So far, there’d been no response.
I pressed my thumb harder into the plastic, flashes of Vega flicking through my mind like a reel.Her smile first thing in the morning.Those glowing hazel eyes when I was balls deep inside her and telling her she was my world.How flushed her cheeks got when she was sandwiched between Ryder and me, attempting to hold back her release because she wanted us all to come at the same time…
My star with tears in her eyes, betrayal lining her beautiful face.Her hand on her belly.Vega, with a baby in her arms, refusing to let me hold her.
Fuck it.
A text alert had me extracting my phone from another pocket.
Unknown: Congrats on your recent nuptials.
The number wasn’t one that was saved in my contacts, but the digits were burned into my memory.Having that particular phone number was both a luxury and a burden.The person it belonged to was not someone anyone wanted to be connected with.
Her entire family was not something the Bianchi, O’Machain, and Brennan powers could compete with on their own.Our now-combined territories might stand a chance against that particular family and its worldwide reach, but I wasn’t stupid enough to make them our enemies.
Me: Your parents sent a present.
Unknown: A personal shopper sent your new wife a present.Probably a blender or some shit that your wife definitely won’t know how to use.My parents couldn’t care less.But also, really?!?!?!I knew you were “engaged” to Raffaella, but I didn’t think you were dumb enough to actually marry her.
Of course she was texting to bust my balls.
Me: Currently too busy to deal with your bullshit.
Unknown: Mmkay.
Unknown: Soooooo…
Fucking Christ.
Unknown: I heard you were calling in favors and remembered I owed you one.Do NOT waste it now, because I won’t help you.
With this particular psychopath—who had always been a friend, because fuck, no one wanted her as an enemy—I knew to pay attention to her words.She’d saidwon’t, notcan’t.And she wouldn’t simply reach out for a random catch-up on how life was going.She didn’t do anything without a reason.
For a single moment, relief filled me.She knew Vega was okay.She had to.But that was short-lived when I considered the source.
Fuck!
Me: It wasn’t a small task when I helped you.
I hadn’t called it in because pulling her into my orbit wasn’t a smart move from any point of view.She held power—not as much as other members of her family, but just the whisper of her name to certain people, and they would quake.Which wasn’t necessarily a good thing.Anyone close enough to know the real her was also aware that she was barely stable on a good day.
Some would consider us friends.Fuck knew, my da had hoped for more.When her father had firmly put Dónal in his place and told everyone within our circle that his children would only ever marry for love, Da had backed off.That was when he decided Raffaella would do just fine.
Yeah, I was still considering putting a few bullets in the bastard for no reason other than backing me into this corner.I missed Vega so fucking badly, and I couldn’t simply shut down like Ryder had.One of us had to keep our head on straight so we could get our star back.
Unknown: And that is why I’m telling you not to cash in now.It would be a stupid move when I refuse to even consider assisting you, given your current position.
Unknown: Ugh.I’m so disappointed in you.You had such a bright, beautiful star lighting up your world.Why would you throw that away for someone like Raffaella?
Me: You know why.I had no choice.
Unknown: There were plenty of other choices, dumbass.If you’d called in that favor before this, I would have happily helped.Honestly, I might have helped without the owed favor.Your pride got in your way, and now look at the mess you’re knee-deep in.
Maybe she could have, but I hadn’t considered it.Because she was partially right, damn it.My pride wouldn’t let me, though there was the whole unpredictable side of my old friend that had to be taken into account.Raffaella was a much more predictable factor.Marrying her and doing a cleanup from within once we took full control was the safer option.
But it had also lost me the only good thing in my world.
Unknown: Stop reaching out to the ghost and the genie.Neither will help you map this particular constellation.
