69. Fox #2
“This could get dangerous,” I muttered, not liking where this was heading. Instead of breaking free, we were digging a deeper fucking hole. Not good. Fucking hell.
“It always has been.” Enzo looked at me.
“Rosie,” I murmured. I didn’t want to air our laundry out in front of the kings, but something needed to be said. I looked at Bianca, taking in the sadness on her pretty face.
“Rosalie will be my wife. We will protect her,” Enzo said fiercely, sitting forward. “No one will touch her. We build the empire. We become the feared. No one would be stupid enough to fuck with any of us.”
“I don’t like it,” I pressed. I hated he wouldn’t let this fucking climb to the top go. “We can’t risk Rosalie?—”
Enzo stood and came to me. He cradled my face. “I would never risk her intentionally, Fox.”
“Don’t marry her,” I whispered, desperate to make him see this was all a terrible fucking idea. Her as his wife would be a huge red target for her. Fuck, he couldn’t do that to her. Why the fuck did I ever agree to it?
I knew we were making everyone uncomfortable, but if I didn’t speak up, then who would?
“The alternative is me marrying someone who isn’t her,” Enzo said, his voice curling with disgust. “I won’t do that.”
“Then tell your father no, Enzo. Tell him. Don’t put this target on her head,” I continued, desperate for him to fucking understand.
Enzo’s hands fell away from my face before he sighed. He stared at me for a moment before speaking.
“The wedding will continue as planned. She will be safe. We would die to protect her.”
“Which would hurt her,” I muttered, already fucking knowing it was going to be me who died to prove a point to him. He just wouldn’t fucking listen. “This shit is going to get one of us killed.”
“It’s the price one pays for greatness,” Enzo said, taking the shot out of Cole’s hand and swallowing it down. Like drinking could wash away the fucking bullshit we were asshole deep in.
“And me?” Stefan asked, breaking the awkward silence. “I just stay holed up?”
“Why not? You’ve been doing it long enough. You’re a pro at it,” Levin snapped.
“I’ve been working on the side,” Stefan replied. “I said I’d go back so you wouldn’t have to.”
“Not fucking happening, Stefan. Fucking drop it,” Levin shot back.
“You’ll keep working on the side,” Dom said, interrupting the pair as I sat wallowing in my anger and depression. “Use whatever connections you have to keep things running smoothly. We don’t need any other shit going wrong.”
Stefan sighed, but he nodded.
“So, everything is sorted? We return to Bolten?” Vincent looked at his crew.
“That’s the plan. We’ll just do what we have to as it comes,” Dom said.
“What about our safe house? It’s been compromised by Tate,” Vincent asked.
Dom waved him off. “I’ve already taken care of it. I have a new one already set up. We will leave tonight and spend the night there before Drake returns to Matteo. We’ll return to Bolten in a few days.”
“Ah, one last night of passion and cocksucking,” Cole called out, his words slightly slurred as he wiped his mouth from his fifth shot. He gestured wildly from Vincent to Levin. “You two. How’s that going?”
Vincent’s face reddened. Fallon looked confused at the question.
“Fine,” Vincent muttered, his head ducked.
Levin remained silent, not looking at anyone.
I blinked, catching on to what was going down.
“Wait. What?” Drake asked, sitting forward, a smirk on his face. “You and that jackass are. . . fucking?”
“I saw you two on the security camera,” Cole continued, taking a hit from Ethan’s sugar stick. He puffed out the smoke a moment later. “I didn’t watch the whole thing, but I saw you kissing. So, I mean, I formulated the rest of your evening together in my head. How was it, Vincent?”
“Shut up,” Vincent muttered, the red on his face deepening.
“It was amazing,” Levin said evenly. “Throw me twenty, Cole, and I’ll let you watch. Might teach you a few things.”
Cole snorted, shook his head, and took another hit from the sugar. “I’ll watch for free.”
“Fucking weirdo.” I laughed at him. I knew he was being serious, though. Cole was wild.
The tension in the room dissipated after that.
“So, you two are together, and you’re together with Bianca. Interesting.” Drake sat back in his seat and nodded, looking at Vincent and Levin.
“Is there a problem with that?” Levin demanded, glaring at him.
Drake shook his head and smiled. “Nope. I’m good with it. Frees up my queen’s time a little bit if you two are off roughing each other up.”
Levin gave him the finger, a sour look on his face.
“And Dom?” Drake pressed, looking at Dominic. “You in on it too with them?”
Dom smirked at him, his green eyes glittering. “Guess you’ll just have to wait and see, huh, Petrov?”
Drake grinned and shrugged, seemingly not bothered. “Guess I will.”
“Well, now that it’s all taken care of, let’s get shit going,” Dom said, looking around at everyone.
Everyone did as they were told. Relax. Enjoy the day. E doled out some sugar, and everyone who wanted to smoke did.
I sat back and watched everyone mingle. I focused on Bianca. She stared around at her guys, her pretty face blanketed in worry.
I swallowed hard.
She was just like Rosalie.
I sent a silent prayer that neither she nor Rosalie would have to endure anything more than what they’d already been through.
Neither deserved to be in pain because of selfish men. And that’s what we’d all quickly become.
Fucking selfish.