Kane's Ransom: A BWWM Mafia Romance Novel by Samantha Westlake Read Free Book Online Page B

what was happening. I waited all afternoon for him to call back, but he didn't."
    "I'm sure that he's not-" Killian started, but she shook her head, more tears falling down her cheeks.
    "And then, yesterday, after midnight, I got another call," she sobbed out, looking up at him through a haze of tears. "It wasn't Marcus - it was someone else, some voice that I didn't know. The voice said that Marcus was in some sort of trouble, and that if I wanted to see him alive again, I'd have to-"
    She couldn't finish the sentence, instead collapsing the rest of the way into a sobbing heap. She scooted over from the chair beside the couch to sit on the couch, leaning up against Killian as she wept openly.
    For a moment, Killian froze, staring with wide eyes at this sobbing young woman. Of all the situations he'd imagined finding himself in with Alicia, this was most definitely not one of them! But he awkwardly put his arms around her, and she seemed to find some comfort from his hug as she kept on sobbing.
    "They said, they said that I needed to pay them a hundred thousand dollars," the young woman finally managed to choke out, the words sounding muffled from her spot in Killian's arms. "And if I don't pay, they're going to kill him! They'll kill my brother!"
    And then the sobs took over, and she couldn't speak again, just crying into Killian's chest and soaking his shirt with her tears.
    Wow. Killian stared blankly over Alicia's head for a moment, thinking about what she'd just told him. This was definitely more than he'd expected. He felt like he could perhaps help with some minor crises, but a kidnapping? This seemed like too much, like he was in far over his head.
    But on the other hand...
    On the other hand, he admitted reluctantly to himself, this wasn't as crazy as he could have imagined. And even now, he could think of a couple people from his past that, although he'd hoped to never have to speak to them again in his lifetime, might be able to give him some direction on finding this poor young woman's brother.
    What was he doing? He didn't want to get involved in any of this, he reminded himself. He'd intended to listen to Alicia's story, nod a couple times in sympathy, and then admit that there was nothing he could do, and leave.
    But now, he couldn't bring himself to even contemplate standing up and just walking away, after this earth-shattering secret that Alicia had just revealed to him.
    She must truly feel desperate, he realized a moment later as he patted her gently on the back. She continued to sob, but he felt as though his comforting might be helping, so he didn't stop, instead carefully rubbing his hand up and down on her shoulder without straying into any delicate areas. He could feel her ribs beneath her blouse, could feel her chest expanding and shrinking with each sobbing breath.
    Looking around at the little house, cheap but clean, he knew immediately that she couldn't possibly get her hands on a hundred thousand dollars. It had to be as out of reach for her as if her brother's kidnapper had asked for the moon in the sky. She must have been feeling absolutely hopeless and helpless all day, he imagined. He couldn't believe that she'd even been able to keep herself together enough to make it through her shift at the diner without having an utter meltdown.
    "There, there," he murmured as she pressed her head into his neck and shoulder, still dripping tears onto his shirt. He tried to ignore the faint but enticing little whiff of her smell that he caught from the top of her head, feminine but musky and suggestive. Keep your mind out of the gutter, he ordered himself harshly. This woman needs help and comforting, not any sort of advances.
    Finally, Alicia pulled back, straightening up and blinking reddened eyes. "I think the water's boiling in the kitchen," she commented suddenly, jumping up from the couch as if desperate to escape. She dropped her cup on the coffee table alongside Killian's and hurried out of the room,