I nod. “They’ve been using our clubs—both in Chicago and New York—to steal women for their trafficking business. Drugs have gone missing as well.” My voice is a low hum.
Her face pales. “They are dealing in…kidnapping women?”
I nod. “Lower your voice.”
She swallows and nods.
“It’s created a lot of issues for both my clan and yours. We don’t engage in trafficking”—her shoulders relax a bit as I say this—“but our nightclubs are becoming hubs. We look weak. Our business is suffering. We have investors. Legitimate and not so legitimate. If they get spooked, we all suffer. Independently, we haven’t run them off yet, because when they come hard at one city, they bring reinforcements from the other.”
“And, we don’t send reinforcements.”
I smile at her. She’s catching on quickly. “Right. However, wewillonce we solidify this alliance. Our engagement is a showing of intent. It signifies that we want to work together. Can trust each other. That’s not easy because, unlike the Greeks, no one is talking about a single leader over our clans. It really is an alliance. There’s a lot to be decided after our engagement, about where we’ll start to unravel the enemy. About who will do what. All that will take negotiation. Our engagement will bring everyone to the bargaining table. It’ll startle the Greeks, which is good. It’ll embolden our clans, which is even better.”
She nods slowly. Pancakes forgotten. “Why do we have to get married though? Can’t we all work together because it benefits us?”
I shrug. I understand her logic, but that isn’t how it works. “Trust doesn’t come easy in our world, Taryn. If you are tied to Chicago, and I’m tied to New York? It creates a different sort of bond. The type of bond where Rowan will be willing to send men and money. The type where my father will show up for Rowan with his own men because they’ll think he has a mentor now. Rowan hasn’t told me this directly, but I hear that a lot of the guys in your clan aren’t happy about someone so young taking the reins. My father will provide him with a mentor who is cruel enough for Rowan’s men to respect, but not crazy enough to shoot someone for smiling at his daughter.”
She slumps back in her seat. I know it’s a lot to process, so I finish my breakfast—and hers—while she looks across the diner at nothing. Finally, after several long minutes, I start to worry about the blank expression on her face and decide to shift the topic a little.
“I’d like for us to get to know each other, Taryn. I don’t know much about you aside from you wanting to leave New York and be a lawyer. I mean—and you’re hot as fuck. I know that too. But, I’d like to get to knowwhoyou are. And I’d appreciate it if you could at least try to give me a little grace. Get to know me. I don’t think I’m a terrible person. At least, I try not to be.” I draw in a deep breath. Shit. Way to ramble, Liam. Fuck. I look like a total pussy. I’ve never had to ask a girl to give me a chance before. Yet, she smiles.
“You think I’m hot?”
I laugh at that. “Come on,” I drawl. “You know what you look like, beauty.”
She blushes prettily. Shrugs. “I think like most women, I tend to catalog my flaws.” I’m about to respond when she says, “I know you’ve been with a lot of girls, Liam.” Fuck. Nothing is easy with this girl. She must note my expression because she continues. “I’m not saying that to be mean or imply you did something wrong. I mean, it’s not like I’m a virgin. It’s just a bit intimidating to think about a future with someone who hasso manywomen to compare you to.” She looks away from me.
“I admit that I slept around.Before,” I tell her honestly. And, shit. I refuse to think about her sexual history. “But, I didn’t want to get to know any of those girls. They weren’t special to me, and I wasn’t special to them.”
“Well, you weren’t exactly forced to marry any of those girls either.”
I don’t correct her about how our engagement came to be. Or the fact that I was the one who chose her. “True. But, we could agree that we’ll get married and stay virtual strangers. Sleep with other people. Live our own lives. I don’t want that. In fact, I want theoppositeof that. The truth is, unlike you, I’m not torn up about this. I won’t apologize for wanting to at leastexplorethe potential while we brainstorm whether a way out is possible.” I can’t believe I blurted all that. I also used her stupid word.Brainstorm. As if this is a marketing class and not a mob marriage.
“I… I… Wow.” She looks shell-shocked. Taryn clears her throat and takes a gulp of water. It’s silent for what feels like forever before she meets my eyes. “This is a lot to process, Liam.”
I nod. There’s nothing else I can say to her. I’ve made my case.
“Is there anything else I can get you?” Our waitress is back and she trails her hand along my shoulder as she asks the question. I stiffen.
“No,” Taryn snaps. “Just the check. My fiancé and I have places to be.”
The waitress immediately removes her hand. “Oh, right. Sure. I’ll go get that.”
I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. I didn’t imagine how territorial Taryn sounded. “Where do we have to be?” Damn. I tried, but I can’t help the grin that breaks through.
“We’re getting engaged tonight, remember?” she quips. “Might as well get on with this day and disappoint your fan club.” She smiles back at me. Actually smiles back.
I want to give myself a fucking high five. The waitress returns and puts the check on the table. I don’t remove my eyes from the girl across the booth. “You good, beauty?”
She shakes her head at my refusal to look at the waitress and smirks. “Let’s go.”
Taryn scurries away and I laugh. I glance at the check and throw some bills on the table. I wrap my arm around my girl on the way out, and I’m surprised that she doesn’t stop me.
She’s in a better mood on the ride back to her house. It may be because our breakfast is over, but I’d like to think it’s because she is starting to enjoy my company. Starting to trust me. Maybe a little. When we arrive back at Taryn’s place, that’s all put on hold when we walk in on a brunette that I assume is her roommate in the middle of an argument with Rowan O’Toole.
“Uh, what’s going on?” Taryn asks as I help her out of her coat. I smile to myself when I meet no resistance this time around.
Her roommate flushes while Rowan answers. “I stopped by to check in on you. Your engagement has spread all over campus already.”
