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I watch as Ettore takes his son's body and leaves.
I watch as Ivan nods and he leaves with Evgenii.
He doesn’t look in my direction at all as he, Ivan, and members of their family file out past me. I feel like someone has grabbed my heart and was squeezing it slowly. My head spins as I watch Evgenii’s retreating back.
I jump slightly as I feel someone touch my shoulder, and I look up at Alessandro. “Are you okay?” he asks gently.
I shrug, trying to be more casual than I probably feel, “I’m fine, all in a day's business.”
He pulls me into a hug, and then everyone surrounds me, telling me how they’re happy that I’m okay and that I’m back with them. That I’m their family and they love me. We’re not normally an emotionally vulnerable family like this, and it takes my breath away to realize how much I’m loved. Dominic pulls me into a hug, and so does Frankie, and then Katya and Arianna wrap their arms around me and hold me tightly.
“Oh, Shirley,” I hear Mom’s voice being me and turn. She comes to me and hugs me. “I’m so happy you’re okay. We would be devastated if anything happened to you.”
Dad also comes in and wraps his arms around me. “We would be broken, my child,” he says quietly, kissing my forehead.
Alessandro watches us and then invites me to sit with him when everyone has filed out of the room.
“I knew you’d come for me,” I say quietly, looking at him. “I never doubted it.”
“I thought Evgenii was going to take my and Ivan’s heads off at one point.” I look away as he mentions Evgenii’s name, and he sighs. “I’m sorry I told him about the baby. It was an honest mistake. I didn’t mean to.”
I smile and look back at him. “It’s okay. You don’t have to worry about it. I’ve already told him I don’t want him in the child’s life and that I’ll be making plans to raise the baby back on the West Coast.”
He nods, but I can see the sadness in his eyes. “What about your baby? What will you tell them when they ask about their father?”
I shake my head. “I don’t want to think about it right now. There’s still time to sort out the details.”
He hesitates, something he doesn’t often do, but I quickly interject. “Please don’t. I don’t want anyone's advice, just their support.”
He nods. “Of course, Shirls. I’d do anything for you.
***
I look out the window as we drive through the city. I feel at peace with my decisions, and I’ll be glad when I can go home. Pierce is excited to see me and somewhat pissed that I didn’t tell him I was pregnant or kidnapped and that he found out from Dominic. He’s ecstatic to be an uncle and is already suggesting baby names.
The car stops, and I look up at the offices of the Pacheco family. I look at Alessandro, who nods, so I get out of the car with my briefcase. Alessandro, Katya, and Frankie have joined me today for the proposal as support and protection. There are also four guards with us, just in case. When we walk into the boardroom, I see that Ivan, Evgenii, and their family and guards are already there.
We take our seats, and Don Pacheco is wheeled in on his wheelchair and sits at the head of the table.
Evgenii reaches into his briefcase and pulls out a US letter-sized brown manilla envelope. He hands it to Ivan because, respectfully, Ivan should hand the proposal over to Don Pacheco. I take mine out and give it to Alessandro. Alessandro looks at me. It’s a strange look I can’t place. Then he glances at Ivan and slides our envelope over to Don Pacheco.
Ettore Pacheco opens each envelope and reads over them, he looks somewhat surprised at something on Volkov’s proposal. I’m slightly worried that Evgenii changed his proposal because I cut ties with him. It hadn’t occurred to me yesterday.
Shit.
He lays the proposals face down and nods. “I have chosen to accept the proposal from Don Sorvino and his family.”
We all smile at each other. Alessandro stands and shakes Ivan’s hand. “Thank you.”
Ettore claps his hands. “We have prepared a feast for celebrations, so please sit.”
Everyone retakes their seats, and the doors open. Platters of food are set down on the table, and champagne and wine are brought out. There is no animosity between the family members as they chat with each other, as though we weren’t battling for a powerful territory that puts us one over the Volkovs. I wonder briefly what they proposed.
I’m happy, though. I eat food and stick to soda water as I chat with Arianna and Katya about Arianna’s pending wedding. Vaguely I hear Ivan, Alessandro, and Ettore talking next to me as they sign the proposal.
Ettore reads off some of the things I’ve put in my proposal, and I look at Evgenii to see the look of utter betrayal on his face. I try to keep my look neutral as he glowers at me. I knew he’d be upset, but he looks livid.
Good, now he knows how I feel.
