“I’ll have Roman and Carter back. Carter never wanted to rule. Roman…he’s not ready yet. I trust they’ve learned the hardships by now. So long as your Boys aren’t covering for them, they are getting close to coming home, I’m sure.”
I run my hands through my hair, frustration bleeding through every movement. It’s not that I don’t trust Cristian to know his Family, but… “I don’t think it’s going to be that easy.”
“They asked for the meeting. They want something. We’ll use it to our advantage.” Cristian’s fingers tap against the desk. It's a tune I’m not familiar with, but at least it’s not Christmas music.
Grunting, I redirect our conversation. “Luca is going to guard me. Do you know who you’re taking?”
Cristian’s scowl is almost deadly, even if it’s not aimed directly at me. “Fucking Tennant. Messing with my soldiers. But yes, I know who I’ll take. I still can’t believe you agreed to one guard only.”
Shrugging one shoulder, I reply, “A show of force won’t help. They’ve asked us to meet them as Bosses. It does no harm to at least see what they want.”
Cristian shakes his head, but doesn’t argue. We’ve already gone rounds over this, and we’re still on opposite sides. With a sigh, he stands up and comes around the desk, sitting next to me instead.
“Just…be careful. I didn’t expect Carter and Roman to last this long. I don’t like it, and it worries me more than it pisses me off.”
“They’re smart. They’ve learned from you. If anything, that's good. It means they’re safe. Emilio and the Boys certainly surprised me with their actions.” I brush my fingers over his closed fist. He opens his hand and grasps mine. “You have to admit that they’re working well with each other. So, let’s go and see what they want.”
“Very well. I’ll listen.”
My heart sinks because while he says the words, I don’t think he actually means them. I close my eyes, not willing to give up. If there’s something Emilio needs…I want him to be safe. I want him and my Boys home with me, but I need them safe in order for that to happen. I trust my Boys, they’ve learned well under me. However, it only takes one well placed bullet…
“Alright, well, we’ve got two hours before we need to leave. I’ll leave you to it.” Standing up, I lean over and brush a kiss against Cristian’s lips. He opens for me eagerly, but the passion isn’t in me today. Still, I yield to him, not wanting to take my bad mood out on him. I straighten up and brush my thumb across his cheek. “I need to see to a few things before we go, Sweetheart. I’ll meet you in the foyer.”
Cristian’s troubled eyes follow me as I leave his office. I struggle to breathe as I pretend everything is fine. But fuck, I don’t know how this will go. There’s too high a chance of this ending up a trainwreck. And that’s why I want Luca there. Right now, I trust him more than me… And isn’t that a fucking kick in the ass.
Adjusting the cuffs of my suit, I try not to fidget. The closer we get to the meeting place, the more my heart clenches and fear tries to overtake me.
Allesandro sets a hand on my thigh, offering me as much comfort as he can, even as Luca shoots daggers at me from the other seat. What the former Martelli Second has against me, I don’t know or care; I have bigger problems than his bullshit—especially not if he’s getting along with Doc. Considering how most people can’t stand to be around my friend for more than a few minutes due to his mouth, the fact Luca seems to like the asshole is…worrisome.
As much as I’m drawing comfort from my love sitting next to me, all my training and Tennant’s intense security protocols are screaming at me that two Bosses shouldn’t be in the same cartogether. It goes against every precaution I’ve ever taken since being in charge.
Thankfully, before my thoughts of how easy of a mark we are can spiral out of control, the limo pulls into the lot of the O’Connel outpost.
Allesandro takes his hand away and I feel unmoored. Part of me, the bit that realizes my hold on him is too tight, too much, balks at the idea of being close to him when my husband is soon to be in reach.
Before this whole mess, I hadn’t touched another man in over a decade, and I know what we did in Allesandro’s office was more for me than him, no matter how well I tried to dress it up. But I needed that anchor, the feeling of not being alone, of having strength and love shoved at me in a way that only two people in my life have ever been able to give. So…I can’t regret what we did, even if my motivations were fucked up.
The other side of it, though, reminds me I am the one in charge, and I don’t have to answer to anyone, not even the man I married. Especially not when he’s doing God knows what with his two “friends”.
Luca slides out of the car when my guard for this excursion opens the door. After a moment, the two of them give the all clear, and I step out of the vehicle, buttoning my suit jacket as I survey the area.
There isn’t much to this location; a former warehouse that was abandoned years ago by the O’Connel Family. It is as central and neutral as we’re going to get in this situation.
“Ready?” Allesandro asks, straightening his own suit.
Not at all.Can one ever be ready to face their ex and son with the man they dislike by their side?
“Let’s do this.”
Luca and Fin escort us to the doors, and I allow the pang of grief to flow through me at having lost Gabriele at the start ofall this. Another reason we need to find who is trying so hard to take us out, they need to pay for stealing a good man from this world. Though that’s a point I need to take up with Tennant as well, knowing his actions and decisions guided my men on what side of this line in the sand they ended up.
The building is small, only a handful of rooms, and was probably used as a safehouse or smaller storage facility when the O’Connels were at the top of their game. Now, of course, they’re nothing but a barely held together faction, led by a boy who, while skilled, still has a lot to learn.
They’re waiting for us in the main room: Emilio, Carter, and Jude.
Not seeing Roman sends a flurry of pain through me. This is the longest I’ve gone without my son since he was born. The month we had together in between the kidnapping and now wasn’t enough. Not when we had so much shit to deal with, and the fact the wedge was already between us because of his choices.
Not seeing him almost makes me stop in my tracks, and if it wasn’t for all of my years as a Boss, I would have shown my weakness from the get-go.
