Tiffany remains quiet, allowing me to vent.
“I’m sorry you feel that way. I know you are more than capable of taking care of yourself and your family.”
“Of course I am.”
She smiles. “Can I ask you a question?”
I nod, taking the paperweight from Noah, who almost clonked himself upside the head with it. He quickly moves on to something else. This time he goes for the wooden calendar blocks I have as decoration.
“If you got a call from Jake and he said that a few days ago I was in a fight. Two women had walked up to me and jumped on me. He tells you I wasn’t hurt in the fight, but I was attacked.”
“Who are these women, and where the hell was Jake? And why didn’t you tell me?” I ask, not liking this scenario or the visual it gives me. I will kill anyone that hurts Tiffany, even hypothetical women that like to jump people.
Tiffany laughs. “Look at you. You’re already mad, and this isn’t even a real situation.”
Thinking about my reaction, I have to chuckle at myself. I was ready to go to war with fictional females.
“Imagine if you’d found out I was shot at.”
The moment the statement is out of her mouth, I understand where her story is going. Also, I’m going to fucking kill Salv.
I shake my head. “It’s not the same. I’m your protector. I need to know if you’re in danger.”
She shrugs casually. “And he’s yours. I don’t know what it’s like to be a big sister. I do know what it’s like to be a mother and to be responsible for someone else. It doesn’t turn off with age, Nico.
“You said that Mason has been your big brother since you were eight years old. That’s a long time to be responsible for someone. I’m not saying he shouldn’t allow you to make mistakes and handle your own business, but you have to see where he is coming from. If Salv was nearly killed in a shootout and he didn’t tell you, you’d be livid.”
She was right about that. I’d probably choke the shit out of him and finish the job. Like I said, I understood Mason’s concerns. Didn’t mean I had to like them.
“What’s this really about?”
Leave it to my wife to see below the surface of our falling out.
Scrubbing a hand down my face, I sink back into my seat. I watch Noah gnaw at the block in his hand like it’s food.
“I feel like my back is against the wall. There is so much on my plate that it’s spilling over. And then there is this looming presence in the background waiting to strike. If I make one wrong move, everyone I love could be in jeopardy.”
That is the real issue. I’m walking on a tightrope and if I don’t make it across that rope, I could destroy my brothers and everything we’ve built. I’m trying to think five steps ahead of the enemy’s next move, and it still feels like it’s not enough.
She slides over on the desk so that she is closer to me. She reaches out her hand to touch my knee. Noah stops gnawing on the block and looks at his mother’s hand on my knee. He places his on top of hers and turns to me and grins. My fucking heart melts.
“This is the time you need support,” she says. “I know you want to be the one that saves the day, but you have to know when to call for backup. Your brothers are your backup.”
She looks away before turning back to me.
“I won’t pretend that I know anything about what Saint does.” She doesn’t flinch saying that name this time, but it still doesn’t come out smoothly.
“I won’t even pretend that I like the fact that you are Saint. But I know enough to know that Saint is a part of you, and loving you means loving him. I won’t ask you about that lifestyle because I honestly can’t stomach the idea of your life being threatened.
“But I need you to keep the conversation with your brothers open. I need to know that when you are away, it’s not just your bodyguards that have your back, but Mason, Salvito, and Kazimir also have you covered.”
Her request is simple, and I understand exactly what she needs and why.
Lifting her hand off my knee, I pull her off the desk and into my lap. I shift Noah to one side so she can be comfortable.
“I love you,” I say with all honesty.
I had no idea when I saw her that day in the club that I would feel this strongly about her. Admittedly, I saw her beauty and her unhappiness, and I wanted her. I wanted her to be mine, and I didn’t think about love or anything more than taking her for myself. It is still to this day the best decision I ever made.
