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“I don’t know what you want me to do, Aiden. I’m not a doctor. I don’t know how to handle someone with her medical condition.”
“Luca doesn’t know what she needs,” he said with desperation in his tone. “He makes Alex the worst version of herself. She could get better if she were with someone else.”
I lifted an eyebrow at him. “You think I can do a better job?”
“I know you can.”
“Nothing will happen to you,” I said to dismiss his fears.
He shook his head, and untamed blond curls fell in front of his clear blue eyes. “What I’m doing for the Knights is dangerous.” Aiden sank back against the leather chair and pushed the hair off his forehead. “There’s a chance I won’t come back from initiation. So I need you to promise you’ll help her. She likes you, Marcello. I know she does. And if anyone can bring her back from the dead, it’s you.”
“I promise,” I said and meant it.
As Alex continued running her fingers down my arm, she snapped me out of my memory of the past. I made a promise to her brother, one I intended to keep.
But I also made a promise to Luca.
A marriage was nothing more than a piece of paper, a legal transaction. She still belonged to all of us. In the end, she would still be a Salvatore.
I knew what I had to do.
Alex looked into my eyes as if she were searching my soul. “What are you thinking about, Marcello?”
I held her gaze. “You.”
Always you.
Ifound Alex in Marcello’s bed, sound asleep, with her arm across his chest. She was still babying Marcello. Whenever she passed out, Marcello left her with a guard just so he could feel normal again.
“She keeps you on lockdown,” I joked as I sat in the armchair beside the bed. “When are you going to tell her you’re fine and don’t need to be coddled?”
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I’ve tried to tell her a dozen times. She’s got it in her head that I’m gong to die if I leave this room.” His fingers glided up and down her arm as he stared down at her. “It makes her happy. And I’m not yet cleared for field work, anyway.”
“Wellington said you can go back to work.”
“Light work,” he corrected. “Basic training and surveillance. None of the shit I actually want to do.”
“You can’t leave for any missions with the criminal underworld looking for Alex. The bounty is up to five million dollars now. Desperate people will do desperate things.”
“Yeah.” He bit the inside of his cheek and looked out the patio doors that were wide open. A breeze blew through the room, and along with it, the scent of the bay. “Has Luca heard from Dante? Any new leads from the Five Families?”
I shook my head. “The Russians went underground after we sent back the heads of their higher ups.”
“I can’t believe Luca had special boxes made just to deliver their heads.” He laughed. “What an asshole.”
“What a waste of money,” I shot back. “He spared no expense. Made a real fucking show of it.”
I had billions of dollars at my disposal, but I didn’t waste money on shit I couldn’t write off.
Marcello rolled onto his side and lowered his voice, so he wouldn’t disturb Alex. “What are we doing for Luca’s birthday?”
She’d been sleeping a lot over the past few weeks. Even more than Marcello, who was on pain meds half the time.
“You know Luca. His usual antics.” I rose from the chair and smirked. “He’s got some game planned for his birthday.”
His eyes narrowed at me. “What kind of game?”
I shrugged. “Beats me. He’s calling it Capture the Queen. Even sent out invites to the Knights. I assume it has something to do with Alex.”
