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I shake my head firmly. “Tony Nova was not a good man, Roisin. I’d rather not live up to his reputation.”
“Is that why you let Connor run things?” she asks, her voice a mix of curiosity and contemplation.
“I’m not a leader.” I sigh softly, trying to figure out a way to put my feelings into words. “Even if I were, my name doesn’t command the same respect as Connor’s does.”
Roisin doesn’t seem satisfied with my answer. “But you’re not a Nova. You’re a Knight.”
“By virtue of my mother taking my father’s name. I still have Nova blood running through my veins.”
“I just don’t see why you would let something like that hold you back,” she says thoughtfully. “You aren’t your uncle, and I think you’d make a great leader.”
She returns to staring into the night, unaware of how much her words affected me. The weight of my family’s legacy has always felt like it was drowning me. My small rebellion, becoming an assassin instead of a mobster, only scratched the surface of my contempt.
But… a flicker of ambition and self-worth I thought had been buried for years begins to take root.
I feel a sense of gratitude welling up within me. “Thank you.”
As we stand together in the city’s dazzling embrace, her words offer a glimmer of possibility. Perhaps there could even be a version of my future where I’m happy with my lot in life.
I can’t tell her how much it means to me to hear her say that, so instead, I try to offer her a similar comfort.
“I know I’m not your favorite person, Roisin,” I begin, trying to offer her a sense of empathy. “But if you want to talk about... what happened back there…”
Her response is swift and resolute. “I don’t.”
“That’s okay.”My reassurance is just as immediate.
She hesitates, her voice betraying the emotions that lie beneath the surface. “It’s not that I don’t want to... It’s just raw.”
“It’s okay.”
“I’m sorry.”
I shake my head, wanting to ease her guilt. “You don’t need to apologize.”
“No, I mean... I haven’t exactly been treating you great.” She turns to look at me, placing a hand on my arm. “But you did what you said you would, and I appreciate that.”
I stare at her hand, where our skin touches. “You deserved to know what was going on.”
She’s quiet as her thumb traces over my arm.
Every stroke sends jolts of electricity through my body. It’s like she’s personally toying with me with such an innocent movement. She sets my entire nerve system alight. No one has ever made me feel like this, like every quiet moment we spend together is precious.
Even in those more intimate moments. The way she clung to my hair like a lifeline as I kissed her neck. Even the cardinal nature of our embraces felt impassioned. Like there would be nothing I could ever do to her that would leave me fully satisfied. That didn’t leave me craving more.
“Arnie?” she asks quietly and I force myself to look her in the eye. Praying to whatever god might listen that my face does not betray my more unsavory feelings.
But as the city’s lights cast a gentle glow upon Roisin’s features, I can’t help but be entirely captivated by her beauty. Her eyes, usually so guarded, now hold a glimmer of sincerity that draws me in. Her tousled hair, kissed by the soft evening breeze, frames her face in an artful disarray, only adding to the allure.
“You know,” she says while holding me captive in her stare. “You might be one of the only people who hasn’t lied to me.”
The stroking comes to a stop and her hand threatens to fall to her side. I instinctively grab it, holding it firmly in place.
If she’s surprised, she doesn’t show it. She simply hums and brushes a strand of hair from my eyes. The sleeve of my jacket, too long for her petite frame, falls to her elbow. I try desperately not to lean into the touch.
She bites at her lip nervously. “I’m starting to think maybe you had good intentions.”
Roisin glances at my mouth.
