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We just have to wait for Mikhail and Enzo to come through.
“Can I speak to you?” Rosa asks and I stop, looking down into her shining blue eyes.
Zara and Luca stop by the doors.
“I’ll be out in a second,” I nod to Zara and she smiles back.
Both of them retreat, leaving me and Rosa.
“Everything okay, little thorn?”
She twiddles her thumbs nervously, which concerns me.
“Rosa?”
“We want to move back to New York, to be with our family again.”
I blow out a breath. “Of course. It’s where you both belong, Rosa.”
She looks down, holding back the tears, and I frown.
“But?”
“What if something happens to Luca? I can’t go through that again, Uncle Frankie.”
I won’t let it. I refuse to bring this girl any more pain.
“Have you spoken to Luca about this?”
“He’s been through so much, Frankie. He needs his brother to get better. I’m worried he’s going to lose it if he doesn’t.”
I can imagine he’s struggling. Especially after they lost their mother so brutally. “He needs your strength. We will look out for him, Rosa. Never doubt that he is family.”
“Is he coming back into the business?” She twists her hands nervously.
I shrug. “We haven’t discussed it. He won’t be taking control back, if that’s what you’re asking. We all know that isn’t what he wants.”
For the first time in my life, I truly do understand Luca’s utter devotion to my niece. The way he was willing to give up everything in a heartbeat for her.
I know now, Zara is my person. There isn’t a single thing on this earth I wouldn’t do for her.
“If you kill Romano, does that mean it’s safe for us to be home?”
“Yes, Rosa. I’ll make sure it’s safe for you both to return.”
She wraps her arms around me and squeezes. I freeze for a second before relaxing and returning the hug and softly stroking her back.
“You know I don’t blame you, right?” She mutters against my shoulder.
I sigh. She might not, but I do.
“I shouldn’t have let that asshole return, Rosa. I should have known something was wrong. I should have been someone you could trust to confide in. I fucked up; I am responsible for a great deal of your pain. I’ll never forgive myself.”
Fuck, I should have taken her with me ten years ago. I should have been the uncle she needed.
I can’t change the past. If I did, the glowing woman before me wouldn’t be the Rosa she is right now.
She shakes her head against my chest and releases me, wiping her tears with her sleeve.
