Page 120 of The Freedom in Captivity

If their respect for Nico came out in their cheers, their appreciation of Rafael and Rosen are also apparent in the fresh wave of exclamation. Rafael’s liked by so many of them, and Rosen, they see as one of their own. Now, he’ll be more of a leader than he already is.

“Congrats,” I tell him loudly over the booming cheers.

“Thanks.”

A swarm takes him away and Rafael starts handing out shots, hammering back his own in between handing them out. Somewhere in the pit, Nico is tugged in and congratulated over and over. He’s grinning as he’s shoved toward the bar and handed a few shots from his brother. The two of them toast and knock the glasses back. Nico’s so rarely free and happy, it’s a strange look on him.

From the silence, a voice calls out, “Who’s the new Consigliere then?”

Everyone’s cheers cut off, like a switch, and they wait for Nico’s response. He looks nearly uncomfortable as he scans the room, his gaze settling on Rosen and Rafael before shrugging. “I have my trusted circle. I don’t need a single person by my side.”

And then, his eyes meet mine from across the room and he subtly jerks his chin, acknowledging me. Recognizing me as one of his inner circle without making a blatant announcement as such.

My feet shift, a fresh wave of anxiety making me restless, searching for escape. It’s an honour to be included in Nico’s trust, but it’s also a lot to live up to.

A figure takes up Rosen’s old spot beside me and without looking, I know it’s Lorenzo. His presence grounds me, gives me something to focus on as the soldiers accept Nico’s words and cheers fly up again.

“Retirement, huh?”

“It’s time.” He shifts until he’s standing in front of me, blocking my view of the party breaking out all around me. In his palm, he holds up a silver key. “It’s also your time.”

“My time for what?”

Grabbing my other hand, he rests the key in my palm. It’s small in my hand, a cool spot in the centre, right over the scar once placed there by Rozelyn. “To find your future. Caterina and I might have taken you from the streets, but we never saved you, Flynn. You’ve been lost for years, and Rozelyn was that missing piece. That’s a key to a small house a few neighbourhoods away from the mansion. Move out of your room and make a future with her.”

The key’s demanding my focus, but I can’t look away from him. “You bought us a house?”

“Nico’s aware you’ll be living off-site from now on. You can come to work when he needs you. The two of you shouldn’t be camped out in your bedroom. I’ll text you the address so you can check it out.”

Finally, the pull of the metal brings my attention to my hand. “A house,” I repeat. Lorenzo Corsetti got me a house. My own house. With my woman who’ll live in it with me.Mine. Something I get to claim, to own.

“I never thanked you and Caterina for helping me.” Emotion clogs my throat, not used to speaking so openly like this, to him.

“You did.” He touches my shoulder, earning my attention again. “In every single day you’ve been by our side, you’ve thanked us. This is us saying you’re welcome. You’re a damn good enforcer, Flynn, but don’t live the rest of your life in that basement heartbroken over the past. You can still do your job well and find happiness.”

Sincerity shines in his gaze and I wonder when his dislike for Rozelyn switched over to whatever it is I’m now seeing.

With a parting smile, he turns for the crowd, getting pulled in by Rafael, whose glassy glaze tells me he’s already headed for a hangover.

The crowd is a lot though. The noise, the cheers, the yelling. It makes the buzzing in my head loud again so with a final sweep of the room, I turn for the exit. Nico catches my eye and nods, knowing exactly what I’m doing.

I’m going to calm the buzz in my mind with the only person who’s ever truly succeeded in doing that.

Rozelyn

After a half-hour of gripping Flynn so tightly, I’d believe my nails were about to come out of my skin and imbed into his leather coat, everything stops moving. The wind dies. My heart slows to the point of near-death.

Or it’s simply because Flynn finally stopped moving. More so, his bike.

He drops the kickstand and pulls off his helmet, but I don’t budge. Can’t move if I wanted to. My arms are a vise around him, my legs as tight as they can be with the bulging motorcycle between my legs. Everything feels numb.

His heavy palm strokes over my jeans and I feel his heat, so I’m not totally numb. Good to know. “As much as I love the feeling of your legs around me, you gotta let me go.” He nods toward the black SUV pulling up beside us. “The rest are here.”

“Next time, I’m riding with them.” After everyone piled into the SUV, Flynn offered to drive me on his bike and since I’ve never been on one, and his hopeful expression was too much for me to deny, I figured why not.

Never. Again.

Flynn throws a leg over the bike and turns for me, taking the helmet off my head since my hands are useless, clinging to the bike’s seat he abandoned. One by one, he grabs my hands, loosening my hold, and then reaches for my hips, lifting and turning me so I’m seated on the edge, my legs framing his hips.

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