Conviction (The Cassano Series Book 4) Read Online Free PDF

it’s time to admit it. You love her.”
    I bury my face in my hands, and I do dwell on his words.
    “How would I ever be enough to take away the ugliness of what happened to her? How could I make her happy?”
    Sitting next to me on the sofa, he places a hand on my back. “You replace the ugly with good. You love her the way you’ve never loved anyone else. Give that to her, and I bet it will make her the happiest woman in the world.”
    “What if this doesn’t work out, us not going to jail? I’ll rip her heart out all over again.”
    “She’ll be there for you. It’s the same way Sadie is going to support me; she just doesn’t want to accept it yet because she’s angry at me over the circumstances.”
    As an adult, I’ve only cried once, at my father’s funeral, so the tears dropping to my cheeks stun me. I shut them down swiftly and wipe my eyes, but the tears own me all over again. “I don’t want to put her through what Mom put us through.”
    “You’re not our Ma, Zev. You have rough times, but they’re nothing like her illness. Maybe you’ve only ever been depressed because you haven’t dealt with her situation or let anyone in. Shit, let Tara decide if she loves you for you.”
    Placing my elbows on my knees, I lean my head over and rest it on my arms. “I’ve always hated our mother, Simon. I hated her until this trip.
    “She was better than I’ve ever seen her because of the medication. That’s when I realized she can’t help it. It was never her fault. Now, we’re almost out of time with her.”
    Simon is rubbing my back, and it’s weird but comforting at the same time. We don’t speak while my walls crumble.
    They crumble around me.
    Like Tara, I’m broken, and I’ve given up the one woman who brought light into my world and saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself.

Chapter Five
    Zev
     
    The sunlight shines in on my face, waking me. I’m on the sofa, resting on my side with a blanket over me. I look around and find Simon asleep in a chair to my left.
    He’s a damn good brother. Like Aggie said, I can always count on my family to have my back. Glancing to the clock on the wall, I see it’s eight in the morning.
    “Simon, wake up. I need to leave.”
    He stirs and scowls, likely from the uncomfortableness of sleeping in a chair. “Shit, I never went back to work.”
    “I’m sure Shannon and Kruse closed up, or you would’ve received a call by now. There is somewhere I need to be.”
    “Good to hear.” As he stretches he smirks.
    “And I might be a bit preoccupied for a while,” I add.
    “Yeah, I figured as much. You take all the time you need.”
    “Thank you, Jersey. Thank you for everything.”
    “What are brothers for? I have somewhere to be, too.”
    We both stand and stretch again. He moves his long bangs away from his face and holds out his fist for me to bump, but I pull him in for a hug.
    “OK, uh, I’ll talk to you tomorrow?” he asks.
    “I’ll text you.”

Tara
     
    My body shudders from the sound of banging on my door.
    Zev. But what if it’s Noah?
    It’s close to nine in the morning. As the night dragged on, I only dozed off occasionally. I was waiting and praying that Zev didn’t kill the evil asshole.
    I jump from the couch as the sound rumbles against the door once more. Peeking through the peephole, I see it’s Zev, so I anxiously open it. “Zev, is everything OK?”
    Without a word, he comes toward me and gently frames my face. His lips crush to mine, and he groans lightly.
    He’s kissing me. Xavier is kissing me!
    He has showered, and he smells of pine. His mouth tastes like mint. Oh, lord, I must have awful breath, but Zev is kissing me!
    He doesn’t stop, so finally I pull away to breathe. I grip his tapered waist as his thumbs graze my swollen cheeks.
    “I’m so sorry, Tara. I’m sorry for what you went through with that sick bastard and for how I’ve treated you.”
    “Tell me you didn’t do anything stupid.”
    “I