“The goal is to keep the pieces from falling.”
“Is that possible?”
If I had the answer to that, I wouldn’t be in this situation.
TWELVE
Sable
I had been dreadingthis moment ever since Nico told me about his plans for Chance. Saying goodbye to my brother, even if it was temporary, wasn't going to be easy.
I gazed out the window of Milo’s office, taking in the sights of the city. How many times had Chance and I explored those streets? Hundreds. How many dreams did we have when we first arrived in this city with nothing but one another? Too many to count.
Promises were made that I would take care of him. I swore we would make a better life than the one we had. Doing that alone proved to be impossible. We needed help.
That assistance came from a place I never expected. A New Year’s Eve kiss with one of the most powerful men in the city. My dreams were coming true, but not in the way I had expected.
“Sable.” Chance entered Milo’s office, wearing a new flannel button-down shirt and black jeans. “Mr. Accetti said I could find you here.”
“You got a haircut.” I ran my hand through his short auburn hair. “It looks good.”
“Since I’m starting over, Mr. Accetti thought I should freshen up a bit. New clothes, shoes, hair, new me, you know?”
“This is what you need.” I pointed at the chairs in front of Milo’s desk. “Sit with me.”
“Italy seems so far away though, doesn’t it?” He took a seat. “I’m a little anxious about the plane.”
“I was too when I went to Puerto Rico last month, but it’s not scary. You can stream a show. After four or five episodes, you’ll almost be there.”
“When Milo wants to get rid of a person, he doesn’t mess around.”
“You should be thanking Milo, not insulting him.” I sat and crossed my legs at the ankles. “Going to a new country and learning a skill that you would never have had the opportunity to do without this family is a gift.”
“I know it is.” He patted my knee. “I wish I didn’t have to leave you.”
“I’ll come and visit when things settle down for Milo.” I smiled. “I can’t wait to see Italy.”
“Do you think Milo’s business will ever settle down?”
“I hope so.” My heart couldn’t handle the constant stress Milo had been under. I wanted him to be happy and worry-free. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
“I’ll always worry about you, especially when you’re with Milo.”
“Chance, I don’t want to fight today.”
“I’m not starting a fight,” he said. “Milo is a dangerous man who has plenty of enemies. You wanted me out of that life, but you’re still in it.”
“I’m with Milo because I love him. He’ll protect me. You don’t have to stress. I do enough of that for both of us.Just because you’ll be in another country won’t make me stop worrying about you.”
“I’m really going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too, but we’ll see one another soon.” My voice cracked, but I had to hold it together. “We’re going to get to do all the things we talked about through the years. The vacations, being able to go see a movie in the theater, getting a milkshake whenever we want.” I laughed. “You know, all that stuff we never got to do.”
“Like having heat in the winter and air-conditioning in the summer?”
“Birthday and Christmas presents.” I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to fight the tears. “Getting our own value meal and not having to split one.”
I wriggled my hands, feeling like a complete failure when I realized I didn’t deliver on my promises to give us a better life when we left our father.
