Page 129 of Bishop

“It’s okay, Abri.” Lorenzo meets my gaze with confidence I can’t reciprocate. “Bishop has confirmed Adena is traveling with only a driver. Your daughter isn’t with her.”

“For now,” Remy argues. “What if her next stop is the kid’s house? She could be on her way there as we speak.”

“She could already have ordered my daughter’s death over the phone.” The words claw from my throat. “She doesn’t need to be present to make it happen.”

“All the more reason to get moving on this.” Lorenzo holds my attention. “If you truly believe your daughter’s life is at risk, time is our enemy. What alternative are you waiting for?”

My stomach twists. “Bishop wanted to organize a better plan.”

“Bishop is leaving in the morning. His work here is done.”

“What?” Matthew snaps straighter, a small groan escaping him with the movement. “Where the fuck is he going?”

Lorenzo focuses on my oldest brother, the look sending a silent message I don’t understand.

“It sounds like good news to me.” Salvatore raises a glass of water in toast.

“I assure you it’s not.” Matthew keeps his attention on Lorenzo. “We need him.”

“Especially when Matthew’s in the state he’s in,” Layla pleads. “This is already too much. He needs to rest.”

“Bishop was given the choice.” Lorenzo raises his chin, imperious in his posture. “It was his decision to leave. So we move forward without him.”

The squeeze of my stomach tightens with bitterness.

“I don’t like this.” Matthew scrubs a hand over the back of his neck. “There’s gotta be a better way.”

“I’m sure there is, but when a life is at stake, it’s best to act quickly.” Lorenzo pushes to his feet and hobbles toward me. “Call your mother.” He pulls a cell from his jacket pocket and places it on the table in front of me. “If she answers, at the very least it shows she still respects me enough to talk. And if she respects me, she won’t defy me.”

“That’s a risky assumption.” Remy fixes me with a pained expression. “It’s your choice, though, Bree. What do you want to do?”

I don’t want to do any of this.

I don’t want the choice. Or the responsibility.

I don’t want Tilly’s future resting in my hands… But I don’t want it resting in anyone else’s either.

“I’ll call her.” I slide a hand over the phone. “Just give me a minute.”

I have to work out a story. To explain why I’m with my uncle if I had nothing to do with my father’s death.

“Tell her you’re trapped with us,” Remy says. “That we came back to get you. To convince you what happened to Dad was for the best. But that you hate us for it.”

“It’s not far from the truth,” Salvo mumbles under his breath.

The story isn’t good enough. It will never be good enough.

“If a problem arises, I’ll take over the conversation.” Lorenzo places a consoling hand on my shoulder—one that brings no comfort. “My sister will listen to me. She has to.”

The pace of my pulse increases, the pressure building like rolling thunder.

His fingers gently squeeze. “Whatever happens, Abri, I want you to understand that you’re now mine to protect. A threat toward you or your daughter is a threat toward me and my organization. You will be kept safe.”

“Even though she’s your sister?” I ask.

“Even though she is my sister.” His smile is kind, the gentle wrinkles of age shadowing his eyes. “I will prove myself to you, mia cara bambina. Your life until now may have been built on mistrust and cruelty, but the future will be a far kinder path.”

I’m not convinced.

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