I take a seat on the couch opposite, the leather creaking under my weight. The room feels warm. Safe. Home, in a way that I never let myself believe I could have.
Then I pull out the necklace. The locket with the key. The death sentence Lily had wrapped around her neck.
I place it on the coffee table between us like it’s poisonous.
“Keep this safe,” I tell Declan. “Romeo is coming to collect it in a few days.”
Declan’s brow furrows. “Where are you going?”
I rub the back of my neck, staring at the necklace like it’s still trying to control us. “Depending on what happens with Lev… Monaco,” I admit. “I’ve just completed on what I hope is Lily’s dream house.”
Declan’s gaze sharpens.
“I’ve got my contact out there working on making it perfect right now,” I continue, my voice quieter. “So I want to surprise her soon.”
Conan leans forward, elbows on knees, eyes fixed on me like he’s weighing the reality of it.
“You’re coming back, right?” he asks.
I nod once. “This time, yes,” I say. “But we’ll be moving out there once we have full clearance and…”
And Lev wakes up. And I know he’s alive. And Lily doesn’t have to bury her father.
I don’t finish the sentence.
Across the room, Finn’s eyes narrow slightly. “So you’re leaving Decadence?” he asks, voice calm, but there’s something underneath it.
Not offence.
Understanding.
The weight of goodbye.
“It’s time,” I say simply. “I need to start living my life.” My jaw tightens briefly. “As fun as it’s been here… It’s time I moved on and give Lily a future that doesn’t involve looking over her shoulder every day.”
They all nod. Because they get it. For them, this isn’t a choice. It’s blood-deep. Built into their bones. Their empire. Their duty.
But me?
My empire has branches in every direction—businesses, money laundering, hacking, networks buried so deep they’ll outlive me.
I’m set for life. I don’t need to keep fighting. I just needed somewhere to belong long enough to remember how to breathe.
“Well,” Declan says, leaning back. “We need to throw you a goodbye party when you do leave.”
A quiet laugh escapes me.
I check my watch.
Lily is with Hallie and Bella right now, telling them about the baby. I wanted to give her girl time. Let her have softness.
“It’s not like I’m dropping off the face of the earth,” I say. “We’ll be back to visit. You guys are always welcome to come and stay with us. Just use the private jets.” I glance between them, my voice turning firmer. “And I’ve already given Enzo my word I’ll be ready to step in if he needs me with what comes next.”
That shifts the atmosphere in the room instantly.
Like someone just pulled all the warmth out and replaced it with steel. Because we all know the truth. We won this battle. But the real war isn’t over, and Enzo is about to ignite something no one has ever seen before.
I swallow hard, then straighten. “You’re like brothers to me,” I tell them, voice rougher than I want it to be. “I’ve never had a family.”
