That must do it, because he nods once and sets his pen down. “Alright. I’ll make it happen. We’ll restructure, shift commitments. For this year at least.”
Relief hits me harder than I expect. “Thanks, Linc.”
Leaning forward, he taps my hand where it rests on his desk. “You’re gonna owe me for all of these phone calls I’m about to make.”
“Isn’t that what I pay you for?”
“You don’t pay me shit,” he laughs.
I chuckle, but before I can respond, my phone buzzes in my pocket.
Joe Joe.
I glance at the screen, then back at Lincoln. “That’s my cue.”
He smiles softly. “Tell her I said hi, and to callmeone of these days, and not you. She likes me better anyway.”
I pick up a stray paperclip and chuck it at his head before heading downstairs, the sound of his laugh following me. Destiny lifts her head the second I step inside the horse barn, ears flicking forward. I run a hand down her neck and kiss her between the ears before answering the call. “Hey, Joe.”
“Well, well, well,” my sister says. “So you do remember who I am? Could have fooled me.”
I chuckle. “Sorry. It’s been a little crazy around here.”
“Crazy schedule this year?”
“Actually… I’m gonna be slowin’ down this year. Want to be around more.”
There’s a pause on the other end before she asks carefully, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothin’ we can’t handle. Just some assholes trying to take a place that’s not theirs.”
She’s quiet for another moment. “You need us to manage anything?”
I picture Luca’s calm precision. Enzo’s grin when things get messy. Sebastian’s silence. Dante’s terrifying patience. While I’ve never officially met them in person, I have spoken to them several times over FaceTime at this point, and of three things, I am absolutely certain. One: while I wasn’t originally thrilled about the idea of my big sister having four men in her life, I can already tell that those four are some of the best there are. Two: that being said, it’s clear that there’s more to them than meets the eye. And while Joe has never explicitly told me exactly what it is they do outside of Vittori Enterprises, I do know that if I needed their help, they wouldn’t hesitate to work around the lawto do so. And three: they make my sister happier and safer than she’s ever been. And for that, I’m eternally grateful.
“We’ve got it handled, Joe. You know the four of us aren’t afraid to get our hands dirty. Especially now that Abbie’s here.”
“Mhm,” she replies. “How’s she doing by the way?”
I don’t answer right away, and my silence must be enough of a tell.
Josephine exhales slowly, exhaustion and disappointment at my antics lacing her tone. “Jasper…”
“I tried not to,” I rush out. “I really did.”
“And?”
“And it didn’t matter. There’s just… there’s something about her. Something we—”
“We?” she bites out.
“Yeah,” I say hesitantly. “We.”
“All four of you?” There’s no judgment in her tone—because well, stones in glass houses and all that—just curiosity.
I’m afraid to answer for a moment, then I remember she can’t kick my ass all the way from New York. “Yes.”
I can practically hear her rubbing her temples as she sighs again. I don’t speak, just waiting for the ass-reaming I’m about to get, but instead, she surprises me. “It’s not easy. Loving like this. Sharing space. Sharing fear.Especially not with four other people.”
