Gabriel nods, his attention completely focused on me in a way that makes me feel like the most important person in the world."Do you still dream that way?"
"I do," I admit, feeling slightly foolish for holding onto such ambitious goals when my reality has changed so dramatically."But it's hard to make that happen in a city like New Orleans.The entertainment industry is concentrated in LA, New York, maybe Atlanta.The stars are where the cameras are, where the red carpets happen, where the real money and recognition live."
"Must you only work with celebrities?"Gabriel asks, and I can hear him trying to keep any judgment out of his voice, trying to understand rather than dismiss my dreams.
"You asked me about my dreams, LaRoche.That was the dream I pictured—me doing Beyoncé's makeup while she discusses world domination with Jay-Z, or making Taylor Swift look flawless before she steps onto a stadium stage.Can you fucking imagine?"
Gabriel's lips curve into a genuine smile, and I can see something like admiration flicker in his eyes."No, I honestly can't imagine being in that world.But I can see how much it means to you, how your whole face lights up when you talk about it.What if you became a traveling stylist with New Orleans as your home base?Build a reputation here first, establish yourself with local celebrities and politicians, then expand your reach.When Beyoncé or Taylor Swift come to the city on tour, you'd be the stylist they call."
I pause to consider his words, feeling a spark of possibility I hadn't allowed myself to feel since my father dragged me back home.When he forced me to return to New Orleans, I had given up completely on my career dreams, assuming that marriage to Gabriel would mean becoming just another mafia wife—hosting dinner parties, raising children, and keeping my mouth shut about business.
But Gabriel is suggesting something different.A life where I could have both—a marriage and a career, partnership and independence, love and ambition.
"That's… actually not a terrible idea," I say slowly, my mind already racing with possibilities."But it would be challenging.Most of those top-tier stylists build their reputations in LA or New York first, then they have the credibility and connections to work anywhere.Starting in New Orleans would mean building from the ground up."
"I'm asking you about all this because I need you to understand what I'm planning," Gabriel says, his voice taking on a more serious tone as he steps closer to me."I want to take over and grow the LaRoche family operations in New Orleans."
The implication hits me immediately.He's talking about the crime family, about expanding their influence in the underworld, about reclaiming their position in the city's complex power structure.
"So you definitely want to stay in the business?"
"Yes.It's all I've been trained for my whole life.It's what I know, what I'm good at, what runs in my blood."
"You could be other things, Gabriel.You're smart, educated, charismatic—you could probably succeed in any legitimate business you chose."
"I could," he agrees, and I can see him considering the possibility seriously."But this is what I want.My family has been in New Orleans for generations.We've built something here, contributed to this city's culture and economy in ways that go beyond what outsiders see.We deserve a seat at the table, respect for what we've accomplished, and I'm going to get it back."
I study his face, seeing the determination and pride there, the way his jaw sets when he talks about his family's legacy.This isn't just about money or power for Gabriel—it's about honor, about proving himself worthy of the LaRoche name, about honoring the generations that came before him.
"Okay," I say finally."I understand that.But how do you plan to challenge my father's control when he has your family under his thumb?"
"That's where the first part of my plan comes in."Gabriel's expression grows more intense, more focused."I need to clear my family's name."
"Gabriel—"
"I meant what I said downstairs, Jo.I didn't kill your brother, and I don't believe my father had anything to do with it either.The first step in reclaiming our position—in building a future where we can both have what we want—is finding out who really killed Leo."
The mention of my brother's name makes my chest tighten with familiar pain.Leo has been dead for five years, but the wound is still fresh, still raw when I least expect it.The anger, the grief, the need for justice—it's all still there, just below the surface of my carefully constructed composure.
I've always operated under the assumption that the LaRoche family was responsible, that they killed Leo to send a message or gain an advantage in the ongoing power struggles that define our world.My father has never wavered from his stance that Gabriel's family killed my brother, and when someone tells you the same thing over and over, especially someone you love and trust, you start to believe it.
But what if that isn't what happened at all?
"How would we even begin to investigate something like that?"I ask, stepping out of my wedding dress completely and standing before him in nothing but a dampened pair of pearl-colored lace panties."The police gave up years ago.Everyone who might have information is either dead, disappeared, or too scared to talk."
Gabriel's eyes darken as he takes in my nearly naked form, but he stays focused on our conversation, though I can see the effort it takes."Your last name opens doors that brute force never could.If you set up meetings with the right people—casual conversations, coffee dates, social visits—you could learn things that I never could through intimidation or violence."
"Coffee dates with whom?"I ask, even as I'm distracted by the way Gabriel is slowly undressing, revealing the sculpted muscles of his chest and arms that speak to hours spent training, preparing for a life where physical strength could mean the difference between life and death.
"We'd start with Hunter Middleton in California."
My stomach drops like a stone thrown into a deep well."Wait, what?"
"If you ever want to work with West Coast clients and live your dreams, you're going to have to make peace with him.Which means making peace with his fiancée too."
Megan.My former best friend, who now hates me because of what my father did to her, because of the lies I told her for years about who I really was and where I came from.
"I'll figure something else out," I mutter, turning away from Gabriel as the weight of my guilt threatens to overwhelm me.
