Page 20 of Twisted Secrets (The O’Malleys #3)

C illian cursed himself for being an idiot and walking away from Olivia.

But staying wasn’t an option. He could still taste her on his lips and feel her coming apart because of him .

It was all too tempting to turn around and finish what he’d started.

He pulled on the edge of his collar, the move doing nothing to help him cool down.

He couldn’t even blame it on the warmth outside.

It was all Olivia. She’d practically begged him for more.

That was the issue. More was exactly what he wanted.

He’d had no problem being a booty call in the past, but the thought of being only that for her left him feeling…dirty. And not in a good way. He couldn’t blame her for being pissed that he’d pulled a disappearing act. He would be, too, in her situation.

A man stepped out of the shadows at the end of the alley, and Cillian jerked to a stop.

Stupid to get so distracted you aren’t aware of your surroundings .

He frowned into the darkness. The guy was big and blond and looked like a serious bruiser with his sloped brow and nose that had been broken one too many times.

Cillian couldn’t claim to know every person on Halloran’s payroll—though he knew most of them these days—but he didn’t recognize this guy.

Then he spoke, and his Russian accent confirmed him as a stranger. “Cillian O’Malley.”

What the hell was going on? He affected a relaxed pose, as if he wasn’t considering his exit options. “You have me at a disadvantage.”

“That woman Olivia. She is not for you.”

He blinked. Of all the things he’d expected the guy to start with, that hadn’t even made the list. “What’s she to you?”

She’d mentioned a past, but he’d imagined an asshole family or maybe even an abusive ex.

There was no reason to think this man might not be exactly that, but Cillian’s spidey senses were tingling.

He knew organized crime. Hell, he had to be able to recognize the signs.

While it was entirely possible that this man asking about Olivia was a coincidence, when he thought about his family’s history with the New York Russians…

Yeah, he didn’t like his odds that this wasn’t somehow connected. It was a paranoid thought, but he couldn’t shake it.

While he’d been thinking, the man seemed to have done his own inspection. “I don’t know what she sees in you, pretty boy, but she is not for you.”

“Yeah, you keep saying that. I think that’s up to her.”

Maybe he was wrong. Maybe this was all about Olivia and he was taking paranoia to a whole new level.

The O’Malley family had had a shitty year, and no one could blame him for immediately jumping to the worst possible scenario.

But if Olivia really was connected with a rival family, he had to find out about it.

“Is there a reason you cornered me in a dark alley, or did you just want to chat?”

The man lowered his head, reminding Cillian of a bull about to charge, and held up a single finger. “One warning, O’Malley. That is all you get. Leave her alone, or you’ll regret it.”

“I’ll think about it.” I have no intention of leaving her alone , though she and I obviously need to have another talk .

The man considered Cillian for a long moment, then turned and walked away.

That’s it? No tossing me around to prove his point? How disappointing. Cillian shook his head. He must have hit the brick wall harder than he’d thought the other day, because he was obviously off his game in a huge way if he was thinking that.

“Cillian? Are you okay?”

He turned around to find Olivia picking her way through the puddles in the alley toward him. He frowned. “I thought you went back inside.”

“Considering your track record with this alley, when I heard voices, I thought I’d better make sure you were okay.”

He glanced to where the Russian had stood.

“It was just some drunk.” He needed to know more about Olivia, but telling her that some meathead was warning him off her wasn’t a good way to go about it.

If she had a past like he was beginning to suspect—and all signs pointed to that—then it was entirely possible she’d spook and take off. Maybe for good.

He had to tell her. Just…not yet.

Cillian held his arms out. “See. I’ m in one piece.”

“I guess.” She looked at him like she expected him to start bleeding from the head again. Considering what they’d been doing not too long ago, it was borderline insulting. But…

She worries about me. That’s not a bad thing .

“Let me walk you back.”

“Cillian, it’s an alley. There are no entrances between here and there. I’ll be fine.”

She would, but he wasn’t quite ready to leave her.

“Humor me.” He touched the small of her back, the tiny contact washing away his questions in a cascade of desire.

It was all too easy to take a half step back into what they’d been doing not too long ago against that very wall.

If he concentrated, he could feel the slide of his fingers against her soft skin and her hands digging into his shoulders.

Fuck, the things this woman did to him. They finished the walk back into Jameson’s in silence. She stopped just inside the door and turned to face him. “Think you can manage not to get your ass kicked for the next few days?”

He shrugged, warmed by her concern, even if it was wrapped in barbs. “I make no promises, but I’m not going looking for trouble.”

“Somehow, I think trouble finds you all on its own.” She sighed. “I might have been…hasty…in shutting this whole thing down.”

Hope flared, but he did his damnedest to not let it show on his face. “Oh?”

“You’re right. There’s something there between us.” She fiddled with the bottom of her shirt, the movement flashing him a slice of tanned skin. “My days off are for my daughter, but if you want to get dinner or something before my shift on Friday, I’d be okay with that.”

Despite everything, he let himself poke at her a little. “Just okay?”

“I’m saying yes, Cillian. Take it or leave it.”

He grinned. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m going to take you in every way that counts.”

***

Olivia paced through her room, staring at the piles of clothes she’d already tried and thrown to the side. She didn’t do this. She didn’t get nervous and twitchy and worry about what she’d wear on a date.

How would you know? You’ve never been on a date in your life .

She was really starting to hate that little voice inside her.

The feel-good emotions from her last encounter with Cillian had worn off sometime around when she rolled into bed last night, and now all she had to focus on was all the things that could go wrong.

What if he got into some kind of turf war while they were having dinner?

What if they went out and then ended up staring at each other awkwardly over the entirety of a meal? What if Sergei showed up?

Sergei.

The tank top she held dropped from nerveless fingers.

She hadn’t heard from either him or Dmitri in nearly a week, and the end result was that she was constantly looking over her shoulder and jumping at shadows.

It was only a matter of time before he showed up, and with her luck it would be when she was actually on the verge of moving on.

The thought of Sergei and Cillian sharing the same space made her sick to her stomach.

“That’s it. I’m calling the whole thing off. I knew this was a mistake, and I was right.”

Hadley chose that moment to toddle into the room, wiping sleep from her eyes. She’d passed out on the couch in the middle of Finding Nemo an hour ago—long enough for Olivia to sneak a shower and lose her mind over nerves. She smiled. “Hey, baby girl.”

“Mama.” Hadley lifted her arms to be picked up, and Olivia was only too happy to comply.

Just holding her daughter settled something inside her.

“It’s us against the world. Nothing else matters.

” Not her ex, and not Cillian. “I’m going to cancel.

” That was the only choice. She’d been right to reconsider this the first time, and if she didn’t go pathetically weak in the knees whenever he got too close, she would have stuck to her guns.

I’ll just have to make sure we aren’t alone again. Easy .

The sound of the front door opening had her peering out into the living room. Mrs. Richards slipped into her apartment, her arms filled with a wire grocery basket. “Hello, hello. Where’s my Hadley?”

Hadley squealed and shimmied to be let down.

Olivia set her back on her feet with a laugh and watched her daughter hustle over to the older woman.

The way Mrs. Richards’s face lit up warmed her heart.

She’d told Olivia back when they first met that she didn’t have any grandchildren of her own, though she’d always wanted a few to spoil.

She was the kind of grandmother Olivia’s mother wasn’t capable of being—wasn’t even interested in being.

The woman had never even met Hadley. Even knowing what kind of person she was, Olivia had still managed to be surprised that her mother was so damn cold.

Spending time with Mrs. Richards filled a void she’d barely been aware had existed.

If we have to run again, we’ll lose this.

She’ll lose this. Life had been so much easier when she didn’t have close ties or anyone to worry about but herself and Hadley.

The knowledge that their absence hurt Mrs. Richards—that leaving the older woman behind would hurt both Olivia and Hadley, too—might make her hesitate when she needed to act. Damn it .

Mrs. Richards frowned at her. “Why aren’t you dressed? I thought you said you’re meeting him at six.” She glanced at the ancient watch on her wrist. “If you don’t hurry, you’re going to be late.”

“I don’t think I’m going.”