eyes me like a hawk.

“Try it,” I snap tightly. “I’m interested to see you try.” For such a squirrely looking man, he squares up to me as if he has the strength to take me. I almost admire his courage.

“There’s no need, Hector. I’m fine. Leave us.”

Hector’s eyes narrow then he turns to Trisha and nods. “Yes, Miss. I’ll be right outside.”

He leaves and closes the door behind him, but not before shooting me a cold warning look.

“Dean! It’s amazing to see you! If I’d known you were coming I would have dressed up.”

My eyes narrow. She lounges back in a floral sundress that would make her look rather beautiful if she weren’t such a twisted, cruel wretch of a woman. Nothing makes someone more unattractive than their terrible personality.

“This isn’t a social call.”

“Is it ever?” She rolls her eyes and caresses her bump. “Our little rascal is really active today. Do you want to feel?”

For a moment, my palm aches to feel such contact with her belly and the life growing inside her.

Part of me feels guilty for how our ruined relationship has denied my presence around my child while they grow.

While there’s no concrete science to back it up, I’ve had a gnawing fear that my lack of presence will make it harder for me to bond with my child once they’re born, but it’s a fear I can’t vocalize.

I know exactly what everyone’s response will be.

“I don’t want to touch you,” I reply tightly, approaching her but stopping a few feet away. “Tell me about Conor.”

Her brow flickers a fraction and she looks away from me and out the large bay windows looking out onto the vast floral garden. “Who?”

“Don’t play dumb. Conor. Your old bodyguard.”

“I’ve had so many bodyguards, Dean. You’ll have to be more specific.”

“The one you fucked .”

She turns her sharp, cold eyes to me. “Again, you need to be specific,” she says icily, then she laughs. “I’m kidding. I’m kidding! I wouldn’t sleep with the help.” Her face twists in disgust. “What a terrible thought.”

“It is terrible,” I agree. “Your father would disown you in an instant if he knew you had relations with the help. He’d close your trust fund, sell every single one of your beloved horses, close down the house, and have you sent to a fucking convent for the shame it would bring onto him and his name. ”

Trisha swallows audibly and meets my gaze. “Exactly,” she says. “So don’t joke about such a thing. Unlike you, I have no intention of staining my family name or becoming the dark Mafia mutt everyone laughs at.”

“Then why did you fuck Conor?”

“Dean—”

“Don’t lie to me, Trisha. He already admitted it.” In all my years of dealing with this woman, direct has always been the best option. She likes to play games and I like to remove her space to play games.

Her mouth remains open for a moment, then she frowns deeply. “No he didn’t.”

“Yes, he did. After enough alcohol inside him, he was ready to spill every detail.”

Her hand resting against her belly flexes briefly, then she sits up and anger takes over. “That bastard.”

My heart plummets. So it is true. “Tell me when.”

She fixes me with a sharp glare. “Conor would never speak to you, not freely. Did you tie him up and force feed him vodka or something?”

“No, he got drunk on his own, I guess because he has feelings for you and misses you, the poor soul. I’m surprised he hasn’t withered away under the soul sucking aura you give off.”

“Oh, fuck off, Dean! You want to stand there and act like you’re better than me because you never went astray? And now you’re marrying some fucking whore as if what we have doesn’t matter!”

“We don’t have anything, Trisha! Do you still not have that through your thick fucking skull? I hate you. In fact, I don’t even hate you because that would suggest I still feel something about you, but I don’t. I feel absolutely nothing for you!”

“Does that make it easy to cheat on me?” she yells.

“With a fucking Byrne, of all things. A snake who probably isn’t even telling you the truth about herself because tell me this, Dean.

” After much panting and grunting, she stands.

“How does a bitch from a nobody family end up at the same party as a Savoy, huh? They’re nothing.

They’re reaching well above their pay, and for what?

Hell, they might be rich but they’re nothing compared to us.

You’re punching so far down and you think I’ll let scum like that anywhere near our baby? ”

I surge forward as anger rises but catch myself just in time. Clenching my fist, I glare at Trisha with all the loathing I can muster. “But it’s not our baby, is it?”

“Is that what she’s making you believe?”

“This has nothing to do with Clover!”

“It has everything to do with her!”

“No, Trisha. It’s to do with you and your fucking games, your constant lying and you fucking your bodyguard and making me believe that baby is mine!”

“It is yours!” She’s screaming at me now, stomping forward with fire in her eyes. “It’s your baby!”

“Bullshit! Conor’s so fucking excited to be a dad!”

“I haven’t seen him in months!”

“I don’t care, Trisha. You fucked him, and unless you can prove to me when you fucked him then everything about this” —I motion to her belly— “is no longer something I believe you about.”

“I wouldn’t lie about this!”

I have to pull myself away from her, putting almost the full room’s width between us before my anger gets the better of me.

“Bullshit. Fucking bullshit. A few weeks ago, you made me believe the baby was dead because you found it fucking funny. There’s nothing you wouldn’t lie about, and I know you.

You might be cracked in the head, you might be a fucking spawn of Satan, but you value money and prestige, and having a baby from your bodyguard ejects you from this perfect little life!

So what better way than to get me drunk and make sure we sleep together so you can claim that baby is mine! ”

Trisha scoffs and then she starts to laugh.

It’s a cold, humorless sound that drags on and on while she caresses her large bump and sways back and forth.

“Oh, he thinks he has it all figured out! Why not just admit that you don’t want this baby to be yours so you can marry that random fucking whore with a clean conscience? ”

“Don’t you fucking dare,” I snap, pointing at her.

“I have always made it crystal clear that while I despise you, I understand the expectation. No matter what happens between us, everyone is watching me to make sure I do the right thing. The Savoys won’t abandon an heir, right?

They won’t turn their back on a child! And they’re right!

” I throw my arms up. “I won’t. I would never abandon my child to a life with you.

But now I don’t know if that even is my child! ”

“ SO what!” Trisha screams. “What does it matter?”

“It matters because I’ve been trying to cut you out of my life like some cancerous sore and you keep clawing your way back in. You think you can attach yourself to me forever by lying about that baby?”

“I’m not lying!”

Hard to believe her as she continues to laugh. “Then prove it.”

Her expression falters. “No.”

“Yes. I want a paternity test.”

Her eyes narrow to slits. “ No. ”

“Yes, Trisha. I want one. And let me be very clear here because you don’t seem to grasp exactly what I’m saying.

I want nothing to do with you. I will never want anything to do with you again.

But I want proof that the baby is mine and not a cheating secret you’re trying to hide from your precious father. So get me that test.”

“Dean—”

“No!” I snap. “No ifs, no buts, no excuses. I want proof. And if this is just another one of your fucking games and that baby is mine, then I will uphold my original agreement of raising that baby with all of the love and care they deserve. I will be there for it and I will have nothing to do with you outside of caring for that child. But if that baby is not mine?” I can barely breathe with how furious I am.

“You will never lay eyes on me ever again.”

“Fuck you!” she screeches. “I’m not letting anyone come near me with any sort of test, you fucking psychopath.”

“Get me the test, Trisha, or I go to your father right this second and tell him everything I’ve just told you about Conor. I bet he’ll want the test just as much as I do so he can calculate how much shame you’re bringing onto him.”

“I—” She hesitates and a thunderous cloud moves across her face. “Fine. You’ll get your test and you’ll see the baby is yours. And then you will owe me one fucking huge apology!”

“I honestly didn’t think you’d make it out of there alive,” Jack murmurs. “I’m not kidding when I tell you I think she’ll snap one day and kill you.”

“I can’t tell if the baby is mine or she just truly believes that herself. It’s like she’s lied to herself so much that she thinks it’s the truth.”

Jack double-checks the safety of his gun and sighs. “Do you really think it’s Conor’s baby?”

“I… honestly, I don’t know. I knew she cheated, but I thought it was only months before we finally broke up. I was so caught up in protecting both of our reputations that I thought I could look past it all. But after that night she got me so drunk I couldn’t walk, I knew I wasn’t safe around her.”

“I’m honestly still convinced she drugged you,” Jack replies. “And if it was to cover up the fact that she was pregnant with someone else’s kid… it fits.”

“It does. Fuck.” I try not to dwell on the dark unknown too much. “She counts my marriage to Clover as cheating on her.”

“Of course she does. Fucking psycho.”

“The test will get me the answer and if she continues to refuse, I’ll get it myself once the baby is born.” My own weapon is a comforting weight in my hand. “Ready?”

“To go and confront some Russians about their late deliveries despite their promises that everything was going to be smooth sailing?” Jack slams the trunk closed and grins. “Hell yeah.”

Don’s been chasing a particular pocket of Russians for a while now after three late deliveries. One is already too many, but as an act of good faith, they were given another chance. And then one more. Now it’s down to me to make sure they’re never late again.

“Though…” Jack’s attention lingers on the small squad of men we brought to the Russian warehouse. “Are you okay?”

I frown and meet his gaze when he turns to me. “Yeah, why?”

“I dunno, just checking, I guess. With Clover, her missing sister, this super fast wedding, Trisha, the baby, this wobbly deal with the Russians… you got a lot on your plate.”

“That’s why I’ve got you.” I chuckle, clapping his shoulder. “You find me people to shoot at.”

“It’s true.” Jack grins. “Alright, you ready?”

“Hold that thought,” I say as my phone vibrates in my pocket. “Hello?”

“Dean, it’s Andrew.”

“Hey, you got something for me?”

“I think I do,” Andrew says. “I’ve been tracking a rumor about Hailey and I might have a lead.”

Suddenly, the Russians don’t feel that important. “A lead? Is it something I can act on right now?”

“Nah, I still gotta verify a couple of things before I’m certain it’s concrete, but you wanted me to call if I got anything at all.”

“Is it good news?”

Andew grunts. “I can’t say for sure.”

Fuck.

“How confident are you that it’s a real lead?”

“I’m callin’, ain’t I?”

The perks of having several PI friends. “I’m getting married in four days. Can you have it verified by then?”

“Negative.”

“Alright… I want you to verify and then double-check what you’ve found. Make sure it’s something of real worth for me, understand?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. You have until after the wedding.” The last thing I want to do is upset Clover until I have concrete proof. And if I can’t bring her good news before the wedding, then it will just have to wait until after.