Page 146 of Mafia Obsession

The strength and clarity of her voice sets me back. Thedifference in her cognition and even motor skills have improved so greatly. Am I making a mistake moving her again?

Dr. Masters would have argued if I were, so I press on.

“He doesn’t love me, Jessica.” My hand tightens slightly over my stomach. “And that’s not healthy for a baby.”

“The baby is his heir. And every powerful man wants an heir.”

“He doesn’t want an heir, and—” I stop, and my hands start to shake. “How do you know about powerful men wanting an heir?”

According to the video Kirill sent, she was going to marry theheirto the Bratva. Is part of her buried memory breaking through?

“I… I don’t know,” she says with a shrug.

“That’s okay,” I say softly.

Whoever she was with Kirill, that’s not who she is now. Powerful men don’t want a disabled wife. And if he takes her out of some promised obligation, he will never treat her right. All that I’ve learned about Kirill these past months from articles and photographs of him have revealed that the man is an utter psychopath.

Despite his sinful good looks.

“Let’s focus on you. I can’t raise a child in uncertainty or emotional instability. When we get to Arizona, I’m staying with Elodie,” I say and take a breath. “Remember I told you, she’s our cousin on our mom’s side of the family. Eventually, you and I can live together when you’re moved to an outpatient program.”

All her reports say she is a candidate forregained independence with support.That support being me. And I’m committed to her.

“And a baby,” she whispers after a small delay.

“Yeah. This is your niece or nephew.” I take her hand and press it against my stomach. “This isourlegacy. A piece of Mom and Dad.”

“Legacy…” she repeats.

I hug her. “Arizona has so many healing qualities, and with our cousin there, we’ll be a family again. Soon you’ll start toremember the nice childhood we had. I want us to be the sisters you don’t remember.”

“I’d love that, Lourdes,” she says and hugs me back.

Guilt pounds my head harder than the headache I’ve had all month. Sandrine is where she is because of Ares. But that suited him. That gave him leverage over the Bratva.

None of that matters anymore. The Scottsdale desert is a world away from the mafia world. Arizona is what’s best for Sandrine. And what is best for her is best for me.

After filing for an exit package from Sandrine’s facility, I sit in the backseat of the car Ares bought me and look down at my wrist. My thumb drags over the ink.

The ink that tied me to David. I could remove it. Ishouldremove it.

Laser it off. Burn it away. Start clean, like I should have when I stared down at David’s death certificate.

Instead, I’d be erasing proof that I survived what he did to me.

I’ll survive Ares, too.

Maybe.

Next, I waltz into Daria’s office at Zervas & Company. She’s been dividing her time between here and the Aurelian. She’s seen more of my husband than I have, and he’s in Santorini right now.

I’m not sure how long she or Ares’s brothers or the guards or anyone else around here thinks I’ll stay married to a man who can’t stand to be in the same room with me.

I thought he loved me. Boy, was I wrong. I almost laugh at myself. At how quickly I believed in something that was never real.

“Good morning, Mrs. Zervas,” Daria greets me.

My eyes slip closed. “About that.” I lean against her desk, an index finger on the satiny wood surface. “I want a divorce. Who do I speak to about that?”