He nods. “Yes. We’ll be safe there. I’ll call in as many guards as possible from allies since your family is out of work with us now,” Carmine tells me. “We’ll talk to my family, make sure they know you’re on our side.”
I nod slowly. “Am I though?” I ask.
“I don’t know, Ren. Are you done with your family now that they want to kill you?”
I shake my head. “Just Eivor does. Whoever he’s hiring is just following his orders, but…my family is more than him. My aunt—I doubt she’s part of this as much of a pain in the ass she is.”
“What are you saying?” Carmine steps closer. “You still want to try to deal with them?”
I look to the side for a second, thinking. “Maybe. I need more time to think. A lot has happened.”
Carmine nods. “Fair enough. But I’m not letting you go no matter what, Ren. I hope you know that.”
I step closer to him and pull him close by his waist. I kiss his lips once, then twice. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Get in, asshole, the heats running,” Rose complains. She’s sitting in the middle of the road off to the side of the house instead of in the driveway.
“We’re coming!” I snap at her, looking at her sitting in the comfortable car with the window rolled down. “Not exactly wearing shoes.”
“Do not remind me,” Carmine says with a sigh as he slides into the backseat. “I better get my wingtips back from the villa at some point.”
“I’m sure you will. Besides, don’t you have like six pairs at least?” I ask him with a chuckle. I get into the front passenger seat beside Rosalie, who looks unamused.
She rolls the window back up and is already taking off in her little sports car before we’re even buckled.
“Where are we headed?” she asks.
“Dresvanni Estate,” Carmine answers matter-of-factly.
She snorts. “Really? Are you sure about that? They won’t want to kill us?”
“It doesn’t matter what they want. They will listen to me,” he promises her.
“Fine, if that’s what you think is for the best. Eivor certainly doesn’t know what it means to listen to his family,” she snarls out as she takes a sharp turn too fast. I ignore the jostling of my empty stomach.
If I’m being honest, all I can really think about is getting to Carmine’s place and stuffing my face with something hot and delicious. For one of the first times, I’m not talking about his ass.
“Do you think he’s noticed that you left yet?” I ask her.
“Absolutely, he’s called me about twenty times now.”
I frown. “Great. What are we gonna do about him.” I sigh and shake my head. “I’m worried all we can do is take him out.”
“If we have to, I’ll be on your side, but…he’s our uncle, Soren. He’s raised us half our lives. I don’t want to…” she trails off.
“I know.”
“Despite everything he’s done,” she adds. “And tried to do.”
My hands curl into fists and my stomach is tight. “I know that too. I don’t either, but if he’s completely losing it on a power trip, we might not have a choice.”
I look into the rearview mirror and see Carmine watching us with a heavy brow himself.
It’s quiet for the remainder of the ride.
Rosalie pulls into the Dresvanni garage and we head into the house through the garage door that leads into a hallway and enters into the side of the kitchen. Exactly where I want to be.
“Hell yes,” I mumble. I immediately start digging through the cabinets.
