Page 23 of Honorable Sins

In the mob, we can never afford to take things at face value or assume players are working alone.

Kara's hands fist in her lap, her beautiful body vibrating with rage. "I can't believe he thinks he could get away with turning you over to the feds. 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 chide her for going outside the mob for her cohort in torture. If I'm not around to do it, De Luca is a close substitute.

"I would have allowed you to move your family from New York before Kenneth talked to you and told you too much, but that's not a possibility now," I inform Áine, feeling a faint stirring of pity for her that surprises me. "You have two choices."

"What are they?" she asks.

I approve of her practical approach and don't try to sugar coat the options. "Marry Wraith and accept his protection for yourself and your family. Or stay in New York without it."

"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?" Áine asks in furious tones.

We all say no, but I put my hand up to silence Kara and Wraith. "Kenny Jr. will be punished for what happened today."

"He needs to be taken out from under the influence of his father," Kara opines.

And I don't hate what she's suggesting.

A boarding school that specializes in building character and a sense of honor might be Kenny Jr.'s salvation.

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

"But we can try." Kara gives me a beseeching look.

Of course I'll listen to her, but I remind her, "The punishment for rape in this mob is death."

"Fitz stopped them!" Áine cries looking shocked at herself for taking up for Kenny Jr. and his hoodlum cohorts.

"Even sociopaths can be taught a sense of honor." Kara looks at me with the love and approval I've come to crave and rely on.

I'll look into the incident more fully and decide if boarding school is an option.

"Why can't we just leave New York?" Áine asks with renewed desperation. I guess she doesn't like hearing more about mob justice. "I promise I won't say anything."

"If you leave, there is nothing to stop Kenneth from following you," my wife explains with an empathy I don't understand but admire all the same.

Because it's part of her. Everything about her is perfect.

"If you stay and don't marry Wraith, Kenneth will continue to try to coerce you into sex. Can you be sure you won't give in to it?" I ask.

Áine's only answer is a glare. Does she think the question was rhetorical?

It wasn't, but my wife speaks up before I can press the other woman for a reply. "He and his son both know the consequences of rape, but Kenny Jr. still attacked Sadie today with his friends. Because Kenneth Shaughnessy believes he and his family are untouchable."

"Or not," Wraith says thoughtfully.

I ponder what he means and I probably wouldn't get it if I weren't married to Kara, but I think like she would and it comes to me. Again, not bad strategy, but not good enough.

"Why or not?" Áine asks Wraith.

But my soldier is a man of few words and it's Kara that explains. "It's possible that Kenneth egged his son on in order to trigger mob justice."

"He wants Kenny Jr. killed?" Áine guesses, making no effort to disguise the horror she feels at the idea.

"No, but he wants Mick to invoke the punishment so he can go to my father with a complaint and stir up more trouble among the other lieutenants and their captains."

"Because even mobsters balk at killing a child?" Áine asks without sarcasm.