The waiter refills our wine. “Your appetizers are coming out now.”
Blake lifts her hair off her neck and fans herself with her palm, avoiding my gaze, but I’ve already gotten what I wanted. A confirmation that no matter what she says, she’s still attracted to me.
When the waiter leaves, she’s once again a picture of composure. “We’ve gone off topic. Let’s get back to where we started the conversation.”
“Gino’s offer.”
“You keep saying you want to protect me. Don’t you think that would be easier for you to do if you had a more senior position?”
“Maybe. But you’re assuming we can accomplish what Gino wants.” I lower my voice. “Deceiving the pakhan and his gaggle of cronies won’t be easy.”
“You don’t think you can do it?”
“I knowIcan.”
“But you doubt me.”
“You’re not exactly a master of deception, Sunshine.”
She furrows her brow. “Maybe you should have some faith in me.”
“What happened to the utter scorn you have for this entire thing? According to you, the Ferraros are criminals, and thus bad people. Why would you want to help them?”
“I don’t want to help them. I want to help you.” She takes a sip of wine and stares at me over the rim of her glass. “Despite everything, I don’t want you to suffer for the rest of your life. You’re not happy doing whatever it is Alessio has you doing.”
My chest grows tight. “You want me to be happy even after everything I’ve done to you?”
A strange emotion flickers over her features. It almost seems like guilt, but that can’t be right. What does she have to feel guilty about? I’m the one who’s fucked everything up.
“I don’t want you to die. Right now, you’re disposable. Becoming a capo would make you less so.”
“That’s true,” I mutter. “But I still don’t think you understand what you’re signing yourself up for.”
“Vita gave me a good overview. And she said we’d spend two weeks getting ready. If I feel like I’m in over my head at any point, I can pause things.”
The appetizers arrive. I barely taste the antipasti as I think about what she’s proposing.
Getting promoted to capo would be a hell of an improvement to my current situation—that much is undeniable. It would get me out of Alessio’s “palace” and give me power in the Ferraro family. It would get me a crew. A crew whose loyalty I can develop with time and who could help me safeguard Blake.
But the truth is, she’s already safe. The Iron Raptors aren’t a threat here, and the Ferraros have made it clear they won’t harm her.
Going through with this plot against the Bratva would be far more dangerous than leaving everything as is.
Unless the pakhan wins this war.
Unease slips beneath my skin. Is that a real possibility? Perhaps. The Bratva appear to be gaining ground in this conflict based on the bits and pieces I’ve picked up from Alessio. Gino and Vita wouldn’t have come to us for help if they had other options, would they?
But Blake doesn’t want to do this to help the Ferraros win a war.
She wants to do this to help me.
And that makes me think there’s still hope for us, no matter what she says.
I miss her.
I want her.
Not as a fucking friend. Just as fucking mine.
