Page 33 of Relentless Sinner

“Come on, Cillian, you know you’re in.”

He takes another drag and laughs. “Yes, I’m in. I just like to think first, or look like I am. I have one question, though, before I sign on the dotted line.”

“What’s that?”

“Will your father have any part of this venture of yours?”

I understand why he’s asking that question. My father raised hell when I enlisted Cillian’s services for Bortsov Tech. Then he almost killed my ass months ago when two weapons shipments were stolen by one of Cillian’s employees.

If my father wasn’t sick I’d be dead. And it would be because he was stronger than me or because of his authority. He’d be able to kill me because he got close enough. I drop my guard substantially when I’m around him. Not always but often enough to leave myself open to attack.

“My father is not part of it. This is just Micah and me doing business outside of the family. We’re starting something new and we want you to be part of it.”

Cillian looks pleased. “Okay, then I’m definitely in. Not that I would let your father stop me. I just wanted to know.”

I grin back at him. “Perfect. And just so you know, this isn’t the kind of thing I would have involved my father in, or anyone from my family. They’re all as close minded as each other with no desire to grow, yet they hate me for being ambitious.”

“That’s always the way. There are some members of my family who are like that but they love money more than being difficult.” He chuckles. “What happens now?”

“You join us in Italy next week.”

He smirks. “Okay, I guess I will. My wife won’t be too pleased with the short notice but I’ll make it up to her.” He gives me a proud smile. The kind he reserves for his wife, Chloe.

“I’m sure you will. Didn’t you just take her to Ireland?”

“I did, but I was planning something else. I can never spend enough time with her.”

“Must be nice.”

Cillian uses any excuse to be with his wife. I was with him when they first met. Her family owed him a debt and it washerstepfather who stole my weapons.

We went to her house and I knew from the moment he looked at her that he was going to find a way to keep her.

He’s the only one of my married friends who seems to have the work/life balance under control. I think that has a lot to do with his love for his wife. He’d never allow work or his duties in the mafia to form a wedge between them.

I’m also sure he’d never force a woman to marry him. Not like me.

“How is your dearly beloved?” Cillian gives me a curious stare. “You haven’t mentioned her once since I’ve been here. Is she okay?”

“She’s here.”

He lifts his brows questioningly. “Your lass ishere? Is thatallyou can tell me?”

He knows the details about my arrangement to marry Gabriella and the shit with Salvatore that made that possible, but I’ve kept the recent shit with my family between Micah and me.

Given the fact that it was Cillian who helped me get Gabriella back, there’s no reason to keep anything from him. Like Micah, Cillian knows way more about my family than I’m sure he’d like to.

“There’s a lot more going on,” I begin.

“Like what?”

“More shit I never saw coming.”

I quickly fill him in. When I’m done he puts out his cigar and stares at me, looking stunned.

“Jesus. And I thought I had things rough when I took over the clan.” He bites the inside of his lip.

“I can assure you my family are of a different breed. And then there’s the shit with Salvatore.”