“No, no,” Carmine pulls me by the arm. “I know, I’m starving too, but we need to talk to my brothers.”
I groan. “Alright, but there’d better be some soup or something waiting for me after,” I tell him.
Carmine nods and as we’re leaving the kitchen he approaches a member of the house staff and instructs them to cook something. Preferably a hot soup. It’s not an incredibly quick meal, but it’s easy enough and filling.
I really don’t care. I wish I’d eaten that half loaf of bread back there frankly.
“What the fuck are they doing here?” I hear an angry voice as we reach the sitting room. I recognize the face. Tommaso, one of Carmine’s brothers. The most hotheaded of all of them.
“They’re here to talk,” Carmine tells him. Tiberi is also in the room, and he rises from where he’s seated on the couch.
“The last time he was here to talk, he tried to kill you,” Tommaso snaps while glaring daggers in my direction. He tries to get closer to me, but Carmine puts his hands on his shoulders.
“I know, I know. Eivor Fiorella was the cause of that. He’s here to fix things. To settle things,” Carmine tries to settle him.
“How exactly does he plan on doing that?” Alessio’s voice comes from behind me. I feel a chill run down my spine. Something about the man is just unnerving. Not in the good way.
“Frankly, I don’t fuckin’ know,” I admit. “All I know is I don’t want to kill any of you. Much less Carmine.” I step closer to Carmine and rest my hand on the small of his back.
“Get your fucking hands off—” Tommaso growls, but Carmine shoves him away.
“He’s allowed to touch me, calm down,” Carmine hisses at him. “I know it’s…sudden. But…” He looks to me and I look back at him with an equally as worried but affectionate expression.
“I care for your brother,” I say honestly, my eyes shifting around the room and meeting Tiberi’s as Alessio steps around us.
Tiberi narrows his eyes. “Are you saying the two of you are together now then?” he asks.
I look to Carmine and nod. “Yes,” we both say at the same time. There’s no question about it.
“I don’t want to take over this family, not like my uncle does. I’m on your side.”
“Me too. He’s gone mad with power,” Rosalie confirms. “I don’t want this drama. Maybe I… I thought I was up for it before, but I’d rather unite our families and be powerful together than get everyone fucking killed.”
I chuckle weakly. It’s nice to see her being herself away from our aunt and uncle.
“How are we going to handle Eivor then?” Alessio asks.
“Yeah, how we going to kill the motherfucker?” Tommaso asks in return, squaring his shoulders up. “Cause I sure ain’t gonna just talk.”
Cassian’s voice is smaller and comes from the entrance to the room behind us.
“I don’t think Eivor is willing to talk either, not if he’s what everyone says he is.”
“Cassian, you’re not part of this,” Alessio says, voice low.
Carmine shakes his head. “He is. We all are. If we’re going to handle this, it’s going to be as a family.” He looks to Cassian, and there’s a softer expression there.
Cassian steps in front of the fireplace. “I know I haven’t been very involved in all this, but I’m part of this family. I want to help.”
“That’s how I feel. I don’t want to be left behind to watch everything fall apart,” Rosalie admits.
I frown at her. “You won’t be.”
“Okay, enough mushy shit,” Tommaso complains. “Who is talking to Eivor and what the hell are we gonna say? Oh, please stop attacking us and settle with us like we tried to settle with you months ago?”
“We can only try,” I wave a hand. I look to Rose. “Gimme your phone.”
“Why?” she asks but hands it over anyway.
