Page 22 of Sins of Innocence

The feds sure acted like they thought I was as guilty of mob activity as Troy.

"He tried to rape you?" Kieran's entire body is rigid with tension when he asks.

"He tried to coerce me. Kenneth said I had to prove my loyalty to the mob. That's why I had to work for him and his snobby family." I put it off as long as I could after Joy's birth, but I knew my meager savings from what was left after selling the house and paying off Troy's debts wouldn't last forever. I had to work and according to Kenneth the only option in that regard was working for him. "Lately, he's decided me spreading my legs for him would be stronger proof of my loyalty."

"He's dead," Kieran says with quiet force.

I grimace. "If only." Then I realize what I just said and yank my hand, trying without success to get it away from Kieran's. "You're making me start to think like a mobster!"

"There are worse things than being a mobster," Mick says in that flat tone I'm beginning to associate with him. "You have to wait to kill him until we know who else is complicit in his plans."

That was definitely said for Kieran's benefit because I'm not going to go around killing people.

"I can't believe he thinks he could get away with turning you over to the feds," Kara says to her husband, sounding incensed. "If he succeeded in getting you locked up, I'd kill him myself and I'd ask Miceli De Luca to help me torture him first."

I don't know who Miceli De Luca is, but if he's half as proficient at torture as Mick Fitzgerald, Kenneth Shaughnessy is in for a world of hurt.

"I would have allowed you to move your family from New York before Kenneth talked to you and told you too much," Mick tells me. "But that's not a possibility now. You have two choices."

"What are they?" I try to steel myself for whatever the underboss is going to say, pretty sure I'm not going to like either one.

But especially the death option I'm sure is coming.

"Marry Wraith and accept his protection for yourself and your family. Or stay in New York without it."

Chapter five

Is it a choice though?

ÁINE

That is not what I'm expecting him to say.

But I get the threat implied in the second option. Without Kieran's so-called protection, there will be more days like today for Sadie and eventually for Neeve and Joy too. "Are you saying that if I'm not married to Kieran, Kenneth can rape me without punishment? That his son can do the same to my daughter?"

Kieran, Mick and Kara all say no at the same time, Kieran with angry vehemence, Kara with impassioned certainty and Mick with flat finality.

Mick puts his hand up, silencing the other two. "Kenny Jr. will be punished for what happened today."

Apparently, Fitz already broke his arm, isn't that punishment enough?

Kara's hazel eyes glitter with ire. "He needs to be taken out from under the influence of his father."

"It could only be an improvement, but I'm not sure it will make any difference to his character at this point," I mutter.

Maybe it would have a few years ago, before he became the bully his father made him.

A memory of something I overheard between Kenneth and Kenny Jr. when the boy was still in elementary school flashes in my brain.

I'm carrying fresh towels toward the upstairs linen closet when I hear Kenneth's office door open. I step into an open doorway. I'm not comfortable alone with Kenneth. I've seen him grope the other maid and the cook. So far, he's only leered at me, but I'm not taking any chances.

"Kenny," my boss's voice raps out sharply.

I see the boy now, standing at the top of the main stairway, a backpack hanging from one thin shoulder. He's smiling. "Yes, Dad?"

"Come in"

Kenny Jr. steps into his father's office, but leaves the door open. "I got picked," he says excitedly.