AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I want to kill him for thinking he has control over me.
“What is it?” Rosie asks, placing her hand on my shoulder.
“He knows you’re here and he thinks he knows you killed one of his men. What he doesn’t know is that you have the stone. He thinks those are two separate people, so we can always say you didn’t do it. He has no proof otherwise. I don’t know how he would have found out it was you. I’ve made sure your name has stayed clean. He wants to meet.”
“Then let’s meet him.”
A rumble in my chest forms. “Get rid of the body,” I order, snagging Rosie’s arm with my hand as I force her out of the room.
When we are far enough away, I duck us into a room down the hall, so we are nowhere near the men or the body.
“We are not going to this meeting. You are not going to see him,” I state, leaving no room for argument.
“Is that right?”
But my wife always finds room for argument.
Chapter Twenty-One
Rosie
If there is one thing he knows I do not like or appreciate it is when someone tells me what to do.
“You are staying here. Where it is safe and protected. I won’t take a chance.”
“And what will you do when he asks where I am? He wants to see me. He wants to meet with both of us. This could be our chance to really get him out of our lives.”
“It isn’t that simple. He knows you killed one of his own and he won’t trust me now when it comes to the diamond because if I lied to him about that, who knows what else I’ve lied to him about. I don’t care if I lied to him. His alliance means shit to me. And we still have to assume it was him at the airstrip. So he knows your brother took the diamond. If he knows that, there is no way in hell I’m letting you near Bianchi. There’s no way in hell that is happening. You’re staying here and you won’t be leaving until this issue is taken care of.”
“I am not going to be kept here like some prisoner after all the progress we have made. I’m going.”
“You are infuriating!” he shouts at me. “You will be in danger. I won’t allow it.”
“I’m in danger anyway! He knows I’m here. He knows who my brother is. He knows I’m yours and that’s enough for him to wage war, right? I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me.”
“My men know their job. They need to protect you. They know what they sign up for when they work for me.”
“Do not be so careless with them. That isn’t fair and they don’t deserve that. I’ll be okay. I’ll be with you. You won’t let anything happen to me,” I say, lowering my voice when I speak the truth. “Not taking me will cause conflict.”
“And taking you could get you killed.” He shakes his head. “No. You’re staying here.”
“Why? Why are you being like this? Just let me go. It will only help you more.”
“Because I can’t lose you!” he shouts so loud, there’s no doubt his men on the other side of the door can’t hear us. “I just got you. I just got you to let down your guard and let me in. This is the first time that you’ve felt like you are mine. I can’t lose you.”
“Ari—” I say his name on a broken whisper, his words warming my chest.
“—You’re staying. I don’t care if it makes you hate me. I’ve brought down your walls once and I’ll do it a hundred times.” He opens the door, then slams it shut behind him. The force shakes the wall and the ground beneath my feet.
I take a moment to collect myself, to calm down, but I won’t be left out of this. He needs me. I open the door and follow him, stalking down the hall until I run into Gianni. “Where is he?” I ask him through clenched teeth.
“Upstairs. His word is law, Rosie. He won’t change his mind.”
“Yeah, we’ll see about that.” I run, skimming my hands along the wall as I climb up the stairs. “Ari! We are not done talking about this.”
“We are done,” he says from his office.
I march inside to see him opening a case that’s full of weapons. I glance to the other side of the room to see a wall that’s covered in knives, different shapes, and sizes.
