Read Cormac: A Mafia Love Story for Free Online

princess. I don’t know everything going on between them, but maybe you shouldn’t judge her so harshly.”
    She glared at her brother’s friend. “I’ll judge her however harshly I want. I saw how he was calling for her and struggling to get out of that hospital bed to find her.”
    He lifted a shoulder. “Love’s complicated, and sometimes you do things that make no sense to protect the ones you love.”
    Her heart stuttered, and she briefly wondered if she was reading more into his words than he’d intended. It could be a simple case of projection and wishing for what she wanted making her think he was giving her a veiled message that applied to more than her brother and his girlfriend. Before she could think of a way to probe delicately, he spoke again.
    “Come on. I’m taking you home.”
    She shook her head, crossing her arms. “I’m not leaving Shane.”
    “Yeah, you are. He’s stable, and you need to take it easy. You were shot a few hours ago.”
    She touched the thick bandage without thought and winced, though she didn’t know if it was more from pain or a psychological response. “I’m fine. The doctor said it barely grazed me, and I won’t even have a scar.” The pain meds they had given her were phenomenal, leaving her with little discomfort and a clear head.
    “You are going to rest.”
    Scowling at his dictatorial manner, she shook her head again. “I’m not leaving my brother here.”
    “Bruno is here to watch over him, and we both know Shane would want you to be in a comfortable bed. These stiff chairs won’t be good for your joints, and I know you don’t want to miss too many performances.”
    Her glower lessened slightly, but her irritation rose as he struck one of her weak points. She’d already called the director and arranged to take off the rest of the weekend, but a flare-up of RA could render her unable to perform even next weekend. “It feels wrong to leave him lying there.”
    Cormac nodded. “I know, but he has protection, and he’s sedated. He won’t wake for hours and won’t know you’re there, even if you sat at his beside and held his hand the whole time.” He reached out to fold her hand in his. “I promise I’ll bring you back tomorrow, and the hospital has my cell number, and yours, in case something unexpected happens, and he takes a turn for the worse.”
    He held up a hand, as though to forestall her panic. “Not that his doctor expects anything to go wrong. He told me the same thing he told you. Shane is stable and should recover, though he’s going to need to spend a few days in the hospital and some time recovering at home.”
    Finally, with a reluctant sigh, she nodded. “Okay, I guess I’ll go home to rest for tonight.” She stood up with him, surprised when he didn’t let go of her hand. Since she didn’t want it back, she made no effort to disengage or draw his attention to their clasped hands. “You don’t need to drive me back tomorrow though. I can catch the bus like an adult. You don’t need to take care of me like a baby.”
    With a tender motion, Cormac pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I like taking care of you, Siobhan.” His hand dropped to his side, but his gaze raked over her in a manner that seemed assessing and hungry. “And I’m well aware you aren’t a baby.” Tugging her hand gently, he forced her to move in step with him.
    “Really?” She grinned, finding her mood a bit lightened just from the physical touch. “’Cause you always tease me about being a young thing, maybe because you’re so old?”
    “Thirty-five is practically ancient,” he agreed drily, “Especially when you’re twenty-one.”
    “Twenty-two. I just had a birthday, remember?”
    Their banter continued as they left the hospital and went to Cormac’s black sedan. He held the door for her like a true gentleman before walking around to slide in behind the wheel.
    As she sank against the sinfully comfortable leather, Siobhan realized