A SECRET SIN

7

We finished walking through the East Village apartment in a daze. I commented on the quality of

the fixtures in the kitchen. Bishop noted the advanced security system already in place. We drifted

from room to room, ignoring the giant pink elephant walking behind us.

This is mine now, and I protect what’s mine.

I had no idea how to react. Clint joined us midway through the tour, so we continued with the ruse

of coupledom. It felt too awkward to explain that we were sorting things out after a one-night stand.

And I wasn’t ready to treat Bishop like some kind of stalker. He was a tad overzealous, but I couldn’t

blame him. He’d been bamboozled. Maybe after a day or so, he’d settle down, and things would get

back to normal. Maybe he’d see a girl at a club to distract himself and realize he’d overreacted.

I rubbed at a sudden ache radiating through my chest.

What the hell was that? Was I … jealous?

I couldn’t fathom what had come over me. All I knew was the image of Bishop with another

woman did yucky things to my insides.

We’d both lost our goddamn minds. That was the best explanation I could come up with. And on

top of it all, I couldn’t be fully upset that he’d shown up because he’d been right about the East

Village. It was perfect for me, and I adored the apartment Clint showed us. In fact, I wanted to make

an offer. That meant I needed to suck it up and tell my parents I wanted to move out.

Suddenly, living with them forever didn’t sound so unreasonable.

Come on, Pip. You can do this. You need to do this.

Ugh. I’d been dreading the conversation, though I knew it was inevitable. I loved my life. I had

money and privilege and parents who loved me. Mafia life was a sweet gig if you didn’t mind the

constant surveillance, ever-present threats on your life, and a father who terrified and drove away

everyone around you. Nothing about my life was average.

That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I had all the luxuries in life a girl could ask for. Enough that I

should have been happy. I shouldn’t have battled a constant ache to see beyond the walls around my

magical Mafia kingdom.

But Eve should have been content in Eden, yet she still sought out the forbidden fruit.

That was how I felt about experiencing life outside my bubble. Yearning clawed at my insides

more urgently with each passing day, and that inner voice had cried out louder than ever with my

cousin’s wedding. Seeing how quickly her freedom had been snatched from her grasp terrified me.

Two weeks. That was all the notice she’d been given before walking down the aisle to a man she

hardly knew.

Hell. No.

Not me. Wasn’t happening.

I wasn’t getting stuck with a stranger, and even worse, never seizing the chance to sample what

else was out there. No way. This girl was going to live life to the fullest. Now that Noemi was back

and life had a pulse again, it was time to focus on me.

“YOU WERE OUT and about longer than usual today,” my father noted once I arrived home. “Your

mother said you’d gone to see Noemi this morning?” He looked me up and down, a wordless

statement that I was dressed much nicer than I would normally be just to hang out with my cousin.

“I was there earlier today, then I came home and changed.” I took a deep breath and focused all

my energy on projecting absolute confidence. “This afternoon, I was out with a real estate agent. I’ve

been looking at apartments and have found one I’d like to buy.”

There. It was out in the open. Come what may, I’d at least started the process.

Dad’s face scrunched as though he’d just been force-fed a spoonful of vinegar. “You went house

hunting before even discussing it with us?”

I couldn’t stop my gaze from briefly dropping to my hands in contrition. “Well, I knew you might

not be thrilled with the idea.”

“So you thought it would be best to just go behind our backs?”

“No, Daddy. I mean. Yes, but I wasn’t trying to be deceitful. I figured it would be better to know

for sure if that’s what I wanted so that I didn’t upset you guys for nothing.” Not entirely true, but things

were going downhill quick. I couldn’t afford to ruffle his feathers any more than necessary.

His already thin lips pursed further. “I’m not sure I understand why you’re even doing this. You’re

only twenty, and it’s not like you don’t have plenty of freedom here. Why pay for a place when you

have a perfectly good home here where I know you’re safe? You can move out when you’re married.

Besides, Aria is seventeen now. She needs you to be a good example. We can’t have her turning

eighteen and thinking she can run off into the city on her own.”

Frustration bunched in a tight knot between my shoulder blades. “Daddy, I have to learn how to be

independent,” I tried to explain.

“No, you don’t. There’s no reason you ever have to struggle on your own.”

I stepped forward and clasped his hands, begging him to understand. “I might not have to, but I

want to. It’s important to me. I need to know I can stand on my own two feet. Please, Daddy.”

He frowned, his conviction wavering. “I’ll think about it,” he finally grumbled and pulled me

against his chest. “I’m not ready for this, Pip. I’m gonna try, but it’s a dangerous world out there.

Setting you free without a man around to protect you goes against every fiber of my being.”

“I know, Daddy. That’s why I haven’t pushed before. And I’m sorry to make you worry, but this

means the world to me. I want to find my place out there, and I don’t believe I have to have a husband

to do that.”

He pulled back and peered down his nose at me with mock indignation. “You say that like finding

a husband is a bad thing.”

I chuckled and poked him in the ribs. “It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s also not the only

thing.”

He studied me skeptically. “I suppose you’re not entirely wrong.”

I flashed him a brilliant grin, and he shook his head.

“Have you eaten?” he asked, moving on to safer waters. “You missed dinner, but I think there are

leftovers in the fridge.” At his mention of food, I suddenly realized that I hadn’t eaten and was

positively ravenous.