Page 68 of Sins of Innocence

Ellie: You've been holding out on me, babe. 😿

Ellie: I can't believe you're going to marry my boss. 🤯

Ellie: He never smiles. You know that, right? He defines dour. And he never met a one-word answer he didn't like.

Ellie: He'll still be a major improvement over Troy.

Ellie: I knew Troy wasn't as 🤓 as he thought he was, but betraying the mob? 🔪☠️

Ellie: Why didn't you tell me about KS coercing you to work for him?

Ellie: What else has he tried to make you do? 🤬

Áine: WTF

Ellie: Downstairs. 👋🏼 BRU

Chapter twelve

Disneyland and Other Startling Discoveries

ÁINE

"Asurprise?" My oldest cries with enthusiasm, her preteen cool nowhere to be seen.

Neeve's eyes glint with cautious hope behind the lenses of her glasses. "For all of us?"

Kieran meets my eyes and winks before turning to Neeve. "For all of you, petal."

And Ellie helped him to coordinate it?

Ellie.

My sister-from-another-mister.

Apparently, yesterday's revelations were only the first loop in the death-defying roller coaster my life has become. Because according to the string of texts I just read from her, Ellie doesn't just know Kieran. She works for him.

My mind boggles at the implications.

Unless he has a purely legit business as a front for his mob activities, my best friend is also in the mob now. I mean, if all Kieran's warnings about not telling anyone else about the marriage to keep my family safe plan, the only way she knows is if she's part of the mob and someone necessary to making it happen.

She's never been the law-abiding Girl Scout type, but to join the mob? On purpose?

Can you say dangerous?

And why didn't she tell me? We share everything.

You didn't tell her about Troy, did you? Or why you're really working for Kenneth Shaughnessy? Whether she's in hussy mode or judgy mode, my inner voice is getting really pushy lately.

I didn't tell Ellie about any of the mob crap I've been dealing with because I wanted to protect her. Maybe that's why she didn't tell me about working for the mob either. Working for Kieran. Who she says never smiles and is really dour.

He sure wasn't Mr. Dour this morning. Not when he was making me come harder than I ever have, or when he was "flying" my girls around the house with his Hulk impersonator muscles.

"What's the surprise?" Joy wiggles like a puppy, tilting her stool precariously to one side before Sadie shoots out a steadying hand to save her little sister.

It's a good thing she does because right now my brain is too busy being blown to process, much less act on, what's happening around me.

Then, Kieran throws another upside-down curve onto my roller coaster track with a single word.