“No,” Damien answers immediately. “We don’t need to expand. We’ve got enough business as it is.”
“There are still the Corroux, and the Vilani, and the Cuores in NewVa. They’ll jump in to steal what they can,” I say. “But…” I raise my head and meet Giulio’s gaze. “I want to keep the Bouchards going. I don’t want my father’s legacy to die here.”
I’m surprised at my own conviction.
But as flawed as my father was, he’d saved my life. He’d wanted me to succeed.
“You want to… Blaze, you can’t be serious. You know what your father was doing,” Asch says, and when I glance at him, I see that his expression is hard. “You can’t want to continue that.Pandoracan’t want to continue that.”
“You are not going to kidnap girls anymore,” Pandora says with a glare. “That’s fucking evil.”
I shake my head. “No. But… if I don’t take control, the person who does is going to keep the status quo going, right? There are seconds-in-command, underbosses. One of them will take the reins. They’ll join up with one of the other families. The networks will remain. These people already know each other, and they’ll find ways to get what they want. But we can make sure it isn’t… it isn’t like this.”
“Do you really think you can change them?” River asks. He’s out of my line of sight, out of my peripheral vision on the side my bad eye is on, so I can’t see his expression. “They’ll fight you.”
“Yeah. I can’t do it alone.” I take Pandora’s hand and raise it up to kiss her knuckles. “Will you help me? You want to devour your enemies? We have to be the biggest, baddest snake in order to do that.”
Pandora’s mouth parts. In the next second, she mashes her lips against mine. The kiss is as sloppy as any preteen’s, and neither of us has brushed our teeth, but I don’t even care.
When she breaks away, Pandora nods. “Yes. Yes, Blaze, I’m going to become a huge, world-devouring snake.” She grins. “You’ll have to get over your fear of snakes though.”
I groan. “Yeah, yeah. It was a metaphor.” I turn to look at Asch, then River. “I’d need your support too. I need people I can trust.”
“Me?” Asch asks, and there’s a certain fragility to his voice. “I don’t have anything to offer, man. I don’t have money or power or influence, and I couldn’t even protect the two of you when itcounted most.”
River scoffs at him, finally crossing over to stand closer to us. “I’m in,” he says. “I’m not letting Pandora out of my sight, and I guess I’m stuck with you, too, Blaze.”
I nod. “Thanks.” Then I look at Asch again. “Nothing to offer me? What the fuck? Pandora, can you punch him for me?”
“Yep, on it,” Pandora says. She sits up and slaps Asch’s shoulder, making him startle. “What the fuck, boyfriend? We’d both cry if you weren’t around. And I know how badass you can be. Between you and River, nobody would be able to touch us.”
Asch reaches out to touch my arm. “I don’t want to be anywhere else,” he says. “I just… I kept trying to get to you. But fucking Ezio was in my way, and I couldn’t get past him.”
“Except you did,” River points out. “Didn’t you say he was dead?”
Asch grimaces. “Yeah. It wasn’t easy, though.”
“So you train harder, dumbass,” River retorts.
“Yeah. I’ve seen what you can do, Asch.” I sigh, then turn my gaze to Giulio Pavone, who has been weirdly quiet. It’s still weird that I need to turn my head this much to look at people. “Sir. I know it’s a lot, but I’m going to need some support. And I understand if you don’t want to be part of this?—”
Giulio starts laughing. “Are you for real?” He shakes his head. “Damien, what am I going to say next?”
Damien lets out a long, deep-suffering sigh. “Of course we’ll help. Anything for Pandora.”
Pandora grins and kisses my jaw. “Man, Blaze, you’re so awesome, you can even convince Papa and Daddy to join your cause.”
I’m pretty sure it’s more because I’ve got Pandora on my side, but Giulio did sound like he wanted to make inroads in New Valence anyway.
I lean back, and as soon as my head hits the pillow, exhaustion slams into me. “Okay. Cool. Glad that’s sorted. Can all of you get the fuck out so I can sleep now?”
“Nope,” Asch says. “I’m not going anywhere. But I’ll get the nurse and let her know she can come in now.”
“Come on, Giulio. We’re really not supposed to be here,” Damien says. “And Kratos, Ares, and Mel will want to see you too.”
“Oh, right, I have three other kids,” Giulio says, and from the tone, I take it that’s meant to be a joke.
I close my eyes—eye. Pandora says something, and I feel her lips brush against my jaw.
