Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
" F uck," I cried, watching her break down. I’d seen her cry so many times over the years alone in her room. The conversation with my sister had me feeling that stupid tug on my heart, making me realize I was fucking done with whatever act I was doing.
I called up Enzo who was still back in Dansport with Madison.
"I need you to call the Irish. Cancel the meeting."
"But it's in two days?" he said.
"Fuck the consequences," I hissed through the phone. I didn’t care what they did. I needed to get home.
Rationally, I knew I needed to stay here to have this meeting in two days, then everything would be okay. If I dared to leave, everything would fall apart at my helm. It would fall on my shoulders for fucking up. Even the hesitation in Enzo’s voice was evident.
"I don’t care."
There was a long silence on the other end as I twisted around to look out at the city. I was here because I was running away from my feelings, but over the last twenty-four hours, all of that had changed. With Madison, everything was fucking different.
"What if I get you a flight home tonight, then fly you back there early on the day of the meeting?" Enzo questioned. I stopped pacing my oversized suite.
"Are you trying to tell me what I can and can’t do with…" I was grasping so tightly onto the glass that if it wasn’t double-paned, it probably would have shattered. "My. Fucking. Wife."
"No, sir. I just want to be sure you understand the consequences if you don’t show up to the meeting. If you don’t show, they are going to be offended twice, which just isn't a good?—"
"Shut the fuck up," I demanded, turning to face the modern suite. The cream-colored comforter on the bed was crumpled at its center, and clothes were scattered around the room. Despite my obsessive nature, which usually kept things meticulously arranged when setting up cameras and surveillance, my personal space had an air of disarray. The meticulousness that accompanied my professional pursuits didn't quite extend to my personal life, leaving it somewhat thrown together.
I rubbed my jaw, feeling the stubble of my beard against my fingers, a reminder that I hadn’t shaved since arriving here.
"Sorry, sir," Enzo muttered.
"I will spend whatever time I find plausible with my wife. The Irish can fucking wait, because honestly, none of this involves them." I shook away the hair that had fallen in my face.
"Truthfully, we do not need them. We do not need their businesses to launder our money. We do not need their dirty arms dealers who are always getting caught by the feds, anyway. We do not fucking need their men."
"I can go in your place?" Enzo asked.
I shook my head. "No. I played the waiting game with them long enough. Fuck them."
"Gotcha," Enzo said blankly.
"If you intend to work for me and climb the ranks, you need to comprehend that, from now on, my wife takes precedence."
I was aware of the hypocrisy, having hidden away in a hotel room for the past few days. However, witnessing Madison unravel due to my actions stirred something within me. It felt like a switch had been flipped, and in this absurd war we had perpetually waged against each other, both of us were waving a white flag, desperate to bring it to an end.
I spoke with Enzo, mapping out plans to return to Dansport. Madison's tear-stained face haunted my thoughts, visible through the surveillance cameras that had become both my shield and my tormentor.
"I can't keep doing this, Enzo," I confessed, my voice heavy with a weariness that went beyond the physical. The cold tone I used for business had fallen, hoping to reach the friend on the other line. "She's falling apart, and I can't stand by and watch it happen."
Enzo, ever perceptive, responded with a level of understanding that only a trusted confidant could provide. "It's time to come home, Boss. You've been holding this place together, but sometimes the ones closest to us need more than just protection from external threats."
I nodded, even though he couldn't see it. "You're right. I've been so focused on the bigger picture, on keeping everything with my dad and the family intact, that I've overlooked what's right in front of me."
I paused. "Is she okay?" I hesitated to ask, knowing he’d been with her. Yes, he’d sent hourly updates, but I was asking for something more—something deeper.
"The horse seemed to help, so did your sister's visit."
Fuck, I hadn’t even had a second to process Ember’s unwanted presence in my home. I watched and listened to most of their conversation, appreciating and reveling in the fact they were having a decent chat. They both apologized, which for Madison, was huge.
There was just one more truth I needed to get off my chest. I needed to tell her everything that happened that night. She deserved to know.
The realization struck me like a revelation. We were constantly running away from each other when, perhaps, it was time to run toward each other. The decision to return to Dansport wasn't just about fulfilling my responsibilities as a leader, it was a recognition of the personal ties that bound me to Madison.
Ending the call with Enzo, I arranged for my return, including booking the jet to set off in the next hour, setting aside the cloak of detachment that had shrouded me for far too long. I packed the suitcase and headed out to the airfield, not bothering to deal with the Irish or my father until after the holidays.
It was time to stop running away and start facing the challenges that lay ahead.