Page 33 of Sins of Innocence

After a few seconds of silence, Kieran adds, "Can't."

"Why can't?" If the clarification between won't and can't are important enough for Kieran to verbalize it, then the reason matters.

"He's dead."

"Good," I say again.

"I killed him."

"I'm sure he deserved it." Before Troy died and I learned about the dark world he'd dragged me into, I never would have said that.

But after being terrorized by Kenneth for six years, and living in the fear that coercion would turn into rape for the past few months, I'm fully convinced that the death of a person who causes so much harm to others is not a tragedy.

Them getting away with the hurt they inflict is the tragedy.

"He did."

"My mom won't tell anyone about the reason why we're getting married." But even as I say the words, I don't know if they're true.

There's a reason I never told her about Troy's involvement with the mob. After she found out, Sadie didn't either. I asked her not to, telling my ten-year-old daughter that gran could get in trouble if she knew.

Sadie and I were already in the trouble bubble, only we didn't know how deep. Until today when it all crystalized into something imminent and threatening.

"She would have to meet with Mick and convince him she isn't a security risk," Kieran warns me.

The very thought of my mom having a conversation similar to what I endured this evening with the terrifying underboss gives me chills. Knowing there's a very real chance it would go much differently sends those frissons of fear straight to my soul.

Mom is one of those people who believes that right is right and wrong is wrong and there's no in between. She would go to the cops before she allowed me to be forced into a marriage with a mobster.

Putting her at risk and on the underboss's radar is not worth having someone to talk to.

"Never mind. She can't know about your connection to the mob either," I firmly inform him.

"Troy?" he asks.

"She doesn't know about him. Both Sadie and I have done our best to keep it from mom, Neeve and Joy. Though they'll probably find out the same way Sadie did eventually."

"No."

"You can't prevent children from talking," I say with a sigh.

I hate knowing that eventually all of my daughters will be subjected to the painful revelation Sadie has had to deal with since Kenny Jr. first taunted her with it.

"The parents of the boys who told Sadie will be sanctioned," Kieran says.

"That's not what Kenneth said."

"He lied."

About a lot apparently. But not about Mick killing Troy. "So, if we can't tell my mom, I don't know how to convince her that I waited to introduce you until two days before the wedding," I say dispiritedly. "That's not how I treat my family."

And believing it's a choice I've made will hurt her. A lot. Even more than my decision to marry Troy at such a young age.

"Don't."

"Don't what? You think I should tell her after we get married and not even have her there?!" Okay, I'm yelling, but is he for real? "It's bad enough I've got to keep all of this from my sister from another mister."

And I don't know how I'm going to explain it to my best friend either.