Forbidden Temptation My Mafia Fiance's Alpha Father (Brooklyn and Aden) novel Chapter 70

Chapter 70
Brooklyn

“Wait, what did you say?” I ask Hudson now.

He hands me a cup of tea, but my hands are shaking as I take it, the cup rattling on the plate.

“I said, my father records every conversation that happens in his office,” Hudson says casually, sitting down across from me.

I swallow. “So…”

“So he didn’t ask you what Remington said for information.”

“He asked to determine my loyalty?” I whisper.

Hudson focuses on me now. “Why do you look so scared?”

I swallow, glancing out the window. The sun is shining in little pieces through the grape leaves that wrap around the pergola, and I feel the warmth on my cheeks.

But inside, my stomach is in knots.

I turn back to Hudson, who is peering at me. I was so in love with him for the few months that we were dating. Or, at least, I thought I was. Maybe “obsessed” was a more appropriate term.

But now? After everything I’ve learned about his life—our life? It’s all just…gone. All of those feelings have disappeared.

Instead, I view him now as my best friend, my ally.

Hudson disrupts my thoughts.

“What’s going on, Brooklyn?” he asks.

“Hudson,” I say, trying to control my nerves.

What I said to Lennox wasn’t overtly a betrayal, soon enough Aden will discover on the tape that something isn’t right.

I need to get out. Fast.

“Are you happy here?”

Hudson is still frowning at me. “What is prompting this?”

I shrug. “You just seem…such a mismatch for this world. I guess I wonder why you’ve never left. Never just…bailed on it.”

He shrugs, clearly uncomfortable. “It’s my home. My family, my world, the only sense of pack I have. I guess I don’t really have anywhere to go.”

“But you’ve got all the resources in the world,” I say, leaning forward urgently. “Honestly, aren’t you ever tempted to just steal, like, one of his cars, sell it on the black market for whatever you can get, and take the money and just run? Find a new pack, a new life?”

His mouth falls open at the idea.

“Or” I continue quickly, “you offered me millions to keep my mouth shut the day we broke up—if you have access to that kind of cash, why not just take it for yourself? We could run away to the French Riviera, change our names, spend the rest of our days just drinking wine and writing books!”

We need to go, I think.

Because if Aden finds out I betrayed him, he might kill me.

Hudson laughs softly and gives my hand a squeeze before pulling his back to reach for his teacup.