She's been sitting here for twenty minutes processing information and she hasn't said much. She's listening more than she's talking, watching more than she's reacting, she's intelligent, I've known that since she walked into the room.
"One," she says sheepishly.
"Go ahead."
"What do you need from me?"
My brows furrow at her words. Hadn’t we already established this?
"Not the Syndicate or the alliance, but you specifically. What does this arrangement require of me in order to actually work?"
I study her. It’s a more intelligent question than most people would think to ask. Most people in her position ask about what they're getting, what they'll have access to, what freedoms they'll retain, whether they'll be treated decently. But not Quinn. No, she wants to know what I need from her.
"Public solidarity," I tell her honestly. "You stand beside me without any fractures showing. At every event, every function, every occasion the Syndicate puts us together. Whatever you think of this arrangement, it doesn't show publicly."
She nods, taking everything I tell her in without question.
"No alliances formed without my knowledge. If anyone approaches you about the family's business, directly or indirectly, I hear about it."
"I can do that."
"And loyalty." I hold her gaze. " To the family, to the Syndicate. If that conflicts with anything else you value, the family takes precedence."
Quinn is quiet for a moment. "I know what loyalty means in this world," she says finally. "I was raised by Ronan Delaney.”
I rise from my seat and move toward her, stopping just in front of her. I lean down until only inches separate us. "One more thing."
Her chin lifts.
"Don't mistake me being polite for me being nice." I hold her gaze. "My family has rules. This house has rules. Learn them." I straighten. "Because nobody's going to hold your hand."
She looks up at me, those big green eyes so bright and wide. "I don't need you to slow it down," she replies softly. “What about you, Lorenzo?” The way that she says my name has my stomach coiling. “You want me to be loyal to the family, to the Syndicate, but what about you?”
The smile I have on my face is anything but nice. “I accept your loyalty too, Quinn.”
“Above all else?” she asks with a raised brow.
I take a step back, needing to put some distance between us.
The door opens and Ciro appears. I glance at him. He knows better than to interrupt my meeting. I know from his face that something in the schedule has moved. He glances at Quinn, taking her in quickly before moving his gaze back to me.
"We need you," he says. "Father's call moved up."
I look at Quinn, but she’s already standing. She didn't wait for me to dismiss her. She’s read the room and is instantly on the move, smoothing her coat and preparing to leave without me saying a word.
This is a woman who knows when she's being dismissed, and doesn't wait for me to be the one to do it. She’s right, she was raised for this.
"We'll speak again before the arrangements are finalized," I say.
"Okay, Lorenzo. I’ll see you soon," she says with a small nod as she takes a step toward the door, toward Ciro.
The moment she’s at the door, I speak. “The answer to your question is, yes.”
She turns to me and smiles brightly, shaking her head and turning away. I watch her leave, knowing that my brother is doing the exact same.
“How did it go?” Ciro asks once Quinn has left.
“Fine. She knows what her duties will be and it seems as though Ronan and Bridget raised one daughter to follow the rules.”
