I shake my head, then nod, then shrug helplessly. "I can't."
"You can tell me anything," she says. "I promise."
I look at her—this girl who's been nothing butgenuine since I arrived—and envy floods through me. What must it be like to be Lucrezia? To know exactly who you are and where you belong? To have a family who loves you, even if they're overprotective?
"Do you ever wish you could be someone else?" I ask. "Someone normal?"
Lucrezia's eyes soften. "All the time."
"Really?"
She nods. "I love my brothers, but sometimes I wonder what life would be like without security details and background checks on everyone I meet." She pauses. "Is that what's bothering you? Adjusting to our world?"
"Part of it" I admit, wiping at my tears.
I've been living with this purpose for so long. This hate that's been driving everything I do. And now I'm not sure if it's even real. I've been carrying my father's death for twelve years. Sometimes I wonder who I'd be without it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Idrum my fingers against my desk, glancing at my watch for the third time in five minutes. The wait is killing me. Two weeks have passed since we went to Chicago.
"Pacing won't make the call come any faster," Alessio says from the chair across from me. "Riccardo is always punctual. If he said eleven, he'll call at eleven."
"I know. But this deal could change everything for us."
The Venetian Rose Casino would be the crown jewel of our legitimate operations. The perfect money laundering front, with the added bonus of being incredibly profitable on its own. The plans have been sitting in my desk drawer for months, waiting for theright partner.
My phone vibrates against the desk, and I snatch it up before the first ring finishes. "Riccardo," I answer, putting it on speaker.
"Damiano." His deep voice fills my office. "Right on time, as promised."
"I appreciate punctuality." I catch Alessio's knowing smirk and ignore it. "I take it you've had time to review the proposal?"
"I have, although it took us a while to walk through it. My brothers and I are in agreement – we're interested in moving forward with the casino venture." There's a rustle of papers on his end. "Equal investment, equal profit share. The location you've chosen in Manhattan is prime real estate."
Alessio and I exchange a look. This is going better than expected.
"I'm glad to hear it," I reply. "I think this partnership will benefit both our families greatly."
"There are a few details I'd like to discuss before we finalize anything," Riccardo continues. "Security protocols, staffing, management structure. The usual."
"Of course."
"I was thinking we could meet again, perhaps at the property itself? Ava is quite interested in the design aspects. She has an eye for these things."
"That can be arranged." I lean back in my chair. "The building is currently empty. We can walk through it, discuss the renovations needed."
"Excellent. I can fly to New York next month since I have some things to take care of first.?"
"Of course." I make a mental note that he takes his time for everything. "I'll have Alessio send over some preliminary renderings of what we're thinking for the space."
After we finalize the details and end the call, Alessio raises an eyebrow. "You look pleased."
"This is good business," I say, finishing my drink. "And the Sartoris are good allies to have."
I'm about to tell Alessio to start drawing up the formal contracts when the door to my office crashes open. Enzo storms in, face twisted with fury, his normally controlled demeanor completely shattered. His breathing is ragged, like he's sprinted across the compound, and there's a vein pulsing at his temple that I haven't seen since the Rivera situation last year.
"What the fuck is it?" I demand, immediately on alert.
