We make our way to the waiting SUV, the snow falling gently and catching on my eyelashes. Rocco has somehow calmed Danny completely, the boy fascinated with the man’s beard, tiny fingers reaching out to touch it with cautious wonder.
We all pile in. The vehicle is warm, and I sink into the leather.
Jackson slides in next to me and pulls me close. “I’ll make you something to eat once we get to the loft.”
Ethan’s uncle secures Danny in a Spider-Man car seat, Harper beside him. “I hope this is okay,” he says to her. “The twins picked it out. They have a nephew the same age.” He fastens the buckle then tests the straps by tugging on them. “We’ll need to get you both some proper winter clothes if you’re staying in New York.”
“I didn’t know it’d be this cold,” she explains, fingers fidgeting in her lap. “I’ve never been to New York.”
“We’re having a colder Christmas than normal.” Rocco flashes her a reassuring smile. “We’ll get you taken care of. No worries.”
If theytake careof Harper the way they’vetaken careof us, she’s about to have an entirely different life.
I glance at Reece. His face might appear stoic, but the slight narrowing of his gaze as he watches the middle Rossi brother tells me everything I need to know. The Viking isn’t pleased.
The SUV pulls away from the tarmac, and my eyelids grow heavy, the vehicle’s gentle motion lulling me toward sleep.
“Don’t fall asleep yet.” Jackson’s green eyes brighten, but there’s still a hint of worry etched between his brows. “You’ll wanna be fully awake to see the loft.”
Chapter 47
Ethan
During a recent conversation with Rocco, he said to me, “Let’s not lose a thousand to save one.”
He was taking aim at my obsession with Jackson, and I knew right then that Rocco had never been in love. The business was his mistress.
“Is that what you told my father?” I kept my voice level, but the question was a knife I wouldn’t hesitate to twist if necessary.
The phone line went silent.
“Your father’s situation was different,” he finally answered. “He had an empire to protect, a family depending on him. It wasn’t a straightforward decision.”
Since Aurora came into my life, I’ve often wondered what I might’ve done in my father’s shoes. I can’t claim to understand the bond between brothers, but I know I would’ve emptied every bank account and fired every bullet before surrendering. I used to judge my father for taking six lives, but now? Six seems merciful. Hell, the twins racked up a higher body count at our beach house alone.
Dimitri raised his boys differently. There’s a new generation of Rossi men, and we’re even more ruthless.
“I hear you,” I told Rocco, “but understand this—nothing comes before them.Nothing. If this empire crumbles tomorrow, they’ll still stand by me. If I said we needed to disappear, they would—no questions asked. That loyalty goes both ways. If they’re not happy, I’m not happy. If they’re not safe,no oneis safe. I’ll burn this fucking world to the ground. Don’t test me.”
Now, I watch Rocco’s calculating eyes follow Harper across the parking garage, his expression tense with the same protective instincts I recognize all too well.
I clasp his shoulder, unable to hide my smirk. “Welcome to the club. Try not to lose a thousand to save one.”
Chapter 48
Aurora
“Jackson,” I choke out, tears transforming the Christmas lights before me into glittering stars.
The loft has been remodeled beyond recognition. Where the old galley kitchen once stood now sits a security room to the left, a mudroom to the right. Past the entrance, the space opens into a chef’s kitchen that belongs in a magazine—white, glass-fronted cabinets, a sprawling island with nestled stools, and marble countertops threaded with silver.Pendants and chandeliers hang from the ceiling.
A candy-cane arch adorned with fairy lights and actual candy canes—which I know was all Jackson—separates the open kitchen and living room. Thousands of twinkling lights are draped over the exposed wooden beams and brick archways, casting a golden glow that reflects off the hardwood floors and gleaming surfaces. There’s even a lit stone fireplace.
The centerpiece of it all is the massive Christmas tree standing before the panoramic window, decorated with pink bows and ornaments, surrounded by Jax’s beloved collection of mismatched furniture. Outside, fat snowflakes drift downward, turning our world into a perfect snowglobe.
“It wasn’t me, babe.” Jackson flashes that crooked grin I love. “This was all Ethan and Rocco. I arranged the Christmas decorations and gifts.” He lowers his voice to a feigned whisper. “Coach spent all our money on a hockey team—I’ll build you a house once the other one sells.”
“No, I did not!” Ethan yells from the doorway.
