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“It’s okay,” I told her, moving my arm behind my back and reaching for her hand. She placed her palm against mine immediately, our fingers intertwining, fitting against my hand like it was the missing piece—shewas the missing piece I’d gone my entire life without, but now that I’d found her, there was no way I was letting go. She didn’t know that yet, and neither did anyone else. But they’d find out soon enough. I’d doanythingto keep her near me.
“I have Bailey,” I told Lorenzo. “Call Mr. Blue.”
“You have his niece?” Lorenzo asked, taking a step toward us. “How the…what the fuck?”
I waved my hand in front of us all, my gaze slipping to my father’s and then back to Lorenzo. “I’ll explain inside.”
Lorenzo blinked, backing up and heading through the doorway. I must have really caught him off guard if he wasn’t going to say anything to that.
Dante followed behind him, and even from out here, I could tell they were heading toward the office. It was the moment of truth. The moment where I had to confess everything that I’d done. I couldn’t keep secrets like that, not from my boss. Secrets and lies were what killed organizations like ours, the trust evaporating before our very eyes. And I refused to allow that to happen to us. I’d be honest and upfront, but only because I’d gotten her out now.
I wouldn’t apologize for sneaking around and going behind Lorenzo’s back. And I’d tell him just that as soon as I was in his office.
“Take a breath,” I murmured to Bailey and I felt her chest heave against my back a second before I stepped forward, bringing her with me.
Each step felt like I was climbing a mountain with a rucksack that weighed a ton, but the closer to my father I got, the more confident I felt. His usual neutral expression was gone, replaced with something that looked like pride, but…that couldn’t be right. Not coming frommyfather.
I shook my head as we stepped through the doorway and into the bright light.
“Dad, this is Bailey.” I halted and closed the door behind us, bringing Bailey to my side with her hand still clutched inside mine. “Bailey”—I softened my voice as I spoke to her—“this is my father, Antonio.”
“N-nice to meet you?” Bailey whispered, pressing closer to me. I hated that she was so scared, but I wouldn’t deny that I loved the fact she was relying on me to keep her safe.
“You too,” my father replied, a softness to his voice that I only ever heard when he was talking to my mom.
“Romeo!” Lorenzo snapped. “In here, now.”
My muscles tensed, my hand tightening around Bailey’s. There was no way she didn’t sense my reaction to Lorenzo’s command. It was true what I’d told her on the way here, shewasobservant.
“You go,” my father said, stepping toward us. “I’ll watch over Bailey.”
I shook my head, not even bothering to reply to that as I pulled her toward Lorenzo’s office. I knew she wouldn’t be able to come inside, and that was fine, but she’d be where I could still see her. “Sit here,” I told her, pausing outside the office and pointing to the bench seat that Lorenzo kept there. “Don’t move.” It was a warning but also a command.
She nodded, slowly lowering herself onto the wooden seat, her gaze not leaving mine. I hated the sorrow I could see shining in her eyes, hated how I was part of the cause of that. I’d never be able to make it right with her, never be able to get her to see me as anything more than the man who had stolen her virginity. But that didn’t matter because I’d made a promise to myself to protect her, and if that meant confessing my sins, I’d do it over and over again to make sure that she was safe.
Taking a deep breath, I glanced at my father who stood five feet away. He didn’t intend to move far, and even though I didn’t understand why he’d even come here, there would be no argument from me for another pair of eyes to watch over Bailey.
I stepped inside Lorenzo’s office, making my way to the arm of the sofa and perching myself on it, creating a direct line of sight to Bailey.
“I’ve called Mr. Blue. He said he’ll be here in fifteen minutes.”
I nodded, pushing my hands into the front pockets of my jeans. I had to bite the bullet from the jump, not giving myself a chance to talk around it. “There’s something I’ve been keeping from you,” I told Lorenzo who raised a brow in reaction, his hand reaching out to close the door but I shook my head. “Keep it open,” I demanded.
Bailey’s eyes were wide, her back ramrod straight against the wall. She was on edge, just like I was. Lorenzo tilted his head, narrowing his eyes, but he didn’t reply as he stepped away from the open door, leaving Bailey in full view.
“How about you start from the beginning?” Lorenzo said, moving over to his desk and sitting behind it. I turned to face him but kept part of my body twisted toward the door. “Because from where I’m sitting, Romeo, you’ve been keeping a hell of a lot from us.”
Inhaling a deep breath, I opened my mouth and told him everything, starting with the worst thing: what I’d done to Bailey. “I didn’t know it was her until it was too late.” My voice was as rough as sandpaper, my throat dry as I thought about what I’d done to her. “Gio was setting me up, I fuckin’ knew that, but there was nothing I could do if I wanted to keep my cover.”
“The fuck?” Dante fumed, taking two threatening steps toward me. “You could have said fuck no and walked the hell out of there!”
“Really?” I twisted my head around to face him. “And if I would have come back here and told you that, you would have been okay with it?” I paused as he opened his mouth, but I was done defending myself. “He’s selling them like they’re goddamn cattle!” My voice was a roar as I stood up, not able to contain my rage. “I couldn’t just do nothing.”
“You could have not fuckin’ raped her!” Dante fumed back, jabbing his finger in the air toward the open door.
My breaths were heavy, my chest heaving at the truth he spat at me. It wasn’t anything that I hadn’t already told myself anyway, but hearing it out loud, just about destroyed me.
“Fuck!” I screamed, letting my head drop back as my entire body tensed so much I felt like a goddamn statue. “Fuck,” I repeated, over and over again. I didn’t know how they’d react, and even though Iknewthis was coming—I’d known since that first night—it didn’t make it any easier.
