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“I think they’re full of shit. There’s a reason she’s in that position and not you.”
“That there is. Katerina has balls of steel, much bigger than yours or mine.”
“I doubt that,” Christian says on a smile.
Rico chuckles and almost immediately the tension in the room dissipates.
That was smart of him. To pinpoint that Rico was still wound up tight and try to calm him down. He’s good with people, which is kind of annoying because I’m relatively not. I’m great at negotiation, using my head but when it comes to connecting with people, I’m far less equipped.
“So Katerina, why don’t you tell me how you single handedly prevented a war from breaking out between your family and the De Lucas?” Christian asks.
I smile, “Well I wouldn’t say single handedly…”
We spend the next hour trading stories and just talking and while Christian can be a bit dry, he’s also intelligent and charming. By the time he leaves with his son, we’re able to greet each other good bye with a warm handshake and a promise to keep in touch. I even manage to sneak in a suggestion that we could engage in future business negotiations which he doesn’t seem too against.
Once we’re gone, I have dinner with Xander, Nate and Rico. And it’s honestly the first time I’ve felt at peace in the time since the start of all our problems. It’s also the first good dinner I’ve had in a long time. The last time I felt so at peace while eating was when I ate dinner at my sister’s home.
Thoughts of my sister leads to an uneasy sick feeling residing in my gut. On the way home, Rico and I decide it might be time to check in on her and see if she’s ready to see me. Unfortunately, she is not. Anthony follows us back to the car when we’re denied entry, his face apologetic.
“She’s really not taking this well, Katerina. I’ve never seen her this upset,” he says gently.
Something twists in my gut. “I just wish she would talk to me.”
Tony rubs the back of his neck seemingly uncomfortable.
“Yeah, I think she needs to talk to you too. At least for an explanation. But if I’m being honest, cognata, this is kind of a huge deal. Take it from me, a person that had to suffer because someone I trusted and loved kept such a huge secret from me for most of my life. She has every right to be feel hurt.”
Guilt hits me like a bucket of ice. I swallow a deep breath.
“I know. Just… tell her that I’m here. Whenever she’s ready to yell at me, I’ll be ready too.”
“I will. And take care of yourself. Be safe.”
I offer my brother in law a smile. It’s times like this that I can understand why my sister fell so in love with him. He’s dependable, like a solid rock. Always there for you even when you don’t want him to be.
“Yeah, I will. Bye, Tony.”
“Bye,” he tells me, offering Rico a short nod. “See you around, man.”
A part of me keeps wishing Sophia will show up outside and stop me as we leave the house. That part of me is the one that thrives on hopeless dreams and impossible wishes. The one part of myself I can’t seem to get rid of no matter how hard I try.
CHAPTER 22
Xander
Two weeks after the story being released to the public, I decide enough time has passed in between that Nate can return to school. I only stopped him from going because I know kids can sometimes be cruel and I was worried about what his peers might say about the truth being brought to light.
My brave son however assured me that he could handle it because he’s got a great best friend by his side who will take care of anyone that says anything wrong to him. And if there’s one thing I’m glad for, it’s that Nate found a friend in Daniel D’Angelo.
My fingers tap against the steering wheel as I drive away from the private school heading quite literally wherever my drive takes me. It’s suddenly hitting me that I’m thirty one years old and unemployed. Working at Steele industries is all I’ve known my entire life. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss it. I gave my all to that company. Not only because it was my families but because computers and gadgets is all I’ve known since I was a little boy. It’s all I’m good at. And now that it’s all potentially slipped out of my grasp, it’s hard not to feel a little lost.
New York’s a charming place. It’s a city that’s always on the move, everyone has somewhere to be, something to do. It gives of an aura that motivates you because it’s clear that if you don’t find your own path or forge one, you’ll be lost in the dirt. It’s very easy to lose yourself in a place like this. Everyone’s working hard at their dreams. But there’s people who have no dreams, people just hoping to survive.
Despite my family’s deep rooted issues, I’ve never worked hard a day to survive in my life.
So what the hell am I doing here?
The answer comes in the form of a phone call from Katerina. It comes right as I’m pulling over at the parking lot of a huge mall. I smile to myself, glad that seeing her name flash across my skin doesn’t give me the same feeling of trepidation it would have weeks ago. It’s progress.
