The Mafia Boss

Ch. 4: Imogen Murphy is not the enemy!

Maeve is playing with Katalina in the backyard when I hear my name in passing. I keep my eye on both girls, whilst moving ever so slightly closer to the window. Torin invited his most trusted men to the house, which is basically code for a sit down. AKA a mafia business meeting.

"We can't ignore the fact she's a Murphy. For all we know, she's working with Shane!"

As Reaper suspected, Ryan ran his mouth and almost the entire estate now knows who I am and what my association with Shane is.

"She's been dead for five years and suddenly, she shows up out of the blue."

I refrain from telling whoever just spoke that I did not just show up. I was taken against my will.

"She's the enemy!"

"Imogen Murphy is not the enemy!" bellows Torin. "She's one of our own and needs protecting. We all know Shane will stop at nothing until she and the child are dead."

A chill makes its way through my body.

"They'll both stay here."

"There's speculation regarding the child's father," speaks someone else.

I spy a lawyer looking man through the large window.

"Meeting adjourned," snaps Torin, unprepared to discuss matters of his personal life.

It angers me that he can't even bring himself to admit Maeve is his daughter.

"Imogen!" Olivia emerges with Tilly following closely behind. "I've been looking for you."

"Me too," I stress, gesturing for both girls to sit.

Thankfully, both oblige.

"I wanted to explain myself," I share. "And to get some definitive answers."

Olivia looks uncomfortable but nods, nevertheless.

"Shane is my brother," I admit.

Tilly squirms.

"But I hold no allegiance to him or any of his businesses. I haven't had any contact with him since the night he killed my entire family and presumably tried to kill me. Up until recently, I thought he was dead."

Olivia—kind-hearted as she is—takes hold of my trembling hand and squeezes.

"I don't know the details and I was hoping you could help with that."

Throughout the day, more and more women have shown up. Some older, others as young as Tilly, if not younger. At first, I thought Torin was running a hotel. Then—taking how Tilly reacted last night and adding it together with what looks to be fifteen women seeking some sort of refuge—I concluded that Shane is running a sex trafficking ring.

"Okay."

"Is Shane trafficking women?" I ask.

Olivia nods. "Yes. We all lived there. At the Murphy estate."

I sit on my hands to stop myself from fidgeting.

"I left Spain with promises of a new life in England. My family were dead, and I had no money."

I say nothing, allowing her this time to speak.

"Tilly is from Scotland. She ran away from her home at thirteen. Her stepfather abused her."

I glance at Tilly, desperate to reach out, but withholding for obvious reasons.

"When I first arrived, they told me I'd be sold, but Shane took a liking to me."