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Kieran pins us with a serious stare. “Stay out of trouble. Both of you.”
“I will be supervising my father and Delaney then,” Cameron says.
I hang up, a smile still plastered on my face. Their friendship, their brotherhood, gives me meaning, a compass pointing home, because even monsters need to be tethered to something good. I stare once again at my hands, the hands of a monster, a murderer, a mob boss. It hits me right now how far I’ve sunk because these hands will taint every inch of my bride and I will enjoy every minute of it.
I tap on Bertinelli’s name. “I am calling to invite your family over for a family dinner.”
“That’s thoughtful of you. When?”
“Next Saturday.”
“We’ll be there.”
I hang up and call my mother.
“I just invited the Bertinellis for dinner next Saturday.”
“I never thought I would see the day my boy is so taken with a girl.”
I grumble. “It’s not about that.”
“If you say so,” my mother says with a knowing smile.
“Mother.”
“Shh, I know your demons, and they need light, and she might just guide you through these times.”
I ponder on how my father has found balance in his life. My mother is still sheltered, but he tells her the truth when she asks. The question remains, what will I choose to do? And if Chiara’s my light, then doesn’t light kill the darkness? I laugh, realizing she’s threatened to kill me every time we talk. I wonder how my mother would react if she knew that. That’s definitely better left between us.
“See you next week.”
“Take care and come back to us safely.”
I will because I don’t have a choice but to stay alive. I am not searching for death, or absolution, but even I know when the former comes, I can kiss the latter goodbye. There is a very nice spot for me in hell. Even there, I will remain a king. My soul would never deign to be anything but at the top of the chain of power.
Leaving the warehouse, I climb into my car, driving home. I park and take the private elevator to my penthouse. The city lights reflect off the floor-to-ceiling windows. A vast empire demands delegating. Perhaps this is how it should be—each of us ruling over specific parts, united by a bond. It’s easier that way.
Knowing one thing is bad, but excusing it by ignoring it, so you can have peace of mind is another. Fact is, I am a businessman. My family has investments in everything. That is why I am unstoppable. That is why they come to me and not vice versa. Everything is strategically planned and serves a higher purpose.
I drag myself into the bed, passing out.
Chapter 9
My mother steps inside my room, and I peer over my shoulder. Her eyebrows scrunch together as she moves closer and picks up the bracelet I made earlier. I freeze. No doubt she’ll think it’s stupid.
“I have never seen something quite like this. I didn’t even know you could do this.”
Sadness covers her delicate face, and I shrug.
“I started it in school, and it stuck with me.”
“You’ll need an anchor. I am glad you found yours.”
“What was yours?”
“I didn’t need one.”
How can she praise me one moment and make me feel weak the next? At the backhanded compliment, I purse my lips. “It’s a passion, not an anchor.”
