Reign A Romance Anthology - Nina Levine Page 0,142

forward, his knee brushing mine. My body bursts into flames, but I can’t tell whether it’s from him touching me or from the adrenaline running through my veins at what he’s about to tell me. “Le Milieu, is the French Mob, Savanah.”

I smirk, then I can’t hold it in as I burst out laughing. “My dad? In… the mob? I mean, I know he’s a hardass, but seriously? I mean, you’ve seen the bikers in there, right? They’re underworld figures. My dad, he looks nothing like them. No, you’ve got this all wrong.”

“I know this is a shock, Sav. That your entire life is based on a lie, but I am telling you the truth.”

I scrunch up my face, a little fraction of doubt creeping in that maybe he is being honest. “And you? How do you fit into this if my father isn’t a businessman?”

“My family came over from Ireland when I was young.”

“So, that’s the hint of an accent I can hear.”

His lips turn up a little. “Savanah, my family is a part of the Irish Mob. The McHale and the Del Rey clans are brokering a treaty. It’s why the wedding is on the table… to merge the two crime syndicates to form one supercell. It’s not a business deal, Savanah. It is a crime ring.”

I stand abruptly. “I’m not sure I want to hear any more of this.”

Kevlar steps outside, just in view, but his presence is soothing, but then he starts talking, “It’s true, Sav. We knew who you were. It’s why we were cautious when Hunter arrived. We know who he is. We knew the second he arrived. Who his family is, the damage they can do.”

My hands visibly shake as I turn to Kevlar. “Does Jovie know?”

“No, just the brothers. We needed to in case your father came after you. We don’t need to start a war with Le Milieu.”

“Jesus Christ, this can’t be real!”

Hunter steps up to me, taking my hand. Sparks of electricity shoot through my fingers all the way into my chest. A rush of emotion engulfs me as his amber eyes meet mine. “It’s all true, Sav, and now your father is going to be real fucking mad I told you.”

“Hunter, I don’t know how to handle any of this.”

“Just breathe, Sav.” He pulls me to him.

I inhale deeply, his fingers splaying out on my lower back. Holding me to him is somehow both calming and deeply arousing. His toned body against mine is having a soothing effect on me. Right now, it doesn’t seem to matter what he’s just told me. Staring into Hunter’s eyes, somehow, he is making me feel okay about it. Like my world didn’t just irrevocably change without any warning.

My father is a mobster.

The man I am supposed to be marrying is a mobster.

And yet, right now, Hunter is making me believe that somehow everything is going to be okay.

Don’t ask me how.

I don’t think my life will ever be okay again.

But maybe with Hunter guiding me through it, it might be a whole lot more exciting.

“Shall we go home?” Hunter asks, his large hand coming up to caress my cheek.

I nod once.

I need my own bed tonight.

“Yeah, take me home.”

I’m so tired, my body and mind are completely exhausted as Hunter pulls his car into the driveway of my parents’ home.

“C’mon, let’s get you to bed.”

I reach out, grabbing his hand before he exits the car. “Thank you, Hunter. You went out of your way to help me tonight. I really appreciate that fact.”

He smiles, but it doesn’t touch his eyes, then he slides out of this crazy expensive car.

Which he obviously bought with dirty money.

Because he’s a damn mobster!

Damn!

Shaking my head from the thought, Hunter opens the car door for me, and I lazily edge out. It’s close to dawn, and the threat of sunrise hovers over the horizon as my father stands at the doorway of our home. The expression on his face is one of pure unadulterated anger as we approach.

“I told you years ago that boy was trouble, Savanah.”

I scoff. “Don’t you even start coming at me about trouble, Dad. I don’t even want to talk to you about how you sent King off to rehab, then watched me cry for months because he left without telling me where he went. You knew the whole motherfucking time. You let me fall into a shell of myself, and you said nothing! But I don’t want to talk about that. No!