My mouth drops open. One of them was in my gallery. And they loved it? Am I dreaming?
“I’m glad to hear they liked the showing, Ralph. It really means a lot.” I tell him.
“I was just putting a proposal together for you. But seeing as I’ve got you now, are you available to visit Marco here in Monaco? We’ll arrange your stay and flights. I’m looking at the weekend after next.”
My mouth falls open. I bite down on the excited sound threatening to escape. “I’m absolutely available.”
“Brilliant. I’ll speak to your assistant and have it sorted by Sunday.”
By the time the call ends, a red stress rash blooms across my chest. “Oh my god,” I gasp.
Monaco. Marco Steele. I might pass out.
Instead, I’m calling Bella to arrange celebratory drinks. And then I’m opening a dozen tabs to research Monaco, booking a shopping spree, and buying outfits that will make me look the part.
Because this time, I really earned it. Despite being a hot mess. Despite my anxiety constantly trying to claw its way back and send me spiraling. Even then, demons and all, I can still make good stuff happen for myself.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Drago
When Declan calls an emergency family meeting, and Enzo is flying in, you know shit’s gone south.
Reggie and Rowan barrel through the door. Rowan’s laughing to himself, probably at his own joke. It’s funny, for identical twins, their personalities really differentiate them. Reggie’s the grump, Rowan the joker. They drop into the seats on either side of me, but I don’t look up from my laptop, quickly minimizing Lily’s tracker.
It’s pretty much an hourly ritual for me. Seeing that red dot flicker settles something inside of me. Knowing that right now, she’s in her gallery. It means I can concentrate.
“Dragon,” Rowan says, nodding at me as he bites down on his lip.
I arch a brow at him. “You really aren’t letting that one go, are you?” I mutter.
“It suits you. I really think a huge dragon tattoo across your back would look sick,” Rowan replies.
I nod slowly, pretending to consider it, while resting my hand on my chin as I look at him. “You think I should ink my whole back based on an autocorrect of my name?” I ask.
Rowan shrugs. “Dragons are cool.”
“Correct. Alas, I am not a dragon,” I reply dryly.
“We need to talk after this,” Reggie says under his breath, leaning slightly toward me.
I nod once in response.
They were at Lily’s showing last night. When Declan has men on site, I don’t need to hide in the shadows. I trust them. What I don’t trust is how close I came to blowing everything at their wedding. I’d been listening in through Lily’s phone when they mentioned a Drago her dad once knew. I stepped in before they connected the dots.
She cannot know I’m here. Or that I’m tied to her father. Distance keeps her safer. It’s better for her sake and my own. Because even if there was some kind of real connection between us, I couldn’t betray my best friend. And I’m not sure Lily would ever forgive me if she knew just how far I’ve gone to keep her safe.
Declan clears his throat as Enzo arrives with Romeo behind him. Enzo’s face is thunderous as he takes the seat at the head of the table, tattooed hands clenched into fists against the wood. Usually, time mellows a man out, but not Enzo. Every time I see him, he becomes more coiled. Like there’s something clawing at him from the inside, a ticking time bomb, waiting to explode. And no matter what we achieve for him, it’s never his endgame.
“Let’s not fuck around. We have to make our moves. Fast,” Enzo says, his Italian accent cutting through the room.
I respect Enzo’s leadership. Ruthless. Efficient. Strategic. His empire grows while others rot. This is his world. We just operate inside it.
Declan nods toward me, signaling for me to speak.
“We’ve got Madame Eve,” I begin. “We believe she’s high up in the chain of command in relation to facilitating the trafficking. None of the Russians we have taken, both here and with my partner, Lev, in Russia, have spoken. They’re too far down the line to know. Madame Eve is our best bet, but we need to find her breaking point.”
Enzo takes a slow gulp of whiskey.
