He chuckled sadly at that.
“So what have you guys found?” I asked. “We’ve barely seen one another.”
“Nothing.” E took a deep drink and sighed. “Not a fucking thing. She’s just… vanished. It reminds me of the last time she disappeared, but this time, Dante Church definitely doesn’t have her, and that somehow scares me even more.”
“I know.” I rubbed my eyes. “Cole has lost it. He barely comes home. In fact, I don’t think he did the last three nights.”
“Old house?” E asked knowingly.
“That or he’s out on the streets. Or at the hospital. He’s told me to fuck off a few times when I call him, so I know he’s mad at me.” I sighed. “Blames me for losing her.”
“He shouldn’t blame you. This was all because of me?—”
“E, man. Stop,” I said. “You’re in a good place now. Let’s leave you there, OK? I knew what I was doing when I did it. I knew there would be consequences. I accepted those. But fuck, man, what I wouldn’t give to have Fox with us yet. I’d trade this fucking life for him. I’d leave the mob behind, just like he wanted, if he walked back through our front door.”
“Maybe we should go see his grave tomorrow,” E murmured. “Put some flowers on it. Talk to him.”
I nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, that seems like a good idea.”
We sat in silence for a long time before E broke it.
“Klaus is an interesting guy.”
“Yeah? From everything I know about him, he’s an asshole.”
E nodded. “He’s definitely an asshole, but he knows what he’s doing. Walking into any place in this city with him is wild. People immediately cower. It’s like walking in with you.” He shot me a quick smile.
I chuckled at that and drank more.
“So…” I stared at E, wanting to ask but not knowing how.
“Don’t hurt your own feelings, man,” E said gently. “Just know she is loved and cared for.”
I swallowed hard. If she ended up with fucking Klaus Seeley…
Goddamnit.
That would be a major slap in the face. Of course, Anson already was the slap I’d waited years for, but this? Cole would be livid.
I’d have to call Levin and have a chat with him. He said nothing was going on with them. On the other hand, did it matter? E said she was loved and cared for, and wasn’t that what I’d always wanted for her?
I exhaled and smiled at E.
Fuck it. I was done with Rosalie, anyway. I cared about her well-being and safety, but she’d moved on just as I wanted, and so it was over.
This was a good thing, even though it was shredding my soul to pieces.
“Good. I’m glad Anson is taking care of her. Well, mostly because he seems to have fucked up and now she’s missing.”
E nodded and drank again.
“What else?” I asked.
“There’s nothing else, man. I just want her to come home.”
“Me too,” I murmured. “Aside from her being missing, does Anson seem like he loves her? That… she’s not being used by him?”
“He loves her. You know he does. He always has. There’s no question in my mind about him. Relax, brother. He’s devastated that she’s gone. He loves her beyond question.”
