Page 23 of Forbidden Love
I swallow hard. “Yes, but I have good reason.”
She stares at me, waiting.
I have to give her the complete story, regardless of how dark it gets.
“My father had ties to the mafia. It’s something we all knew about, but no one talked about. He used their connections to protect his interests, to keep the Wolfe family on top.”
Her eyes widen even further, but she stays silent, so I continue.
“When he got sick—really sick—the mafia started closing in, pressuring him to finish one last deal. But by then, he was too weak. Since I am the only other real estate developer in the family, they turned to me.”
Her mouth drops open and her fingers touch her parted lips.
“It was a huge property deal,” I explain. “On the surface, it looked legit, but the funding was coming from laundered cash—dirty money. The mafia wanted it done quickly and they wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
Maya’s breathing quickens.
I can’t stop now. “One night, I met with one of their enforcers to complete the details,” I say, my voice shaking slightly. “Things got tense. He started making threats. He said he’d come after my family if I didn’t comply with his demands. I panicked, and… things spiraled out of control.”
I pause, struggling to find the words to describe what happened next. “There was a fight. I punched him and he hit his head on the corner of a table. Killed him instantly.”
Maya gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. “Devin…”
My chin quivers as the fear and guilt flood in. “I had no idea what to do. I called one of my father’s old associates, and he helped me cover it up. We made it look like the guy skipped town and disappeared. But the mafia only half-believed it, and they’ve been watching me ever since, waiting for me to slip up.”
For a long time, she remains silent, her brown eyes filled with turmoil. “And that’s why you’ve been hiding? Why you created this alias?”
“Yes,” I admit, my voice raw with emotion. “I thought if I became someone else, if I buried Devin Wolfe, I could protect my family and keep them safe. But it’s been tearing me apart, Maya. The guilt and fear consume me.”
She looks away, her arms wrapping around herself. “You should have told me. Am I that untrustworthy? I think I’ve been pretty damn candid with you.”
My heart breaks at the pain in her voice. “I feared you’d view me as a monster if you knew. I thought that if you ever found out, you’d walk away, and I’d lose you forever.”
She sighs and leans back, her brows arching. “This is… a lot, Devin. I don’t even know how to process it.”
“I understand, and I don’t expect you to forgive me right away. But I want you to know that I’m done hiding, and I’ll face anything for another chance with you.”
As she peers down, tears glisten in her eyes. “I have no idea what to do.”
“Take your time. I’ll wait for your answer.”
She nods, and a sliver of understanding appears.
It’s not a total resolution, but it’s a start. And for now, that’s all I can ask for.
Chapter 9
Maya
Ican’tstopthinkingabout everything Devin told me. It’s been days since I saw him at the Oasis site, but the impact of his confession lingers in my chest.
The man I met—David—was never real. Devin Wolfe, with all his secrets, all his burdens, is the one I’d been falling for. And now that I have the truth, what should I do with it?
I sit by the window, staring out at the city, my thoughts racing. The man I desire is connected to a hidden world of crime and mafia, like something straight out of a movie. But it’s real. It’s our reality.
My heart aches as I think about everything we’ve been through—the project, the arguments, the passion. But now there’s this dark thing hanging over us, threatening to consume everything we’ve built. I should run in the opposite direction and put as much distance between us as possible, but I can’t. It doesn’t matter how dangerous his world is or how much he’s hurt me with the phony name, I love him.
That thought alone is enough to make me cry. Can I love a man with countless secrets? A man who’s been part of something so dangerous and corrupt?