“It’s not enough to have support from the outside.”
“Though it does help,” I butted in.
“It’s this family, our family, that needs to be convinced,” Luc concluded.
“That’s easy for the both of you. I’m not sure how I’m meant to help with this,” she said.
“You would just need to slot yourself in with the wives.”
“Attend a few events, host a few of your own,” I laid out for her. “It’s better for us to have couples than put marriages on the line. Once we have them on our side, we’ll be golden.”
“Have you both been walking around with your eyes closed?” Mia asked us. “People don’t like me. Actually, you know what? People hate me. How are you planning to pull this off?”
“You’re underestimating the amount of sway Luc’s got,” I told her.
“You’re overestimating the amount of sway I have.”
Luc tugged at Mia’s hand so that she left her seat on the coffee table and sat on his lap instead. “Mia,” he said gently, one hand on her stomach. It was still strange to see the way that Luc became an entirely different person when he was with her. “Think of our family. You want them safe, loved, wanting for nothing? That’s exactly what they’ll have if we do this.”
She seemed to chew over the words. Luc was offering things that any parent would want for their child and all Mia had to do was agree. “You’d do this to Tori?” Mia whispered to me, her train of thought leading her in a different direction.
“I’d do what’s necessary to keep my family protected.”
Mia dropped her head into her hands and Luc threw me a glance. She was always going to be the wild card where this plan was concerned. But I knew Luc well enough. If Mia refused now, he would try again later. He wasn’t going to compromise on this, because Luc wanted it all. The wife, the family, the power. Mia was simply the timer on all of this. She’d decide if we went ahead now or later. She lifted her head, running her hands through her hair, and let out a shaky breath. “You’re asking for a miracle, but I can try. I can try and win them around.” Luc pulled her in for a kiss. Our fate had finally been steered onto a path instead of hanging in the balance. As they broke apart Mia said, “You should give Dante his gift.”
“What gift?” I asked.
“You have time to rethink,” he said, ignoring me. “Because once we tell him, that’s it. We’ll never be rid of him.”
“Why do you want rid of me?”
Mia laughed, “You never want rid of him. Just give it to him, Luc.”
He sighed heavily and dug in his pocket before tossing something in my direction. I fumbled before I caught it, sharp teeth digging into my skin. When I opened my hand, a key sat in my palm. “What is this for?”
“This place. Mia thought you’d need a copy for when you want to see your Godson.”
I was still looking at the key when those words hit me, and my jaw dropped. “Are you being serious?”
“I guess now more than ever we’re going to need someone who we can trust to look after him in case anything happens.” Mia’s eyes were glassy with tears, the reality of the situation hitting home. She was under no illusion that this would be a simple life without danger. “You’re not going to let us down, are you?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and shook my head. “No, boss. I’m not going to let you down.”
“We can’t make you blood,” Luc told me. “But that’s never mattered to me. You’re my brother and this kid is going to need you just like we do.”
“He’ll have me for life.”
“Thank you,” Mia said. “Now before I end up a complete mess, are you staying for dinner?”
“Of course.” I pocketed the key. “We’ve got some planning to do.”
Chapter Thirty Three
Mia
“I’m sorry we won’t be able to make it down for your birthday, Mia.” Carmen’s face filled the screen of my phone as I sat, feet curled beneath me, on the couch. Cerb lay on the floor in front of me, watching me with his dark eyes.
“Don’t worry about it. I’d rather not do anything.”
