Secret Sins by Dory Maust

Excerpt:

February 1964

  Kathleen arrived in Boston via airplane on Wednesday March eleventh. Shane was busy with a job so Cleary
agreed to pick her up from the airport and drive her to his house and relieve Mary of dragging Brace on such an
excursion. He and Emily were both startled by her appearance, having not seen her since she was six years old.
They looked at each other briefly with more hints of the truth and then greeted her pleasantly.
  “Hi, love,” Emily smiled, hugging her. “How was your trip?”
  Kathleen successfully hid her anger and forced a smile. “Just fine.”
  Cleary coughed and reached for her suitcase. “I’ll get that.”
  “Me trunks are being delivered to the mobster’s house. This is all I brought on the plane.”
  Emily bit her lower lip and swallowed. “Um, alright. Are you hungry?”
  “No.”
  Cleary scratched his head and started for the exit of the terminal. “Right then. Let’s go.”
  Kathleen fell into step, looking around her new surroundings with some interest. Despite the negativity clouding
her circumstance she was trying to find the positives in a new land and new journeys. She found many people
looking her way with interest, and kept the pace with her aunt and uncle. Once they were settled in the car, Emily
turned to face her from the front seat.
  “Connor says the story we’re supposed to tell was that you married young and he was killed in maneuvers.”
  She reached into her purse for a pack of cigarettes and lit one. “That’s not a story.”
  Emily’s brow furrowed with some confusion. “What?”
  Kathleen inhaled and rolled down the window to release the smoke outside of the car. “His name was Cyrus. We
eloped two months ago.”
  “Connor permitted that?” She was stunned.
  Cleary glanced at his niece through the rear view mirror with escalating aggravation for her attitude.
  “No he didn’t. I ran away. Cyrus was also me dealer so Jimmy killed him.” She turned her gaze to the horizon in
the distance. “And here I am.”
  Emily closed her gaping mouth and swallowed, turning her focus back to the road in front of them. “Alright
then. We perhaps leave out the Jimmy part eh?”
  Kathleen shrugged, near tears. “Whatever works.”
  Mary set Brace in his walker and finished cleaning the dirty dishes in the sink. It was almost seven o’clock and
Shane was not home yet nor had Kathleen arrived. She had made a promise to herself that she wouldn’t take her
frustrations out on the girl but would rather try to genuinely help her. Ten minutes passed and there was a knock
on the door, so she quickly dropped her dish towel and smoothed her slacks on her way to answer it.
  “Your ward,” Cleary smiled, stepping inside and setting the suitcase on the foyer. “And her luggage.”
  Mary caught her breath, knocked off guard by Kathleen’s change in appearance over a few years and Cleary’s
demeanor as he promptly turned around and headed back to his car. She blinked twice and then found her voice.
  “Uh, hi Kathleen. Come on in, love.”
  “Thanks.”
  Kathleen walked past her and continued until she saw the kitchen and took a seat. Mary stepped outside to stand
on the porch and kept her voice low.
  “Is this happening?” she asked with a combination of surprise and amusement.
  Emily rolled her eyes. “The lass ran off and eloped with her narcotic dealer and Jimmy killed him. Mary, love,
you have a mess on your hands.”
  She slapped a palm to her forehead and closed her eyes. “Bloody hell.”
  Emily, who never swore, nodded. “Bloody hell alright. Call if you need us.”
  “Thanks.”
  She saw Shane’s car approaching as Emily returned to hers, and Cleary waved to him as he skid out of the
driveway with intensity. Shane was startled but brushed it off and brought his Cadillac to a stop. He saw Mary on
the porch and approached with confusion.
  “What has the old man speeding?”
  She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms musingly. “His niece.”
  “That bad eh?”
  “Well let’s see. She ran off with her drug dealer and married him illegally, then Jimmy killed him and then she
was forced here. And in a few years her body has gone from thirteen to twenty-five.” She smiled sarcastically.
“Come meet her.”
  Shane scratched his head with a sigh and followed her inside. Kathleen was still seated at the kitchen table, and
when Shane entered the room and laid eyes upon her for the first time he felt as if Goliath had sucker punched him
straight in the gut, and with extra force. He couldn’t help but stare, his mouth wide open with shock, and she rose
to her feet.
  “So,” she said with an attitude. “I guess you’re the big time gangster. I’m thrilled to meet you.” She rolled her
eyes and then turned to Mary. “Do you have any beer?"

..

Just when you think you understand it all, Secret Sins unveils that you don't.
Shane McIntyre, the man behind the scenes, has led a life of corruption,
murder and intrigue. But why? Was he really what everyone thought? And
who is Somer Moore other than a fleeting romance for Quinn at the tender age
of eighteen? Could his marriage end? Spanning four decades and generations,
this fourth book in the series is also its beginning and shocking!

Secret Sins

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