Page 49 of We Will Rise

Camilla: You like it when I’m bratty.

Kaos: She’s not wrong.

Bishop: Someone’s asking for a punishment.

Camilla: Always. *kiss emoji*

I shake my head and drop my phone back to the table again. For the most part, we’ve been staying at the estate this week, but none of us have been sleeping with Camilla, which I can tell you none of us have been pleased about.

Tonight is going to end one of two ways.

Either we’re all going to fuck her, or we’re going to fight over who gets to sleep next to her.

I chuckle to myself. Who am I kidding?

It’ll be both.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

CAMILLA

Ican’t wait to get home.

And by home, I mean the compound.

I have no idea when the estate stopped feeling like home and when the compound took its place, but all I want right now is to be in the arms of my men, in the space we share.

But first I need to speak to Luca.

More and more he’s taken over responsibility for the business, and while I feel awful about it, I’m also sure he would have preferred that over him dealing with the trafficking situation we found ourselves at the center of.

I park Crew’s BMW beside the office at the docks and don’t hesitate to climb out of the car. At least I’m better dressed to be here today, wearing my favorite pair of ripped jeans and a knitted sweater to combat the chill coming off the water. The outfit is completed with a pair of combat boots I’ve worn so many times I’m shocked they aren’t full of holes.

Luca steps out of the office and nods his usual greeting. The ship the organs and girls arrived on a few days ago is gone. Where, I’m not sure. All I know is Luca knew a guy, and I didn’t question it. I don’t want any proof that thing was ever here, nor do I want it linking back to us.

“How are the girls?” he asks.

“They’re doing okay. Some are better than others, but it’ll take some time before they can move on from it all.”

“Any word on who’s responsible?”

I shake my head. “We can only assume it’s Charles and Caleb, but we haven’t been able to track any of the money or people the girls named. We’re working on it, but it’s taking more time than I would like.”

“I’ve spoken to most of the higher-level guys that work for us and they’re keeping their ears to the ground for anything we think may be of use,” he tells me.

“Thank you for doing that, and literally everything else. This has not been a smooth transition into my role by any means, and I appreciate all you’ve done to keep things moving when I’ve been caught up with other things.”

He sighs. “Camilla, you don’t have to thank me. This is my job. The job you put me in. When you’re not able to run shit, I’ll run shit. And then when you’re back, I’ll take a well-earned rest. Just because your dad made it seem like he ran the whole family alone, doesn’t mean it was the case. If you don’t know by now that Mafia life is a series of smoke and mirrors, I don’t think John taught you half of what you should have learned.”

I scoff. “I just want you to know I appreciate it. And you have one hell of a raise coming your way.”

He laughs, a sound that is so rare I think I’ve only heard it a handful of times in the years he’s worked with my family. “I’ll hold you to that. Now go home. I’ve got this.”

“Call me if you need me, or if any of our guys hear anything.”

“Will do.”

Without another word, he heads back into the office, and I move back toward the car. I have no idea what I did to deserve a second-in-command like Luca, but fuck am I grateful right now.

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