I sit down directly across from him. He takes another sip of water as he stares at me, those brown eyes penetrating me, as if he can see every one of my sins. Granted, he’s been there for the majority of them, but I carry my own as well.
Finally, he breaks the silence with a dry, “What do you want?”
“I need a guard. We’ll be meeting with the new Bosses.” I press my lips together to stop myself from saying anything else. From the unamused look he gives me, I don’t have a choice but to expand. Fuck. “I’d like you to be that guard. You’re the only one fully qualified for it.”
Snorting, he shakes his head. “You still suck at asking for things. I already gave you my answer. I won’t let you hurt Lio again. Don’t mistake the fact that you’re still breathing for any mercy on my part. I’ll end you if you try to drag him down again.”
“I know.” And that’s the shitty part. Someone who was once my best friend would easily kill me. There’s part of me that instinctively wants to throw him in a black room, to force him to bend, but fuck… My head is so screwed up after my uncle’s words, I don’t exactly know what to do anymore.
“Yet you still want me to guard you.” I don’t react to Luca’s incredulous tone. There’s no reason to give him more than I already have. Luca throws his head back, staring up at the ceiling, as if he’s praying for patience—or wisdom. I wish him luck on that. Finally, he slumps and turns his attention back to me. “You know I’m not staying, right?”
“I know. You’re cleared to leave whenever you want.” I avert my gaze, staring instead at the mats where I used to watch Ignacio train the soldiers—and the other Boys.
Growling, Luca gets to his feet, and he hesitates before grudgingly offering me his hand. I take it, hoping he understands that while he may not trust me anymore, I still trust him. Once I’m up, we’re only inches apart, at least physically.
He steps back from me, and it squeezes my heart even more. And fuck, if I thought my heart was already dead, he sure is proving otherwise. “When is the meeting?”
“Two hours from now. We’re meeting at one of the old O’Connel outposts. It was as neutral as we could get.”
“Fine. I’ll take you. But remember?—”
Whatever he’s about to say is cut off when two of my soldiers dart into the room. Granted, it was likely a reminder of his threat, and for a moment, I’m thankful for the distraction. Both men come to a stop in front of me, drawing themselves up tall. I notice they’re pale, and my stomach sinks because I don’t need any more fuckery.
“What is it?” The words are dragged out of me, and from the way the man on the left winces, I’m not going to like this.
“We have information,” he says cautiously. “There are rumors on the street that a hit was called out on the new Bosses.”
“Actually, there’s some conflicting information on that.” I gesture for the other soldier to speak, because my stomach flips at the thought of my Emilio being threatened. “There are two rumors. One, a full hit was called on all three of them. Second, it’s not an actual hit. It’s just to scare them all.”
I go pale, my knees threatening to give out from under me.There’s no fucking way.“I need more details. Now.”
They shift uncomfortably and I struggle to bite back my rising panic. Finally, they both give a short bow and answer with “Yes, Padrone.”
They disappear and I whirl to face Luca. “Fuck. We need to find out what the hell is going on. Hopefully, before we meet with the other Bosses. If they’re not aware of this…”
Luca’s grim expression matches mine and he nods. “I’ll see what I can find out from my contacts.”
“I need to go tell Cristian. Hopefully, he has some people he can pull to find out as well.”
Luca grunts, but doesn’t say anything. I hold back the angry words that want to spill out. Not now that we’re finally agreeing on something. I don’t know what the fuck Luca’s problem is with my Sweetheart, but he isn’t letting it go.
“Two hours,” I remind him, and he waves an agreement before disappearing to the showers. I force myself to walk carefully, and not run through the halls. There are too many eyes watching for me to be anything less than controlled—even if my heart is pounding and worry threatens to drown me.
I knock on Cristian’s office door, and when he calls for me to enter, I finally take a deep breath. Opening the door, I say, “Dolce Cuore…we have a problem.”
Cristian glances up from the paperwork that's strewn across his desk, frowning. “We need less problems, not more.”
I snort, unable to stop it, because he’s fucking right. “Yeah, that would certainly be ideal. However, word is out that hits were called on our trio of troublemakers. There is some variance in the stories. Some are saying it’s only a scare tactic…but it’s dangerous. Even if it isn’t a full hit that's being called, the fact it’s being twisted puts them in the same amount of danger as if it was.”
Cristian’s eyes go flat before he shakes his head, banking whatever was there. “Perhaps that will convince them they need to come home.”
“It won’t. At least, it wouldn’t stop Emilio. And from what I’ve seen of your son and husband, they’re not the type to fold either.”
Cristian scoffs and I purse my lips, studying him carefully. He’s not the put together gentleman that I know from our timebefore being kidnapped. Losing his son and husband has left a mark—even if he’s not willing to say the words.
“They need to learn. I trust their guards will cover them. But perhaps we can bring it up in the meeting, and have them stop this insanity. We should be together. Not…this.”
“I know.” I sigh, perching in the chair across from his desk. “This is their choice, though. If we try to force it…they won’t come back. Emilio—hell, all of my Boys—are stubborn. And they’ve already proven that they can make things work.”
