Em slowly nods. “I get why you wanted to help.”
“I know what it feels like to be betrayed by the people who profess to love you. I know what it’s like to need answers, like I know the rage that burns inside for vengeance. I couldn’t turn my back on him. I just couldn’t.”
“I understand fully, and you wouldn’t be you if you didn’t offer to help.”
“The guy was dejected when he came back to hear our decision. Oh, he hid it well. All those mafia guys have the best poker faces, but I could tell. That was the first week I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t stop seeing his face, and it resurrected a lot of shit I thought I’d buried. I knew what I was doing when I called him from a burner cell and arranged to meet him. I didn’t want to betray the guys, but they don’t get it. They don’t understand. I just couldn’t let him down.”
“Did you find the people responsible?”
I nod. “I’ve helped him with a lot more than that.” She doesn’t need to know the specifics.
“Do you regret it?” She rubs a hand up and down my arm.
“I don’t regret helping him, only doing it behind my partners’ backs. I should have told them I was going to help him on thedown-low. Even if they kicked me out for risking our company, it still would’ve been the right thing to do.”
“Are you in any danger?”
I smooth the creases in her brow with my fingers. “No. I have covered my tracks. No one will ever know it was me who helped him. I don’t take risks with my family, so I have a couple of guys watching over things in case anything should lead back to me, but I’m confident it won’t, and mostly, I’m finished working with him now.”
“So, it’s unlikely Keven, Sawyer and Xavier would ever find out.”
“Yes and no. If this guy confronts his family in the future, they’ll know he had help outside the mafia.”
“Jesus, Zayn.” She sits more upright. “That sounds pretty fucking dangerous to me.”
“They won’t harm us, Em. This guy’s dad is one of the leaders, and he swears he’ll ensure nothing blows back on my family. Like I already said, it would cause bad blood between us and the mafia, but they won’t take me out because I helped one of their own.”
“You don’t think you should have talked to me about this before agreeing to help?”
“I didn’t think I needed to, but it’s just another way I completely mismanaged the whole situation.” Tension bleeds into the air, and I hate I’ve disappointed my wife.
“It’s not like you can undo what you’ve done, so I guess we just have to live with it and hope for the best.”
“We’re not in danger, Em. And if we were, I have the Elite and the Luminaries to call upon, so please don’t worry because I’m not.” That is the least of my concerns, and I’m not lying. We’re not in danger. “But if it makes you feel better, I’ll hire a protective detail for you and Darcy.”
“If you say it’s not dangerous, I believe you, but are you really sure?”
“Yes.” I tuck hair behind her ear. “I would never put you or Darcy at risk.”
“Okay, but promise if anything changes you’ll let me know.”
“I promise.”
Em clings to my arm. “So, all the stress and sleepless nights are because you’ve kept this from the guys?”
“Yeah. It doesn’t sit right with me.”
She presses a hard, quick kiss to my lips.
“What was that for?”
“For being you. Lesser men wouldn’t lose sleep over it. That speaks volumes about your character, and I’m proud of you for wanting to do the right thing.”
“I have to tell them. I can’t live with myself any longer.”
“Is it possible they might already know and they’re waiting for you to fess up?”
“I’ve considered that though the guys haven’t dropped any hints or given me any indication they’re aware of my extracurricular activities. But we’re the best in our field. We trade in secrets, so it’s not inconceivable to think they might already know. Which means I really don’t have any choice. I need to tell them.”
