I knew firsthand what a love like that cost. It broke you in a way that could never be mended. It was the greatest sacrifice. Giving up your own happiness for someone else.
There is no greater love than the love of a man willing to lay down his life for his friends.
For his wife.
For his sister.
For his child.
I met Salvatore Valentinetti once, at Nolan’s office. I didn’t know why he was there. I never asked about business. Nolan wouldn’t have told me anything. But I did question, if only in my own head, why the brother of the Italian Mafia Don in Chicago would be talking to the head of the Irish Mob in New York.
I never gave it any thought after that day. Now I wish I’d paid more attention. I wish I’d asked questions. All I remembered about Salvatore was how handsome he was and how polite he was. He was a true gentleman, standing up when I entered the office and not sitting down until I was on my way out.
Nolan never gave me that respect.
I climbed out of bed and quickly showered, expecting to find Cian in the kitchen. Instead, all I found was a note asking me not to leave the apartment.
I looked around the space, knowing there were cameras. Wondering if he was watching me. It didn’t matter. I was a grown woman, and if I wanted to leave, I damn well would.
I grabbed my purse with the files I’d kept secret and walked to the elevator. I stared at the keypad, wondering how I was going to figure out the code, when it occurred to me. I smiled and shook my head. He couldn’t be that stupid.
I typed in my birthday, and the pad beeped as the light blinked red. I tried Maddie’s birthday and got the same result. I glared at the box on the wall and thought about Cian. What would he use that no one would think to try? I smiled again as my heart soared. I typed in the numbers, and the light turned green, opening the elevator doors.
I stepped inside and hit the button for the ground floor. As the car moved slowly down, I thought about that night. The night we first made love.
There was always a negative voice inside my head that tried to tell me it meant more to me than it did to him. But knowing he used that date—the night Maddie was conceived—told me he thought about it every day, the same as me.
I stepped into the lobby and walked out the front door. I didn’t see anybody following me, but then that was their job. Not to be seen.
I couldn’t go directly to his office; I needed to lose whoever was watching me. I knew someone was. Someone always was.
I walked downtown and made my way to Quincy Market. It didn’t matter the time of year, or even the weather, Quincy Market was always filled with people. Tourists and locals.
Now that summer was right around the corner, there would be so many people there, making it easy to get lost in the crowd.I smiled as I stepped into one of the shops. When I stepped back out, I felt eyes watching me. For the next few hours, I dipped in and out of shops until I was sure whoever had been sent to follow me was no longer an issue.
Then, I made my way to Sinclair’s office.
“May I help you?” The receptionist was young and pretty, and I held back my eye roll. It was such a cliché, and yet, for some reason, I’d expected more from him.
“I am here to see Mr. Sinclair.”
“Do you have an appointment?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Please tell him Caitlin O’Malley is here.”
“I’m sorry, without an app—” Her words were cut off by the ringing of her telephone. I smiled arrogantly as she lifted the receiver to her ear.
“Yes, sir. Right away.” The woman set the phone down and stood, giving me a sneer. “Please follow me.”
The click of her heels on the floor was the only sound as she led me down the hallway to Sinclair’s office. She opened the door, holding it open as I walked through.
“That will be all, Sarah.”
I smiled over my shoulder at Sarah as she closed the door.
“What can I do for you, Miss O’Malley?”
“I am here because of what I can do for you.” Sinclair raised an eyebrow, a look of doubt marring his brow. “I spoke with Maddie yesterday. She told her father and me everything.”
