Page 55 of Forbidden Vows

Their bodyguard.

I not only asked him to help keep an eye on Seraphina while she’s here, but I may have also asked him to keep her a bit busy, leaving me some time to enjoy Cleo while I have her. Seraphina’s found a way around it, I guess. She keeps almost as close an eye on Cleo as I do.

Oh well.

I take the opportunity to accept Falcon's offer to inspect the roof. He confirms my suspicion: the flashing was installed incorrectly, causing water damage. Since the girls aren’t back, I call Haze to see if he can meet for coffee; I really need advice from my older brother.

We grab two espressos from the coffee shop, then go back to the parking lot where we can shoot the shit in peace.

He puts his cup down on the hood of his car, reaching into his pocket for a pack of smokes and a lighter.

“Thought you quit,” I say.

“I did.” Haze leans against the sleek black Cadillac, his new baby, lighting a cigarette. The smoke from the burning orange end twirls lazily into the air. He takes another drag, a grim expression etched on his face as he exhales. “Don’t tell Ophelia.”

“Haze. She knows. She complains to me about it all the time.”

He smiles. “Can’t get anything by my girl, can I?”

“No. She loves you and she worries.”

He takes another deep drag before saying, “Worries seem to abound at the moment,” smoke swirling as he releases it.

I think about our talk with Liam last night. Afterward, we three went straight to dinner. He and I haven’t had time to debrief. “What do you think about New York?”

"They're bold, Blaze," Haze mutters, running a hand through his dark hair. "They’re increasingly encroaching on our territory, getting closer to their main target.”

“The Village,” I say, thinking of our beautiful, hidden city in Manhattan.

Haze blows a smoke ring before saying, "It's like they have no respect for code. Who targets a church at a wedding?” He answers his own question. “The Morettis are trash. They don’t care about codes. Rockland,” he says the name of the family head of the Village with reverence, “thinks we need to send a strong message. Now. Before things get bad."

"The Morettis are playing with fire," I mumble.

Liam's words from last night linger in the air, heavy with the weight of impending action.

We can't afford to show weakness. Not now.

I straighten my posture, meeting Haze's steely gaze with determination. "I may have a contact. Let me see what I can do before things escalate.”

“No.” He shakes his head. “There’s no time. We need to strike.” His jaw sets in a determined line.

We stand in silence, and he thinks I’m in silent agreement. I’m not sure I am. I feel torn.

I know Haze believes diplomacy is over; we must act swiftly to protect what is ours. I feel a surge of adrenaline at the prospect of action, standing up to those who threaten our territory. Shadows whisper of impending conflict, but I know that’s not best for both families.

I have ties to the Moretti family. Ones I’m not quite ready to cut. Am I letting those cloud my judgment?

Haze breaks the momentary silence. “For now, I’m glad everyone is here. Don’t let that girl out of your sight.”

“I won’t. She’s with Dame, now.”

“Good.” Haze drags his cup to his lips for a swallow, then peers at me over his espresso. “What did you want to talk about regarding Cleopatra?”

Haze and I were both raised by Ma. We don’t do emotions in our family. It takes guts to force myself to say, “You know how I feel about her, right?”

He scoffs. “Anyone in the room last night should have been able to see how you feel about her. They’d have to be blind not to.”

“For the first time, she mentioned she may have feelings for me, too.” Feeling like a fifth grader with a crush, I swallow the lump in my throat. “Then she said she has to pretend otherwise.”

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