Page 77 of Sins of Innocence

She listens for several seconds flicks a wary glance toward me. "I don't think he'll mind waiting. Let me just ask."

She's going to ask me if I mind waiting for Lily's mother to come down to supervise my talk with her daughter? That's not the kind of lax security I want to see at my daughters' school.

"Um. Mr. Lleshi, Mrs. Kennedy said her husband is on his way to the school. He will give permission to pull Lily from class."

"Okay."

She lets out the breath she was holding and slumps in her chair. "That's fine Mrs. Kennedy. We'll wait for your husband's arrival."

What did the secretary think I was going to do? Demand to see Lily without one of her parents present? I anticipated having them called and one of them showing up before I could have my chat with Neeve's best friend.

Kennedy walks into the school's office fifteen minutes later.

I stand and put out my hand. "Kennedy."

"Wraith. Good to see you. What's this about you wanting a chat with my girl?"

I indicate the door to the hall with a tilt of my head.

Understanding flares in his gaze and he retraces his steps out into the hallway.

When the door between us and the nosy secretary is closed, I say, "I should have contacted you first."

The other man shrugs. "No worries. What's this about then?"

It would have saved time.

"Lily is Neeve's best friend."

"That she is. Do you know the Gallagher girl? I don't take truck with putting the sins of the father onto their children," he warns me in a quiet but firm tone.

"Good. I'm dating Áine." I want to say, I'm going to marry her and that Neeve is my daughter, but I have to wait on staking my verbal claim outside the family until we get back from California.

When Áine will be legally mine and I'll start adoption proceedings for the girls.

The other mob soldier's eyes widen in surprise. "You are? Whew! I didn't see that one coming."

Neither did Áine and I'm sure our wedding will come as an even bigger shock to the rest of the mob. I don't date. Uncommitted, uncomplicated sex is about it for my social interaction with the fairer sex.

"Did you know about the kids calling Neeve a bastard?" I ask.

Kennedy's reddish brown brows draw together and he rubs the underside of his chin. "I can't say that I did. Is that why Lily worked on her tripping someone else accidentally on purpose so much with her brother last week?"

"Probably."

"Makes sense. She's real protective of Neeve."

"A good friend."

"Neeve is a good friend to my daughter too. Lily struggles at school, but Neeve will spend hours helping her learn new concepts when she'd probably rather be out playing."

"Áine's done a good job with her girls." It will be my honor to help her raise them going forward.

"That she has." Kennedy measures me with a glance. "You going to talk to the parents of the kids involved in the teasing?"

"I am." And their kids.

"That's all right then." He rubs the back of his neck. "What did you want to talk to Lily about then?"