Pietro stepped up because someone had to.
"Nora's pregnant," he continues. "I want to be present for that. For her. For our child." He meets my eyes. "I want to step back, Bruno. I want to hand this over to you."
Something shifts in my chest. Something I don't want to name.
"Then do it."
"It's not that simple."
"Why not?"
"Because the others aren't convinced." He holds up a hand before I can interrupt. "Nico has concerns. Valid ones. Lorenzo wants to believe you're ready, but he's cautious. And Valentino?—"
"Valentino supports me."
"Valentino supports the idea of you. The Bruno you were before. He's not sure the Bruno you are now can lead without destroying everything we've built."
I grip the armrests. Feel the wood bite into my palms.
"I won't fail."
"I hope not." He picks up his coffee again. "For both our sakes."
We sit in silence. The clock on the wall ticks. Somewhere in the house, I hear Giulia giving instructions to the kitchen staff.
"She hung up on me," I say.
Pietro's eyebrows rise. "Who?"
"My wife."
A pause. Then, unexpectedly, Pietro laughs.
It's a real laugh. The kind I haven't heard from him in months. His shoulders shake. His eyes crinkle at the corners.
"It's not funny," I growl.
"It's a little funny." He wipes his eyes. "What did you do?"
"Nothing. I was explaining the rules?—"
"The rules?"
"Of our arrangement. How things would work. And she just... hung up."
Pietro shakes his head. Still smiling. "What rules exactly?"
"Security. Protection. Basic safety protocols."
"Let me guess. You ordered her around like one of your soldiers."
I don't answer. Which is answer enough.
"Bruno." Pietro sets down his cup. "She's not a soldier. She's not an employee. She's your wife."
"In name only."
"Doesn't matter. She's a person. With her own thoughts. Her own will." He pauses. "Her own ability to hang up on you when you're being an ass."
