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I rolled my eyes as Marcel walked out of the apartment. He wanted to be an ass, and I was going to let him. I wanted to be mayor, and a few months ago, I didn’t think that I would ever want anything more than that. But as I got to know Annie, I knew that I wanted something more.
I smiled once more as I thought about her. I knew that my father would have loved her, and it made me both sad and happy to think about him.
For the first time in a long time, I was happy, and if I didn’t become mayor, I would still be happy.
At least, that was what I told myself.
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
A small drip of nervous sweat dripped down my back, and I felt as though I was going to pass out. “This office is insanely warm,” I commented to Rome. He’d called my father an hour ago asking him to come immediately.
The hour had been tortured, especially because Rome and I had been sitting in silence, each one of us lost in our thoughts. “I would have come back,” I said.
Rome snorted. “No,” he told me. “You wouldn’t have.”
I shook my head. Maybe a few months ago I would have run as far and as fast as I could if anyone had even spoken my father’s name, but things were different now. “I would do whatever was necessary in order to get Ezra the money that he needs.” It sounded odd to say that in front of Rome. I hadn’t even told Julia how I felt about Ezra. Hell, I wasn’t even sure how I felt.
“I hope that Wright appreciates the sacrifice that you are making for him.”
The thought of Ezra knowing anything about what I was doing nearly made me throw up on Rome’s expensive carpet.
“Ezra can’t ever know about this.” If Ezra knew about my father, he would never speak to me again. Of that, I was sure. He hated the Bratva with good reason and knowing that I was born into that would make it impossible for him to be with me.
Joseph opened his mouth to speak, but he snapped it shut as a knock sounded on the door.
My father had arrived.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
I couldn’t speak, so I just nodded.
“You can still get out of this.”
A part of me wanted to do just that. Once my father saw me, he was never going to let me go. But what my father was about to find out was that I had changed. I wasn’t the girl who had once followed every single order he’d given me without question. The girl had died in that ditch, and in her place was a woman who was not going to give up the life that she had worked so hard to create.
“Open the door,” I commanded. My father wouldn’t wait much longer. If I knew him, he would be charging in after a few moments, and I didn’t want to get Rome in that sort of trouble.
I stayed in the chair as Rome opened the door. My back was to the door, which I appreciated. It gave me some time to try and catch my breath as my father came into the room.
“What is it that you want Rome?”
I stiffened at the sound of my father’s voice. It was stern as ever, and it reminded me of all the times he had scolded me as a kid.
“I have someone here who would like to see you,” Rome said. I appreciated his calmness. I didn’t know how I felt about Rome. He was a son of a bitch who lorded his power all through the city, but he’d also been willing to keep my secret, and he wasn’t cowering to my father, which I appreciated.
“How dare you,” my father said. He sounded more angry than normal, which gave me pause. Rome had told me that my father had changed, but I hadn’t believed it. Now, I wondered if I had been too quick to dismiss Rome’s words. My father kept a cool head in all things, which had served him well. But he didn’t sound cool now.
“Do you think I’m an idiot? I know that you think…” he trailed off as I stood up.
The first thing that I noticed was how old my father looked. His hair was completely gray at this point, and there were more than a few extra wrinkles around his eyes. There were dark circles as well, which added to the overall look of exhaustion on his face.
“Anastasia?” he asked. His voice was barely above a whisper as he spoke. He walked tentatively towards me. It was almost as though he thought I was a ghost that would disappear if he came towards me too quickly.
It almost made me feel terrible. Almost.
“Hello, Papa.” It felt weird to speak to him and even odder to be so close.
“You’re alive.” His words were somehow a mixture between a statement and a question, and I wasn’t sure what to say next. Luckily, I didn’t have to.
