Page 26 of Sins of Innocence

"That's absurd! He can't just claim us as his family."

"Not without my approval, but I already gave it."

"But that's—"

"The mob," Kara says, cutting me off. "My husband's word is law."

"But he's the underboss, not the boss. Isn't it your dad's word that's law?" Maybe I can reason with Brogan Shaughnessy.

"My father won't undermine Mick's authority by disagreeing."

"Unless it comes to killing children." Would the underboss really do that?

"There are very few exceptions, but yes there are some."

That this is not one of them apparently goes without saying.

"And if Kieran killed Kenneth Shaugnessy without your sanction, you would kill him, even though you're the one who approved him claiming us as his family?" That's so not fair.

"Aye."

"But why?"

"We need to find out how deep Kenneth's traitorous rot has spread. Killing him would make that a lot harder than it needs to be."

"So, let me get this straight. First, you tell me that I have to marry Kieran to protect myself and my daughters. Then you tell me that if I don't marry him and he does what he well…does to protect us, then you'll kill him?"

"Aye," Mick says again, unperturbed.

So, I have to marry Kieran to protect his stupid life too. "You're not giving me any choices, no matter what you say."

Mick shrugs. "I will keep my family safe, whatever it takes."

Even if me and my girls are collateral damage. I get his unspoken message. Mick Fitzgerald is offering protection but only under his terms and if I refuse them, I'm on my own.

I can no more stifle the sound of distress I make as that sinks in fully than I can the atavistic tremor of fear that goes through me.

Without warning, Kieran lifts me and sets me on his thighs with my legs off to one side, but my body mostly turned toward him.

I yelp in shock, but I don't try to move. Why don't I try to move?

"You are a strong and compassionate woman. I knew another woman like you a long time ago, but I was too weak to protect her. I am not too weak to protect you."

My initial shock at what is Kieran's version of word vomit quickly gives way to disbelief. I can't imagine this man as weak and he's wrong about me being strong.

"I don't know where you get my character assessment from," I grumble. "Would a strong woman have tolerated everything I have from Kenneth Shaughnessy and his family for the past few years?"

"Only a strong woman could," Kieran asserts.

"I didn't feel strong. I felt desperate." And afraid.

So freakin' afraid every day since Kenneth Shaughnessy told me my husband was a traitor and had been tortured and murdered because of it.

Ever since he claimed the same thing would happen to me if I didn't prove my loyalty to the mob.

"A weaker woman with less integrity would pick none of the above and go to Shaughnessy looking for a payoff to get out of town, tipping him off to our awareness of his plans."

"That other woman would end up dead though," Mick inserts.