Page 44 of Satin Empire

“But if I do?”

“Then we’ll have a problem.” My palms are sweating and my heart’s racing. I remember when I was a kid, we’d go jump off the rocks at a quarry nearby into the big lake that formed at the bottom. I feel like that kid again, standing at the edge of the ravine and staring down at the water below while my brothers shout at me to jump, jump, jump, don’t be a coward, fucking jump.

Renzo nods very slowly. “Swear you won’t let it distract you. If I have a job, you drop everything and you do it. Your duty to the Famiglia comes before anything else.”

“I understand. It always will.”

“Even if you don’t fucking like it.”

“That would be most of the time, bro.” I give him a crooked grin, but it quickly fades. “I’m serious about this. I’ll take care of my business.”

“I know you will.” Renzo sighs and rubs a hand down his face. “That fucking girl got to you, huh?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I get up, feeling shaky with relief. This went better than I expected, but now the yawning chasm of the fall’s waiting for me. I’m floating in the air, and I don’t know if I’m going to hit deep water, or slam into the rocks below.

And I kind of like the feeling.

“Just be careful, that’s all I’m saying. I know how much a good woman can really fuck a man up, and you’re bad enough as it is.”

“Ah, go to hell, you fucker.” I pause at his office door, and look back at him. “She’s good though.”

“The girls like her.”

“Yeah? She likes them too.”

“Bring her around more often.” Renzo looks down at the paperwork on his desk and flips open a folder. “And now fuck off.”

“Gladly, bro.”

I leave my brother and my Don, wondering what I would have done if he ordered me to back down. It would’ve been terrible, but I can already see the seeds of someone else beginning to bloom in me, and possibilities I never would have considered a year ago are now opening up and growing.

Alana runs over when I step out onto the back porch. My mother’s usual seat is still empty; she must be in her room still.

“Well, how did it go?” My wife stops inches in front of me, and I can tell she’s not sure if she should hug me or not. Allegra’s nearby with Molly, and both of them are watching, probably analyzing the way we’re standing and ready to relay every little detail all across the compound. The damn gossips.

“I’m doing it,” I say, and I pull my wife in for a hard, deep kiss.

Chapter 22

Alana

I didn’t know I was capable of feeling proud of a guy I hated like just a few weeks ago, except those stupid world-ending orgasms must’ve scrambled something in my brain, because I’m grinning like an idiot for him. All he did was commit himself to opening a club, which shouldn’t seem like a big deal for a man in his position, but I understand all too well how hard it is to step out of the box drawn around your life. He was stuck, and now he’s unstuck, and I’m extremely happy for him.

Also, a little bit jealous.

But at least I have my car. I drive to work the next day, officially getting back into the swing of things, humming to myself as I make coffee and try to ignore the very pleasant ache between my legs.

“I heard I’d find you here,” Noah says a couple hours into my shift. He leans against the counter, grinning at me like a demented cat, and prods at me with two fingers. “You haven’t been texting. Your freaking mom’s worried sick, you know that, right?”

“I’m actually kind of surprised,” I admit, batting him away and very discreetly giving him the middle finger. “I didn’t know dear Mother was capable of worrying about anyone but her lovely husband.”

“Ah, come on, you’re too hard on her. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do for that paper. Hey, can you get me a coffee, by the way? And put it on my tab? I left my wallet at home.”

“You’re unbelievable,” I mutter but I pour him a cup and pay for it with the credit card I found on the nightstand this morning. Underneath was a little note: go nuts, baby. Carlo is such a weirdo, and I’m starting to like it.

“Seriously, how are you? I can’t tell if you’re hanging by a thread or if you haven’t texted because you’re starting to actually like being married.”

“Can I say both?”

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