After I sign the papers, I put them back in the orange envelope and hand them to Rosalie as she wraps up her goodbye with Soren.
“Thank you,” she says, and I nod.
With that, Rosalie leaves the room, and I wonder if I’ll ever see her again. I suppose I could always go visit her if I really wanted to, but it seems she’s interested in starting a new life without us. I’ll respect that.
I know that she’ll never be able to escape this life, not fully, and I’m sure she knows that too, but her self-exile is as close to it as she can get.
As I glance over at Damian, I wonder about choosing the same for myself. I highly doubt Carmine would accept it as easilyas Soren accepted Rosalie’s leave of absence, but…maybe I could leave. If I really wanted to.
Damian and I, both of us. We could go anywhere we wanted and live any life we wanted. We’d always remember the things we’ve went through and done, but it would be a new life. New experiences. Less harsh hopefully.
I look at my brothers. Tiberi, Tommaso, Cassian…and I realize that no, I can’t go anywhere. At least not long term. I’m needed here. More than I even want to be. I need to stay to protect them. To be our voice with politians and ensure our social reach is as wide as possible. No one else here is as good at talking someone down from ending it all as I am.
“I have to stay here,” I say quietly, looking at Damian again.
He nods slowly. “I know.” His brow knits slightly. “I wouldn’t ask you to leave.”
My fingers brush against the backs of his as our hands hang down between us. “Would it be selfish of me to ask you to stay?”
He turns to face me. “It’s funny that you think I haven’t already decided to stay,” he replies.
My face and neck flush with heat and I tangle my fingers with his. “Changing your entire career for a man. How traditional of you,” I tease him softly.
“It won’t be too big of a change,” he objects. “I’ll go from working for anyone who will hire me to working for this family.”
I nod. “Carmine will like that. He’s always on the lookout for new muscle,” I tell him. “A hired gun or a bodyguard, you’ll fit right in.”
“As long as I’m beside you, I don’t care what I have to do,” Damian says. His eyes darken and he squeezes my hand.
I hear Tommaso snicker, and I shoot a sharp glance in his direction.
“He’s just jealous,” Tiberi insists. “Tommy doesn’t have a romantic bone in his entire body.”
I roll my eyes. “Maybe mind your own business,” I mumble.
“How can we when you’re mushing it up right in front of us?” Tommy asks, waving a hand.
“Enough, Carmine is back,” Soren tells us with a frustrated tone.
I look toward the door to the boardroom and see as Carmine steps in with none other than Edwardo Tulo.
The entire room is suddenly on edge. As though the air is made of daggers.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” Tommaso asks.
My shoulders tighten and I turn so that my back is facing Damian and I’m the least vulnerable to attack. “What’s going on, Carmine?”
“Everyone settle down,” Carmine insists. “I’ve brought Edwardo here to talk. He’s not here to start anything.”
“How do we know that? He hired someone to shoot at Rosalie and Alessio!” Cassian reminds us.
“I’m well aware of that,” Carmine replies. “I wouldn’t have brought him here if it wasn’t to address that. Trust me, we’ve had a long…long conversation. He knows if he tries anything here, my gun will be meeting the back of his skull.”
I eye Edwardo suspiciously. The middle-aged man looks both incredibly bored to be here and on edge.
“I promise it was all just a misunderstanding,” Edwardo tells us as he puts his hand up.
“Hiring a gun and having them target our rehearsal dinner was a misunderstanding?” I ask. “How exactly is that?”
