“As I said, I am not a good person.”
“And asIsaid, we don’t judge others by the things they’ve been forced to do to survive,” Carter growls, getting her attention. “I vote that we help Rosalia Domino. Anyone against this?”
The backyard is so silent. The only noises are the birds chirping and the wind ruffling the branches of the trees.
“Please continue, Verona, with your plan.”
My lips twitch at how well Carter wrestled the conversation back on track, and I begin to explain. The faster I can get Rosa out of here, the better.
“Every year, Renzo chooses a charity ball to attend to remind the city he exists. What if we throw one, while inviting every adult Accetta member. He doesn’t pay attention to what the family does unless there’s a reason. One event, one mass gravesite.”
“Efficient,” Cassidy muses. “I can begin telling people about the event in the different circles I’m in. We can turn it into the event of the year. However, if they’re the only ones who show up, they may get suspicious.”
“We need an event space where we can herd them into an enclosed area,” Cooper rumbles.
“I can be the bait,” Rosa says resignedly.
“Wait. We only use bait when they’re capable of defending themselves. You’re not wearing a single weapon today, are you?” Easton asks, shifting uncomfortably. “You’re clearly lethal. Is there a reason for that?”
My girl glances at Nico and blinks blankly at him, putting him in the hot spot.
“That’s my oversight,” he winces. “Fuck, Rosa. Way to throw me under the bus.”
“I don’t feel well, and that lowers the level of bullshit I’m capable of dealing with,mio dolce marito.I’m much less likely tokill myself when my life is tied to Vero’s, and I’m going through all of this trouble to live. Use your brain,stronzo.”
“Fix your oversight,” Cassidy says, pulling a gun from a holster at her back and standing. She places it in front of Rosa without touching her and then returns to her seat.
“Thank you,” Rosa whispers, her lips trembling with emotion from the gesture of goodwill. Standing, she picks up the weapon and returns to her seat, blinking rapidly.
This is more than just about giving her a weapon. It’s safety, as well as the acknowledgment that Cassidy doesn’t believe she’s a threat to them. Nico basically crippled Rosa by not allowing her to defend herself, and he doesn’t even fully understand it.
Though, the way he’s staring at her shows he’s starting to.
The next hour flies by as we plan, but Rosa continues to decline. Searching through the bond, I can tell she’s forcing herself to stay present, and unfortunately that means self harm. Her inner palms are going to be full of half moon indentions from her nails by the end of this meeting.
“I smell blood,” someone says under their breath and Rosa guiltily opens her hands.
“I very much appreciate that you’re all very busy, and getting six packs of people together in one space must be a nightmare,” she says, her voice cracking.
“It’s not that hard,” Silas says. “We have enough to run with, and the rest can be done through texts. We’ll exchange numbers.”
“I don’t have a phone,” Rosa explains. “I’m sure Nico can handle this.”
Too many pairs of eyes fall on Nico and his brothers and Dario sighs.
“I’m aware of how this looks,” Dario says, trying to defuse the situation. “We’ve had a hell of a week changing locations, making sure no one dies, and settling into a city that we don’tlive in. Verona and Rosalia both almost died after the wedding, and we haven’t had a chance to replace either of their phones. I will fix that immediately.”
“You can’t rescue someone from one situation simply to shove them into another cage,” Nina says, standing as she crosses her arms over her chest. “The three of you are sitting across the yard from her, while she insults you. If you were truly her pack, you’d be on her side. This isn’t a marriage of love, is it?”
No one glances at me, which means I’m not on their shit lists. While I’m sitting away from Rosa to give her space due to her unbridled ability to deal with her new sense of smell, we all know the Domino family simply doesn’t understand how to act around her.
They don’t know how to read her cues, and they definitely don’t have the benefit of a bond with her. I’d much prefer not to share her, however, I don’t think that’ll be possible down the line.
“Don Accetta sold his daughter to me,” Nico admits. “However, I’ve done everything in my power to get her away from him.”
“Do you want a cookie now or later?” Nina asks, making Silas chuckle under his breath. “Try a little harder, or I suggest Rosa get a divorce.”
“I can do that?” she asks, as if it hasn’t occurred to her. Even now, she’s used to men telling her what to do.
