Valentina never did that. Not once.That had to count for something, right?
Exhaling through my nose, I kept my eyes on the open hoo, like the machinery could help me stay calm.
“You know what tonight is,” I said. “Just me and my sisters.”
She let out a sharp, wounded whine that scraped straight down my spine. My jaw tightened, and I rolled my eyes, turning my back to the car and dragging in a slow breath through my nose.
Every single time, it turned into this. She was always testing the line, waiting to see if I’d finally choose her over them… but she knew what my answer would be. No one got between me and my family.
“I’m just saying,” she pressed, her voice pitching higher, “this is an excuse to exclude me! They hate me! Youknowthey do!”
Staring at a dark oil stain on the concrete, my teeth ground, making my jaw ache.
Hate was a strong emotion that my family didn’t hand out freely. Tolerance was their default setting, and Val lived squarely there. They put up with her because she was with me, and that was enough.
Well, everyone except Ezra.
Whatever went down their senior year of high school, the one year I wasn't there to police them, had left scars I wasn’t allowed to touch. Every time I tried to circle back, to get answers, Ezra waved it off like smoke.Not important. Focus elsewhere.So I did. Should I have pressed harder?
“That’s bullshit,” Val continued. “You’re the oldest. The heir. You should put your foot down forme. Make themrespectme!”
My shoulders sagged, and I leaned against the open hood.
That word—heir—always landed wrong. Like a coat that didn’t fit no matter how many times people tried to drape it over me.
I scrubbed a hand over my face, already feeling the headache blooming in my frontal lobe. Ezra lived for that role, second born or not. The plans, the pressure, the future of the Syndicate mapped out like a chessboard—that was where she truly thrived. I just wanted my hands dirty. Wanted to build things. Fix things. Make something real and solid andmine.
My fingers pressed into my temple, and before I could soften it, the truth slipped out clean and sharp.
“The Syndicate comes first,” I said. “This is my life. Our life. Don’t turn this into a problem because it will never be resolved the way you want it.”
The silence on the other end told me exactly where it landed.
A small, quiet “I understand” followed, and guilt hit hard and fast, settling heavy in my chest. “I’ll go out with Becka and Yasmine tonight,” she added, trying—and failing—to sound fine. “Don’t worry about me.”
Her sad, pitiful words had me groaning inwardly. I didn't want to end the conversation like this. I had to do something, anything to make it better.
“That sounds good. Why don’t you take them to La Shena?” I said quickly. “Order whatever you ladies want. Put it on my tab. Sky’s the limit.” I heard her breath hitch, so I added, “And after that, go to my table at Cerc. I’ll meet you there later, and we could spend the early morning hours together. How does that sound, baby?”
She didn’t answer right away.
My gaze drifted to my desk. To the drawer. Thoughts of the small box I’d hidden beneath a stack of papers came to mind. It was crazy, impulsive, but I thought it was about time. All the planets were aligning, and she was taking this like a champ.
An idea clicked into place.
“Hey,” I said, before I could overthink it. “This weekend—just you and me. Small trip. You pick where. We can have a few days to breathe before things get even more crazy. What do you say?”
The squeal that came through the phone was instant and ear-piercing. “Really?! Anywhere I want?!”
A smile pulled at my mouth before I could stop it.
“Anywhere, baby,” I said. “No limit. You want it, you got it.”
She exploded with excitement, talking while I worked—dreaming out loud, bouncing from beaches to mountains to cities she’d only seen on Instagram. I hummed along, tightening bolts, wiping my hands, letting her voice fill the garage. By the time we hung up, her mood was light again and the last screw slid home with a clean, final turn.
I set my phone aside, jogged around the car, dropped into the driver’s seat, and twisted the key.
The engine snarled once.
