"You alright?" Valentina asks as she catches me looking out the window toward the cottage.
"Yeah. Just thinking."
"About Katerina?" Her lips curve knowingly.
"And Enzo. I don't want to uproot them, but my life is in Chicago."
Valentina's hand lands on my arm, a rare gesture of affection. "Maybe your life is wherever they are."
I arch a brow. “You know I can’t stay here and… well… even if Katerina wanted to come with me, she’s not free to choose, is she? Alessandro or the Bratva will force her to stay.” It occurs to me that she’s more important and in greater danger now than ever.
She’s leverage to use against me and my family.
Or Alessandro could do the same against the Bratva.
She could end up like Pyotr and Victorio.
And Enzo is no better off. The Russians know Enzo is my son now. Whether I'm here or halfway across the country, they could still use him to get to me, as could Alessandro.
Fuck. Why does every fix come with an even bigger problem?
I’m heading back to the cottage when my phone vibrates in my pocket. I duck into the library as I pull the phone out.
Franco’s name lights up the screen.
He’s my right-hand man in Chicago, the one who's been running things in my absence.
"Talk to me, Franco.”
"Boss, we've got problems." His voice is tight, not something easily achieved. "Castillo's men hit our shipment last night. They lost three men, and the cargo is safe, but they're getting brazen."
I close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. "The warehouse?"
"Secure, but word's spreading that you're not coming back. People are taking advantage."
Fuck. The life I carved out with my bare hands is under attack without me there to hold it together.
"I need you back here," Franco says. "We can handle small fires, but this is turning into a war.”
"Give me forty-eight hours," I tell him reluctantly.
All I can think is that it’s not enough time to fix what’s going on here and arrange for Katerina and Enzo to come with me, assuming she would come.
What if she doesn’t?
Will I be forced to walk away again?
"Lock down what you can. Don't retaliate yet."
I end the call and stare at nothing. I feel like I’m caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Chicago needs me. My family here needs me. Katerina and Enzo need me.
For the first time in my life, I don't have a clear path forward. I've always known exactly what to do, what choices to make, what sacrifices were necessary. But this tug-of-war pulling me in opposite directions is new.
And I'm running out of time to decide.
When I came back, I thought I'd find answers, closure, maybe even a little revenge. Instead, I found a son I never knew I had and the only woman who ever made me feel something beyond ambition.
Now I'm trapped between two lives, neither of which I can abandon without devastating consequences.
