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Confused by his encouragement, I was at a loss for words. He seemed far too amused by the situation, as if I didn’t put myself in a dangerous position just to make it happen. Trying to keep up with him, I murmured, “I didn’t have a wife of my own yet and I figured I might as well make the most of it.”
He nodded as if he understood completely, but his next words hit with a hint of accusation. “Other than being married to one of them, you don’t happen to have any possible associations with the Levovs, correct?”
Caught off-guard again, I found myself almost scrambling to find a defense for myself. To prove to him that I wasn’t with them. I needed to protect myself since being married to Anastasia would certainly raise some warning flags in his eyes.
That amusement slipped from his features then as he looked at me more intensely than before. “Because if you did, we would have ourselves a real problem.”
More than aware of what that meant, and what the consequences would surely entail if it were true, no part of me was willing to admit I had even been near them, let alone spoke with Yaro and Vik.
That pressure was immediate, and there was no way to ignore its presence. It didn’t help that Yaro’s ultimatum was still fresh in my mind, and I had to carry that worry with me everywhere I went.
“Beyond marrying Anastasia, I don’t have any associations with the Levovs,” I said, sure to speak with plenty of conviction. I didn’t need him questioning my intentions moving forward. “My loyalty lies with the Capris name.”
Even if I managed to speak confidently enough, my heart was pounding in my chest. Being an enemy of both the Levovs and Erasmo sounded far from ideal.
My loyalty had never been more of a mess before. For Anastasia’s sake, I didn’t want to work against her family. And yet, if I gave up the Caprises, I would find myself with a target on my back, and my coworkers would have no choice but to hunt me down. No matter how they felt about it, if Erasmo asked it of them, they would have to comply or risk finding themselves in the same boat as me.
Erasmo watched me with a critical eye, seeming apprehensive. He was measuring me, likely questioning if and how I was potentially lying to him. He puffed on his cigar, only to sigh on the exhale.
“Good. If that remains true, then we won’t have any issues,” he said, letting me off the hook. “I don’t have any interest in keeping traitors around me, but I’m sure you knew that.”
I nodded my understanding, urging myself to tread carefully. “Of course, sir. That’s only reasonable.”
“Congrats on the marriage, I suppose,” he said, waving his hand as if it were a given. “And keep in mind, I will have more work for you soon. Consider it a test of sorts, but I’ll give you the details when the time comes. I certainly hope it won’t be a conflict of interest for you.”
The latter comment gave me the feeling it would be exactly that, but I wasn’t prepared to let that slip. If I were to believe it might conflict with my desire to stay away from the Levovs, then I could only imagine what that job would be.
In any case, my security had to come first. Admitting such a thing directly to my boss wouldn’t end well for me.
Drawing as much conviction as I could, I stated, “There won’t be. Whatever you need me to do, I’ll be there.”
A smug smile slowly crept onto Erasmo’s face. “And that’s why I like you, kid. I knew I could count on you.”
As much as I wanted to pretend like participating in the feud on the Capris side wouldn’t harm the already sensitive ties I had to the Levovs, I already knew the opposite was true. Anything I did that was meant to provoke them would be harmful to not only her family but to Anastasia as well.
I didn’t want to be a deserter, but at the same time, I was having my doubts about being able to serve Erasmo without ruining what I had with Anastasia. Yet, I was being handed a golden opportunity for my allegiance—the very thing I had hoped for ever since I landed the job.
With a dismissive tone, as he occupied himself with his cigar, Erasmo waved me off again. “You may return to your post.”
Doing as instructed, I nodded to him, then turned and made my way back out of the VIP area. Standing next to Gabe, who was forced to be quiet despite obviously wanting to ask me what the conversation was about, my mind was reeling without any signs of stopping.
Without a doubt, I felt conflicted by the impossible choice laid out before me.
The feud with the Levovs had been relatively tame and didn’t claim as many lives as anticipated, but that would only last so long. Eventually, weapons would be drawn, and I wouldn’t be able to avoid striking. I would have to commit to one side or another.
If I were to hurt anyone from her family or take part in anyone’s death, Anastasia would hate me. It would immediately tank everything we built together, and I could kiss that dream of having a long life together goodbye.
I wouldn’t be able to blame her either, especially not after she had already warned me about their intentions. She told me from the very beginning that they wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate against me, and if it came down to it, I had every reason to believe they would.
While the situation was rocky at best, I wanted to protect Anastasia more than anything, but straddling both sides wouldn’t accomplish that.
No matter what I decided to do, I needed to handle the situation with utmost care. Anastasia deserved only the best I could offer, and to keep her in my life, I needed to keep my mind in the right place.
As dangerous as it was to work against my wife’s family, Erasmo was giving me no choice, and I’d eventually have to confront that issue head-on.
Chapter 22 - Anastasia
Since the meeting with my brothers, I felt bad for not being able to help Nik outside of using our marriage as a shield. As much as I wanted him to switch sides, I knew he was dealing with a lot of stress at once.
