Page 105 of Rosetti Family New York
“This is stupid, Dom,” Raffaele mutters, but there’s a crack in his voice.
I lean back, pulling Besiana with me, showing him how unfazed I am.
“Remember what happened to Vincent the last time he didn’t listen to me?” I ask, letting the words hit him where it hurts.
I can see the strike land, the way his eyes flare before the anger in him dims. That’s the thing about Raffaele—he’s reckless but not stupid. He knows what I would do, what I will do if he doesn’t play by my rules.
His heated glare flicks to Hector, and I see hesitation freeze him for a second. He wants to fight, but he knows he’s already lost this round. He storms out instead, the slam of the doortrailing him like a final accusation. It makes Hector jump out of his skin.
As Raffaele storms out, he looks like he’s about to tear the club apart. I can picture the path he cuts through Il Lusso, shoving his way through a maze of dealers and high-rollers, through the crowd of gilt-edged billionaires and gangsters, past the women who hand out drinks, bursting out into the cold November night.
Back inside, I let the silence stretch, let Hector stew in it. I can tell he’s processing every detail of what just went down, thinking about how fast the news will spread from here to every corner of the city. It’s exactly what I want. Raffaele is gone, and Hector is left knowing exactly where he stands. No one challenges Domenico Rosetti without regret.
I savor the look on Hector’s face. He tries to play it cool, but there's tension hiding behind his slick smile. I see the story forming in his mind, the one he’ll tell everyone with a stake in this business. I need him to do just that, to let the whole city know that the Rosettis are still untouchable, that I’m still at the helm.
He smooths his designer jacket and jumps on the opportunity to refocus on the deal.
“So,” Hector says, smoothing his designer jacket. “Do we have a deal?”
“Yes,” I say. “And Hector? This stays high-class. No backdoor dealings.”
“Of course, Domenico. Only the best for you.” Hector makes his way out, leaving us alone in the now-quiet room.
Besiana turns to me, those pale green eyes searching mine with an intensity that makes me take a breath. I can tell she’s been waiting to ask, waiting for the perfect moment to catch me off guard with her soft voice but razor-sharp words.
“Did you bring me here to keep an eye on me, or so I’d keep one on you?”
Her question hangs in the air, a challenge wrapped in silk. There’s something in the way she leans toward me, waiting for my reply, that makes me think she knows the answer already. Trust is a currency we’re still figuring out how to spend.
She tilts her head, watching me with a playful curiosity. “Which is it, Domenico?”
It’s a game she’s good at, making me say things I never intended to, forcing me to bring my feelings to the surface even when I want to keep them buried deep.
“Both,” I admit, my voice low and unguarded.
She doesn’t know how dangerous it is, how far I’ll go to keep her this close, no matter what I have to do. I shift, making sure there’s no space between us, feeling her warmth against me. It’s an obsession, one I don’t bother to hide. She’s got to know that by now, got to see how she’s wrapped around my mind.
This woman could ruin me, and I’d probably let her.
She smiles, a quick, sharp thing, then looks away, tracing her finger over the diamond bracelet she bought with Carmela. “Am I your possession or your partner, Domenico?”
“You tell me.”
I touch her wrist, holding it still. It feels like I’m trying to hold onto water.
“I’m whatever you want me to be,” she says, but there’s challenge beneath the words.
There always is.
And that’s the problem. I can’t figure her out. Can’t tell if she’s trying to please me or playing me. She’s the most fascinating woman I’ve ever met because she’s the only one I haven’t been able to break.
“I won’t let you out of my sight, Besiana,” I say, my voice low.
“Afraid I’ll run?”
Her voice is soft, a perfect echo of my own. She lifts her wrist, tinkling the diamond bracelet.
“I’m afraid I’ll catch up to you and won’t know what to do next,” I say, letting my hand fall back to my side.
