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“I’ve spent my whole life living for the Orso family,” I say. “I think it’s time for that to change.”
“That leaves a bit of a power vacuum,” Threes says.
“Nora can do it,” I say immediately. “She’s already said as much. If she doesn’t want it, Antony can lead. Honestly, I don’t care. I’d trust any of you in the position.”
“What about the Ramsays?” Threes asks. “They are going to try to use this against us.”
“That will be the issue,” I say. “The Ramsays will just have to go.”
“Go? Go where?” Antony shakes his head.
“Either leave town or be eliminated,” I say. “I won’t have us constantly looking over our shoulders while we’re raising our kid. The Ramsay threat has to be eliminated, and I can’t count on them to keep their end of a bargain. In fact, I think we need to completely throw out the old treaty and start over again.”
“I agree,” Threes says. “I think it’s time to put an end to them.”
“Does it have to be like that?” Cherry asks softly.
“I’m not sure there’s an alternative,” I say. “There is too much bad blood. They can’t be trusted.”
“But why?” Cherry asks. “Can’t you just…bury the hatchet and all? You and I can be a bridge to—”
“No.” I shake my head. “Not after everything that’s happened in the past.”
“But we can drive them out of Cascade Falls once and for all,” Nora says. “It doesn’t mean we eliminate the family. We can just make them leave.”
“Why would they do that?”
“Well,” Threes says, “I think that’s actually possible. Their business isn’t doing well. I think that’s why they’ve been harassing you and Cherry. I think it’s a desperate move to take over.”
“They don’t have the numbers for that,” Antony says.
“Maybe that’s why they need Cherry on their side,” Threes says. “We don’t know if Janna and Jay know about the kid swap. Janna and Jay don’t have any heirs. It’s really just the two of them unless you count a couple of cousins or whatever.”
“Hey!” Antony smacks Threes on the back of the head. “Nothing wrong with cousins.”
“I’m all for driving them out of town,” I say, “but I don’t think that will be easy. They’d need a good reason, and we don’t have one for them.”
“What about some of the business we’ve set up in Cincinnati? Could we offer them that to leave?”
“Maybe.” All of this is starting to give me a headache. “I’m not sure that would be enough though.”
Andrea suddenly pokes her head in the office door and motions for Antony. He stands and goes to the door. I glare at Andrea, still annoyed about finding her with the pool boy over my desktop, but she ducks out with Antony right behind her before we make eye contact.
“Maybe I should stay out of this,” Cherry says.
“You’re part of this family,” Nora says. “You should know what’s going on.”
“But I’m also the one holding you back. I don’t understand how things work, and I don’t think I want to. Maybe I should leave so you can make…whatever decisions you have to make.”
“No, Cherry.” Nora takes her hand. “You have a say in what happens too. Your opinion is just as important as everyone else’s.”
The door opens again.
“Boss?” Antony says. He motions for me to join him.
I sigh and walk out into the hallway.
“We have a guest,” Antony says quietly.
