Chapter 148

Christian looks up at Nico, who nods. “I can confirm that,” Christian continues, still casual. “If you needed confirmation. But considering that you sent them after my wife, I’m sure that there’s not too much mystery regarding who took them out.”

There’s a long pause on the other line as Bonetti processes this information. He skips the moment in the sentence that Christian emphasized, instead focusing on what is important to him. “And did you take them out, Cristian? Or are they alive?”

“They’re alive,” Christian says, glancing up at the men duct taped to the chairs. “For now. I’d like to invite you to come and collect.”

Bonetti laughs, low and derisive. “I’m not such a fool, little boy,” he sighs, spitting out the final word like the insult it is. “If you think I’m not aware that this is simply an attention grab – that you have been trying for twenty-four hours now to get a meeting with me – then you’re more of a fool than I thought you were.”

“The meeting is in your favor, Bonetti,” Christian says, straightening up, his voice bored. “Converse to what you believe, if you take the meeting, you live. If you don’t, you die.”

“I’ll take my chances,” Bonetti replies on a sigh, equally bored. “Go ahead and kill the grunts – they are fodder, after all.”

There’s a rushing sound on the other end of the phone, like it’s being picked up, perhaps like Bonetti is about to switch it off. I clasp my hands together, my eyes moving fast to Christian’s face, wondering what happens if Bonetti simply…refuses to come.

“Take the meeting, Riccardo,” Christian says, his voice cool, pleased. The movement on the other line pauses. “The return of your men is merely an appetizer. The real thing I’m offering you tonight – besides your life – is…much, much more. Come down.”

The pause on the other line continues. “I’ll send my men.”

“No,” Christian snaps, shaking his head like Bonetti can see him. “I’ll only talk to you. End of offer. Anyone else you send I’ll kill.”

Bonetti laughs at the irony of it and then is quiet for another long moment. “You realize, Cristian, that if I show up I’m going to be coming with a great deal of firepower. I’m not risking my life for this.”

“Bring it,” Christian says with a shrug. “After all, this is a friendly meeting. As I said, if you come to the meeting, you live. That’s a promise.”

“Promises…” Bonetti murmurs, sighing. “They mean so much in this world.”

“They do when they come from me.” Christian stands straight, crossing his arms over his chest like it’s his final word, staring at the phone.

We all wait, hardly breathing, for the reply.

“Fine,” Bonetti says, incredibly casual, like he’s accepting an invitation to a picnic. “Send the coordinates. We’ll be there…an hour.”

“See you then.” Christian hangs up the phone and then gives a whoop of victory, pumping his fist in the air.

“Nicely done,” Nico murmurs, patting Christian on the shoulder.

A hesitant smile finds my lips as I look between the three men. “So, this is good? This is what we wanted?”

“This is what we wanted,” Christian replies, giving me a smile and coming to slip an arm around my shoulder. “Now we make Bonetti a gorgeous offer he has no reason to refuse and…soon it will be done.”

I exhale a long, deep breath, wrapping my arms around his waist and tugging him close. But somewhere in the back of my mind I wonder what that really means – what “it” is that we’re doing. Because I know…I know the plan.

But I definitely do not know what our lives look like after everything has gone down.

What, really, is the endgame here?

“You all right?” Christian murmurs, tucking a finger beneath my chin and tilting my face up to him.

I nod, eager to have him believe me even if I’m not sure it’s true. “Just…out of my element. As usual.”

He smiles at me and then leans forward, pressing a warm kiss to my mouth. I melt into him a little bit, trusting him completely. If Christian says it’s all right…then it will be. He hasn’t been wrong yet.

When we break away, I’m a little dizzy with love and faith. It’s going to work – I believe it now. I believe in him.

“All right,” Frankie sighs, “come on, Iris.”

Both Christian and I turn towards him with a frown. Across the room, Nico does the same. “What?” Christian asks.

“Come on,” Frankie says again, holding out a hand to me, frowning around at all of us like he, too, doesn’t get it. “We’ll go to the penthouse – you guys can meet us there when this is all finished.”

“Absolutely not,” Christian growls, pulling me closer to him. As he does I gasp and stare at Frankie, appalled. How can he think that I’d go now?

Frankie huffs a laugh, taking a step forward towards us and staring. “You’re…you’re kidding me, right?”

But when he looks at both of our faces, neither of us joking, Frankie’s mouth just falls open a little.

“Why the fuck would she go, Frankie? We’re all staying together – the two of you alone could be picked off so fucking easily!”

“Why the fuck would she stay, Christian!?” Frankie barks out, gesturing to me with an open palm as he stumbles forward a few steps. “She’s not helping anything – she’s just a fucking target! Bonetti won’t kill you – you’re fucking protected. But in his eyes, Iris is a nobody – he’ll fucking kill her to put you in your place!”

I go rigid at the thought of this, my eyes flaring – because Bonetti? I’m well aware that he’s capable of that.

“The whole fucking point of this, Frank,” Christian growls, pulling me closer, “is to establish me as the head of my family. And you can’t be the head of a family without a wife – not really, not seriously. We’re all aware of that. People need to know that Iris is by my side – for her protection and for our reputation.”

I bite my lip a little because…well, I didn’t know that. Or hadn’t thought of it that way. But I suppose Christian’s right – if he’s just some bachelor running around trying to kill the king, that’s one thing. But a family man stepping into his father’s shoes after he takes him out?

God, maybe that’s why he’s interested in having kids too…

But, no. I shake my head, quietly dismissing the idea even to myself.

“Christian,” Frankie says, still gesturing at my husband with that open palm, his voice cracking on his name. “I am…I am begging you. The whole point of this was that it was safe for Iris – that there wasn’t any risk because we could control it. But this meeting? We cannot control this. You know I can keep her safe between here and the penthouse and that the penthouse is the safest place for her in the city. Just…let me.”

But Christian stands firm, his arm still tight around me. “My wife stays at my side, Frankie,” he says, his voice cold and even. “I can keep her safe – just as safe as you can.”

Frankie shakes his head once, holding Christian’s eyes, and then to my dismay all of the eyes in the room turn to me. It’s a silent demand, but a strong one: they want me to weigh in, to say what it is that I want to do.

And as I look between the three of them, my mouth slightly open in my dismay, I…I honestly don’t know what I want.