Page 120 of Root

“I need to talk to Rose.”

I find Rose in her bedroom, and she’s sitting on the sofa, also looking agitated, a black box in her hands.

I wait for her to talk, I tease, but she just clutches the box and, finally I say, “What the fuck is going on, Rose?”

“What’s going on with this girl?”

I scratch Dante’s ears as he half lifts his head from her leg. “I asked first.”

“Let me ask this… Is she trustworthy?”

“I like her more than I like anyone. She’s scared for her brother.” Then I quickly outline my idea.

“Bunny Munroe, the bar?”

I nod.

“I’m in.”

She goes silent, and I’m aware I asked her something huge.

“Jess is slippery, so…” I say, my voice trailing off.

“I can keep her from interfering.”

“I know. You can do anything. It’s why Nikolai loves you.”

She sighs. “Your girl—”

“You saw Jess?”

She nods. “For a minute. That’s not important. I…Nikolai built this empire.”

“It’s his. I’ve got my piece I’m carving out.”

“I know he built it for you, but it’s such a part of him and things are good, I like my role. My world I’ve created.”

I’m not sure why she’s saying this, but I let her go. She’s in with my idea, all I have to do is get Lucy and Jess on board. So I let her talk.

“I don’t want him to give anything up, and I don’t want you doing things you don’t want to.”

“I don’t.”

“Good.” Rose bumps shoulders and I breathe in that Rose smell. “We went away for business, to talk, and…I have this. I found it out there. What do you think?”

She passes me the box, and I open it, pulling back the black tissue paper. I don’t know what I expect, but… I stare at the piece of plastic. “Holy fucking shit. But…”

“One in a million, apparently. He knows something’s up, and…what if…”

“Oh, he will,” I say.

She offers me a small smile. “You think?”

“Nikolai’s big and bad but oh yeah, he wants this.”

“Me, too.” She gets up, right as the door opens and Nikolai stands there. He looks at me, then her, and finally the box.

I get up and kiss her cheek, then saunter past him. “Old man.”

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