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Clay’s grin grows as he says, “I thought you were going to travel. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
Needing something to distract my senses from this pointed turn in the conversation, I take a sip of my whiskey and talk around the burn. “You telling me that the moment Dad declares he’s staying, I’m allowed to fucking leave the District?”
Dad is staring at me now as he says, “I was wrong to make you feel as though you had no choice.”
Clay sets his cards down. “Iwas wrong to make you feel as though this legacy didn’t burden you. It did.”
I stop smiling. Overcome by his honesty, I just stare at him as he continues.
“I didn’t want you to leave. I wanted to watch you.Controlyou in an attempt to protect you. I was wrong to do so. I don’t own you, Xander. I couldn’t see that. So, I’ll be here when you need me, for once. And you can go wherever you want, with whomever you want.”
I lean back in my chair without a clue of what to do or say to that, either.Fuck me.When they decide to be real and raw, they go balls deep. Maybe, I don’t need to say anything. This is enough for us.
Clay takes a mouthful of his whiskey, a more generous amount than he usually allows himself unless alone. Letting himself be, just Clay, for the night, he loosens his tie.
I smile at that.
Clay continues, “I don’t own any of you, and neither does theCosa Nostra.Not while I am Don. So, I’ll ask you all a question I never thought to ask you. What do you want from this Butcher legacy, Max? Bronson?”
Max flicks a card into the centre and grabs another from the dealer’s deck. “The District is my wife’s home. Her family is here. She grew up here. So, you run this city for her, and I’ll be here when you need me.”
Bronson puffs on his third cigar like wisdom lay in smoking its port aromatics. He speaks through his exhale. “I’m a dad first, slave to Shoshanna second, gorgeous motherfucker third, but... I’m a Butcher always. And I’m here for my brothers.”
Clay raises a brow at me. “Xander?”
I lay my cards, face up, on the table: three kings, an ace, and a ten. Three of a kind. I’m not the same. I never was.
“I’ll think about it.” I consider, already pretty fucking sure I’m taking my woman and her damn toy rabbits to every inch of the globe. I’m also damn sure I’ll be back.
When the time comes to settle down, I’ll be in the District with my family. As Bronson said…
A Butcher always.
THE END
CHAPTERFORTY-SIX
kaya
EPILOGUE
During the day,Krakow is such an underrated city, but at night, when lit by low streetlamps and buzzing with people and perfumed with cuisines, it’s immeasurable.
My backpack taps my spine as Xander and I amble hand in hand through the square. The ancient Romanesque buildings circle us, a horse and cart clips and rolls along the cobblestone roads, and even though a cool breeze shifts around us, every fourth pavilion is an ice-cream parlour.
I squeeze Xander’s hand and inhale the fresh Polish air. I think Krakow is the most romantic city in the world. More so than Paris or Venice or Rome or any of the other stunning cities we have visited in the last two months.
Krakow square is the one.
Under the café lit lamps, we stop to set a scene in front of St Mary’s Basilica. The hub of Krakow may be small in comparison to other cities, but the vibe is reminiscent of a busy medieval market square. Cafés line the streets. Low lamps border and guide. There is very little modern technology or reminders that we are in the 21stcentury. I could easily forget.
I slide my backpack from my shoulder and reach inside, flutters of excitement rush through me as I remove my brand-new Canon.Damn, it’s pretty.
I haven’t used it yet. I woke up this morning, like most mornings, to Xander’s body on top of mine and his cock already sliding inside me. After we had both come, twice, he sat beside me on the hotel bed and gifted me this camera.
But I want the first image snapped to be a special one. This is the perfect space. The vibe outside St Mary’s is everything. The lighting is soft and amorous. The tone of Krakow in the evening is rich with the wavering notes of chatter and the percussive sound of horses’ hooves.
Turning the camera over in my hands, I look at all the complicated buttons, some of which I understand, and others I’ll need to experiment with. For that, I have YouTube. I’ve learned so much by watching free photography courses online while in transit—on a coach, plane, or train. And it has meant we haven’t had to stop. We keep moving. From city to city. I keep learning, Xander keeps busy—we are free.
