Manacled Hearts: an Age Gap Mafia Romance (The Sanctum Syndicate Book 3)

CHAPTER 13

I’m still pissed. Though the chill, fluttering inside my chest is different from any anger I’ve experienced in the past. I get it—it’s Morrigan’s surprise birthday party, and it’s for family and close friends only, but I’m desperate for the distraction tonight. One girl is all I asked for, a date to hold my attention.

Though, it seems I may be in luck. I’ve been here, at Morrigan’s apartment, for about an hour now. We’ve already surprised the birthday girl, though her reaction to our enthusiastic screams showed a tinge of knowledge. And I have been watching her accept wishes and hugs from everyone.

Cillian, her red-haired pain in the ass of a brother, wrapped her in his arms and spun her a few times, and put quite a smile on her face. The man is actually quite decent, but I just like to give him a hard time. He helped us save his sister a few months ago from a really shitty situation.

A bunch of our people are here too, Katya, Raven, Beau, and Tina, since Morrigan has become friends with them. Her bartender from Metamorphosis is here as well. And of course, Maddox and Carter. But no Evelyn… thank fuck.

Though Carter has been watching me peculiarly since I got here. The man is peculiar all around, so it shouldn’t flag as strange, yet there’s something in his weird hazel eyes. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s like he knows something I don’t, and it’s making me uneasy as fuck.

Come to think of it, Katya has been giving me some strange looks tonight, too. I want to ask about it, but I’m more focused on the fact that the wheat-haired woman is absent. Maybe she’s gone. I want to smile about it, I want to rejoice, but… for some reason that thought fills me with something that doesn’t evoke relief. The chill in my chest seems more like icicles stabbing into me. I think I need to cut this party short. I’m nearing Morrigan when Lulu sweeps in and wraps her into a tight hug.

She has been running around like crazy to make sure the party is perfectly planned for her best friend. Though, I’ve gotten to know Morrigan pretty well in the last few months, and I’m certain she won’t care if all this turns into a clusterfuck. She only cares that we’re together. That’s something that surprised me about her. My expectations were set a few years back by my brother and his wife, and I waited for the moment Morrigan took Vincent away from our Sanctum. Only, the opposite happened with the wild redheaded vixen. She fits right in. Lulu too, even as she rejects it.

The two women burst out laughing and as I approach, I catch snippets of their conversation.

“You knew, didn’t you? Did Vincent spill? Or did that brute?” Lulu’s smile falls ever so slightly as she looks beyond Morrigan, straight at Madds.

And he scowls right back at her.

I have a sound theory about these two, but I’ve been told by Vincent to keep it to myself if I don’t want the wrath of both Dietrich and Severin upon me. Loreley’s family is old money crime syndicate. The Dietrich mafia legacy is one built on blood, bullets, and a fortune bigger than my family’s. Even though Lulu pulled out of the family business, her blood is theirs, and I see that ruthless spark in her eyes. I won’t dare step on her toes.

I wait patiently until the two women finish talking, then swoop in. I don’t want to prolong this night more than necessary. Evelyn might have left town, but why risk it if she didn’t?

“I have a confession to make,” I say to the woman.

“Go on…” She eyes me wearily.

“I didn’t like you at first.”

She dramatically presses her hand to her heart as her mouth drops. “Oh my! I had no idea!”

I can’t help but roll my eyes at the theatrics, but the need to smile prevails. She’s taking it much better than I thought she would.

“Alright, alright. Christ, you wouldn’t win any acting prizes,” I tease.

“Fuck you, Finnigan.”

“You wish.” I flash her another wicked smile.

“Do not let Vincent hear that. He’ll fucking scalp you,” she jokes, yet there’s truth in that. “What did you have against me?”

Here goes nothing. “Everything. I don’t think it was you, specifically. Although I was quite skeptical. I didn’t like what you represented… to Vincent.”

“I’m not taking him away from you, Finnigan.” She reaches over and rubs my arm.

My breath hitches at the unexpected, soothing gesture, but her words are heavy enough to make me think she knows exactly what, or better yet, who she is talking about.

“No. I think that’s when those feelings started going away. When I realized you weren’t going to change a thing. Well, obviously, some things have changed.”

“They will, of course. For all of you, eventually,” she says.

“Nah, not for me, darlin’. I’m happy as I am.”

“Fucking everything in sight and never getting attached to anyone?” she insists.

“I have standards, Morrigan. I don’t fuck everything.”

“You’re avoiding the attachment thing, though,” she cocks her head slightly, her green eyes fixed on me.

I swear she stole the look out of Vincent’s book, because I think she’s peering straight into my goddamn soul.

“Avoiding would entail a prospect. I simply make sure there is no prospect. Ever.”

“Whatever works for you, buddy.” She flashes a smirk, and I decide to shut her up, pulling her into a hug.

“Happy Birthday, Morrigan.”

She finally accepts my explanation and smiles warmly. It broadens into an excited one as her gaze flashes past me, and the next word that comes out of her mouth makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand still.

“Evie!” she exclaims before pulling out of my arms and waving.

“Who?” My god, could I have asked a more stupid question?

“Evelyn Shaw. You know her, the girl you rescued.”

Yeah, unfortunately I know exactly who she is. As I slowly turn around, trying to think through the booming pulse getting louder in my head, I vaguely hear Morrigan mumble something about me seeing Evie at her house a few months back. I don’t bother acknowledging the comment, my temples starting to throb as a scowl settles deep between my brows. It dawns on me that Evelyn hasn’t talked about me to Morrigan, since she thinks she has to explain to me who she is. Katya clearly hasn’t said what Evelyn asked of her, not to tell me where she lives now. How very interesting. And somehow fucking annoying too.

“What exactly is she doing here?” I didn’t even bother covering my disdain at her presence.

Though shock weaved through it too. Not the bad kind, unfortunately. Those icicles stabbing through my chest have turned into something else, hot and sharp, and yet so soothing, it feels dangerously close to excitement. I can’t help but look over my shoulder.

Christ, she’s stunning.

She’s walking over, looking like a different woman. Her features are somehow more settled, fuller, still skinny, yet no longer gaunt, and more mature than last time I saw her. Only weeks have passed, and though it’s still Evelyn, she somehow looks different. Comfortable. There’s a confidence in her step that was not there before, and in those ‘fuck me’ leather leggings, she could be walking all over me, and I’d fucking thank her.

I’m so screwed.

“She’s my friend. She also lives in the apartment underneath with her little sister, and works downstairs.”

“In Metamorphosis?!” I whip around so fast, I have to brush away the hair from my eyes.

“No. In the café. Finn, what—”

“What do you mean she lives here? Since when?”

This is where she went after she left Katya’s? Not out of town? Goddamn it, I have so many questions, but judging from the look in Morrigan’s eyes, I’m already arousing suspicion.

“About a month ago. We took her in to help her out while she’s saving some money. How do you not know this?”

Yup—suspicion. I’m part of The Sanctum. If Evelyn and her sister were offered a home in the same building as Vincent’s wife, I should have technically been aware. Maddox should have said something. Though, Carter is the one I’m most disappointed in. He knows everything that moves, and yet this particular piece of information didn’t slip his tight lips.

You didn’t ask, you asshole.

“I guess… I tuned out,” I finally answer, avoiding the curious look in her eyes.

“Morrigan! Happy Birthday! Sorry, I’m late, I was adding the finishing touches,” Evelyn exclaims enthusiastically as she pulls the birthday girl into a tight hug.

My feet turn to lead and pin me in place. Though I’m not sure I would move even if I could. Her perfume whips by me, and once again I’m being buried in her wicked world filled with forbidden temptation. I’m back in the bar on her birthday, swaying against her body, my hand on her bare waist, hers on me, and all the thoughts I’ve been burying deep since the last time I saw her, hit me like a ton of bricks.

Fuck. If just her scent does this to me, what will her touch do?

I can’t take my eyes off of her. Her soft, olive skin seems to glow in this light, and I curse that oversized cardigan for covering so much of her. I curse the T-shirt she’s wearing even more, because she would look so much fucking better if she were wearing mine.

Oh my god, stop it!

“You remember Finnigan Hennessey?”

My gaze whips to Morrigan when I hear my name.

“Hi,” Evelyn says with such bite in that word, the teeth scrape against a part of my soul I thought didn’t exist anymore.

I’m confused. My breathing turns to short heaves, my heart begins to pound erratically in my chest. What is happening?

“Hello,” I manage to say before prying my feet away from this spot I’ve been stuck in, and get the fuck away from this witch.

I don’t dare turn to check their reactions—or their possible shock at my strange one. All I know is that I need to be as far away as possible from Evelyn. My steps follow every second beat of my heart, the heaviness of them seemingly crushing any intention I had but a second ago.

I stop at the far wall by the kitchen counter and look toward the door that could take me to my freedom. Away from the woman who wrapped a goddamn noose around the hollowness left in my soul years ago. Yet, I don’t move any farther. I can’t.

Turning around slowly, I catch the exact moment she shifts away from Morrigan and heads toward Maddox who carries a huge, tall box. Probably a present. As if she can sense my eyes on her, she turns and hers land straight on mine. They don’t stop on any other person, neither an object—but straight on me. I would fall on my ass if this counter wasn’t holding me steady, because what I see in her gaze is made of pure silver flames, cold and searing at the same time—a challenge.

Yup… I’m fucked.