Three weeks.

How could they go by so fast?

I managed to keep Paige at my place all that time. She’d only gone home once to pick up more clothes.

Things had been easy between us. Too easy. Hell, unrealistically easy.

Unlike many other women, who constantly got on my nerves after several hours, having Paige around for days was a cake walk. We kept to our separate spaces in the penthouse, doing our own things after work but coming together for dinner and then, always, damned good lovemaking.

The weekends, full of ambling around the city and picnicking in the park, were just as pleasant as the week days. My nights of going out to the clubs and bars with Jeff and the other guys were gone. There was no point in hitting downtown and trying to pick up some woman I would just dispose of the next day.

I already had what I craved.

After a couple nights, I basically moved into the guest room with Paige. Not that I meant to. Leaving her side at the end of the night just seemed pointless, my own bedroom just down the hall a thousand miles away.

That and I couldn’t stand the thought of her in another room all by herself. I worried about her constantly. What if she woke in the night after having a bad dream? Would her newly discovered memories give her night terrors?

Sometimes she whimpered in her sleep, but when I asked her about it the next day she always claimed she didn’t remember any dreams.

I meant what I told her that first night back home. I would do everything in my power to help her.

I’d been doing everything in my power. Unfortunately, that wasn’t good enough. No one in my family was talking, the tight-lipped Salvatore trait I used to admire grating my nerves in the worst way.

“What’s that?” Paige asked.

I glanced over to where she sat in the passenger seat. I’d surprised her on Saturday with a shopping trip downtown, and though she initially protested I insisted that she at least let me buy her some work outfits.

The new cream colored suit dress she wore hugged her in all the best spots. Just the sight made me practically salivate.

“Huh?” I asked, already distracted.

“You sighed.”

“Oh.” I pretended to focus on the morning traffic. “I was just thinking...”

“About my birthday,” she finished.

“Yes,” I slowly agreed, and then I changed the subject. “About where we should eat. Where would you like to go? There’s that new French place in the Lower East Side. But we don’t have to go there. You liked that seafood place near the pier, right?”

Now she sighed. “You were thinking about the other part of me turning twenty-five, weren’t you? Not the partying part. The not so good part.”

My shoulders bunched up. “Yes.”

Mostly I’d been thinking about how impossible it would be to let her go. Really, though, I’d exhausted the only option I could think of when it came to preventing that. There seemed to be no avenues left. I had to be careful where I poked around for information. If word got out that I was asking about Paige and Moretti that could put me on some people’s naughty lists. Go too high up on one of those and one day you end up missing, never to be heard from again.

“Dominic still hasn’t told you anything?” Paige asked.

I huffed. “No.”

She frowned. “I haven’t been able to get in touch with Sophia. I mean, if you don’t count the few texts she’s sent to check in. I hope… I don’t know… I hope she’s not hiding anything else from me. I don’t think I could handle that.”

“She might be having service issues,” I suggested, then gently bit my tongue.

I still hadn’t told Paige the guy in the photo with her parents was Moretti.

Unfortunately, the thing about secrets is the longer you go without revealing them the harder it becomes to do so. With each passing day, you risk looking like more and more of a dick for having kept something to yourself in the first place.

Maybe I needed to just let it out. Get it over with. I hadn’t wanted to hurt her with the information, but in the long run I would do just that. Once she found out I kept something from her she’d probably never trust me again.

And even if I didn’t tell her the young man was Moretti, she’d find out eventually. He didn’t look that much different today. She would know the second she saw him.

And by then she’d be gone from my life.

I took a sharp breath in through my nose. No. No way would I just sit around and let that happen.

“Angelo!”

“What?”

“You just drove right by the office.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

I took a right and circled around the block, Paige silently watching me out of the corner of her eye.

“Here we go,” I announced, pulling up to the front of her office building.

“Thanks.” She leaned over to give me a kiss. I tensed, anticipating her familiar taste. I was too used to it, too used to everything about her. Her all round cuteness, the sound of her laugh, the way lines crinkled around her eyes when she smiled…

How could I ever do that?

I needed to clear my head, needed to stop feeling sorry about all of this. I needed to get something done.

“Have a great day,” I forced myself to say.

“You too. Bye.”

She climbed out of the car and sashayed into the building. Her tight ass got the attention of a couple of guys walking by. I resisted the urge to roll down the window and threaten to hurt complete strangers. My day was already packed so I pulled my cell phone out and made the call needed to book a last-minute private jet.

After dropping my car back off at the garage, the driver I’d just booked picked me up to chauffeur me to the airport. This way I wouldn’t have to worry about parking.

I texted Paige on the way.

‘Something came up with work in Chicago. Will send a car to get you from work. See you tonight.’

The car glided smoothly across the tarmac, coming to a stop right in front of the private jet. The stairs were already put down, just waiting for me to climb them. So I lied about the work part. Not a huge deal. It was too late to undo it. At least this one secret could never be as big as the other one I found myself keeping.

I rehearsed my unplanned speech to Dominic during my flight and on the drive to his office, making room for a few different ways to approach him. Pleading was a definite no. Borderline threatening him gave me a slim chance. One that asked him to please just stretch his empathetic muscle and see things my way—probably a waste of time.

The front desk reception knew me well, and waved me up to Dominic’s office. I knocked once and went in without waiting for an answer.

Dominic turned around in his leather office chair, his eyes wide. “Angelo. What’s the hell is going on?”

“We need to talk.”

His eyes narrowed. “You couldn’t call first? I’ve got things to do.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit. I’ve been calling.” I walked across the room and rested my hands on the edge of his table.

Guess I’m going with the angry, threatening approach.

“I’ve been answering.”

“Yeah well you don’t say much.”

“Let me guess,” Dominic coolly said. “This is about Paige.”

“I need your help.”

Dominic steepled his fingers and stared at them. “You know there’s nothing I can do. Honestly. I don’t know what you expect. The way you’ve been talking, demanding this information...” His eyes flicked up to me. “It’s like you’re a different person.”

I said nothing. My hands clutched the desk, the tips of my fingers glued there.

“Tell me,” Dominic said. “Is Paige really this important to you? So important that you’re willing to risk everything? For what? A piece of ass? You need to let this one go. Hook up with any one of the countless women out there lining up to sleep with you.”

I straightened up. “She had no idea about any of this. All she wants is to live her life just like any other normal person.”

“Yes, well, our world isn’t exactly normal, is it? Some things just come with the DNA.”

I shook my head and turned to the window for a few moments. “Let’s change it,” I told him. “This is crazy.”

Dominic’s leaned back in his chair. “You sound insane. You know that, right?”

“I need your help with this.”

He leaned forward and studied me for much longer than I had time to tolerate.

“You’re in love with her.” His back fell against the chair. “Well, this is unfortunate.”

I took a seat, tired all of a sudden.

“What do you really think I can do?” he asked. “You really believe I have the kind of influence it’ll take to convince Moretti he doesn’t want Paige, or whatever he damn well wants?”

“You’re persuasive. You understand the big picture.”

“Don’t try to kiss ass and think you’ll get me on board. I can’t help you. Paige is promised to Moretti. It’s a done deal. None of the fine print is important.”

“We can talk to Pops. If we both try, he’ll listen.”

Dominic chuckled. “Look at you, little brother. All grown up and fighting for a sweet piece of ass.”

“Fuck off.”

“You’re different. I’ve never seen you like this.”

“Focus, Dom. Pops can talk to Moretti.”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Maybe make some kind of exchange.”

“Possibly.”

“I’m willing to make payments of my own.”

His head whipped over at me. “You’d buy Paige?”

“I didn’t say that, idiot.”

Dominic inclined his head. “It’s a poor choice of words, but it’s basically what you’re saying.”

“Fine. Sure, I’ll buy her freedom. Does it sound melodramatic enough for you, brother?”

“Fuck yeah,” he grinned. “And you know what else?”

“What?”

“I’ll help…if I can.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t expect miracles, though. You know, if this plan doesn’t work, it can be very bad for the family. Moretti likes to know people are on his side, that he has their absolute loyalty. This could piss him off. It could put a lot at risk just starting a dialogue about Paige. I’m not just talking about Pops. I mean. You. Me. Our family. Paige and Sophia. Paige may not want this marriage, but the best thing for everyone, including her, might be to let it happen.”

I swallowed hard. He had a point, but I didn’t care.

“She can’t. It will break her. I know Paige. Marrying Moretti, giving into a life where she’s practically chattel… She won’t be able to live through that.”

“I just want you to know what you’re walking into, because it won’t be about Paige alone. Anyway, I said I’ll help.” Dominic lay punched me in the arm. “Dude. I’ve never seen you like this over a woman.”

“Shut it.”

“Anyway, getting time with Pops will be tough. If he’ll talk about it at all. And that’s still just getting our foot in the door.”

“I know.”

Dominic nodded. “Okay. I’ll make the call.”