74. Rosalie
SEVENTY-FOUR
ROSALIE
I t had been a few weeks since Ethan’s proclamation in the basement. He wanted me to stay. He said he needed me. Only Enzo and Anson knew about the recording deal. Telling anyone else was pointless because I’d made up my mind.
I was going to turn it down.
Ethan needed me, and I made him a promise.
I’d gone over it in my head. Anson’s words were repeated about not letting anyone’s feelings influence my decision, but the decision was made regardless.
Ethan needed me. If I left, he’d fall apart.
I didn’t want that. I loved him too much to put him through all that.
Besides, I’d been a real shit girlfriend lately with all my Anson emotions. I owed my guys this, especially Ethan.
I decided the best course of action would be to finish the semester and sign up for the teaching courses I’d tried to do before.
I’d explain everything to Anson. I’d lose my scholarship for the performing arts, but I’d still have my academic scholarship.
I’d have to get a job to pay for what was left over after the scholarship because there was no way I’d let the guys pay for it.
As it was, I was slowly tucking money into various parts of Cole’s bedroom after he’d made the large deposit into my account weeks before.
I didn’t want to live off the guys like a leech.
I wanted my things because I paid my way.
I sat on my bed and dialed Alex’s number. It was time to pull the plug on everything. Having a broken heart was an understatement because it was my dream come true, but I loved Ethan more than anything and needed to do this for him.
“Hello?” Alex’s voice came on the line.
“Uh, hi. Alex? It’s Rosalie Bishop.”
“Rosalie! Hello. How are you?”
“I’m well. Thank you. How are you?” I bit my bottom lip and played with a piece of lint on my skirt.
“I’m fantastic.”
“That’s great. Uh, the reason I’m calling is to talk about the contract. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to turn it down.” I held my breath as silence greeted me on the other end.
“Do you need more money? I’ll listen to anything you want changed. Anson and I thought it was a fantastic package?—”
“No. It’s not that. It’s just that I have a lot going on here. I’m getting married, and life can be difficult sometimes. My-my boyfriend is having some issues. I-I told him I wouldn’t go. I don’t think it’s the right time for me because of it.”
Alex blew out a breath. “I’m sorry to hear that. Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do to convince you? I can fly you to LA, show you the studio, lay some tracks down, and show you around. I’ll even feed you guys.”
I smiled at his kindness, my eyes burning with unshed tears. “I’m afraid not. Thank you so much, though. I-I’m sorry.” My voice cracked.
“Rosalie, I’ll give you all the time you want if that’s what you need?—”
“No, it’s fine. I have to go. Thank you again, Alex. The offer was everything I’d hoped it would be. I just can’t right now.” I hung up the phone before I sobbed.
The tears poured down my cheeks as I curled up on my bed and hugged a teddy bear to my chest that Cole had won for me at one of the fairs before Mayfair started.
I’d tried everything to understand the guys, but realized maybe it was just love.
To be in love, you had to accept everything that came with it, even the painful stuff, and let go of dreams.
I closed my eyes and let the thoughts of how good my life could be without those dreams. I’d be a teacher. I’d help others achieve their dreams. I’d be married. Have children. I’d be with my guys. Everything would be OK.
Eventually.
I was jolted awake by shouting.
I sat up and rubbed my eyes, listening as yelling wafted up to me from downstairs. I stumbled to my feet and saw Anson and Cole facing off at the bottom of the stairs. Fox was trying to push Anson back while Ethan and Enzo were working on keeping Cole from attacking.
“What’s happening?” I called out, my heart in my throat.
“LeeLee.” Anson’s focus snapped to me.
He didn’t need to say a word. His face said it all. He knew I’d turned down the contract.
I got between Anson and Cole.
“I-I don’t want fighting,” I said. “Please. No fighting.”
“Fuck this prick. He tried to go upstairs to you. That’s not fucking happening.
You may be her little fucking bestie, but you’re getting a little too familiar if you know what I mean.
You don’t just barge into our house and think you can sweep your sorry ass upstairs to her fucking bedroom and do whatever you want,” Cole shouted at Anson.
“Fuck you, Scott. This is between me and Rosalie,” Anson shouted back.
“There ain’t shit between you two, you cocksucker.” Cole jerked out of Enzo and Ethan’s hold and rushed forward, knocking me into Anson.
I shoved hard against Cole as Anson caught me at the waist.
It was a war, and I had no idea who was where because fists began to fly.
I was so fucking over it. I heard Ethan calling my name as everyone tried to stop what was happening.
I managed to dart away from the violence. They were all too busy fighting to notice me grab my purse and keys and leave the house. I went straight to my car, started it, and left.
I hadn’t been out on my own since the night someone tried to take me.
Maybe I was being reckless, but I was fed up with all the fighting. My day kept getting worse. I’d let them tear into one another and get it out of their system. I was sick to death of constantly playing referee.
Irritated, I turned my phone off. I wasn’t wearing my jewelry. Now I’d have some damn peace.
I kept driving until I got to a little club on the city’s edge. I pulled into the parking lot and got out. They let me in at the door with a nod.
I had no idea what I was doing, but I needed to escape in whatever capacity. Danger could go to hell.
I went directly to the bar and ordered my favorite fruity drink, a Malibu Sunrise, and sat nursing it at the bar while people jostled and danced around me. I turned to watch a live band perform at one point, my heart aching at how lucky they were.
I returned to my third drink and found I’d already emptied it.
“You look like you could use another one,” a deep voice said beside me. I turned and stared at the beautiful blond man next to me.
Klaus Seeley.
One of Matteo’s men.
My heart thudded hard as we locked eyes.
“Um, I…”
He nodded to the bartender, who quickly got me another drink.
I stiffened as Klaus slid onto the stool next to me.
From what I knew of him, he was cruel and quiet.
Cole told me he hated his son, and Levin hated him back just as much.
He made me uneasy. Not just because he was one of Matteo’s men, but because he was huge.
He’d break me like a twig if he grabbed me.
Fox was six feet four inches, with my guys at a similar height.
But Klaus Seeley? The man had to crowd six feet eight plus inches, loaded with pure muscle. He was terrifying.
“Thank you,” I said, sipping nervously at my drink.
“You’re alone,” he said as a statement, not a question. “Dangerous, yes? For the future wife of Lorenzo De Luca.”
“I don’t care right now,” I muttered, completely lying. I did care, but only to the point where I didn’t want Klaus Seeley to take me out to an alley and whack me.
He smirked at me. It looked out of place since whenever I saw him, he was always stony-faced and scary.
“Come.” He stood and nodded for me to follow him.
I hesitated for a moment before deciding to hell with it. I had liquid courage and pepper spray.
I followed him through the crowd to a staircase, where we ascended. He didn’t stop until we got to a dark booth in the back—clearly, VIP.
I slid onto the leather. He sat across from me in all black, his blue eyes quizzical, taking me in like a bug beneath a magnifying glass.
“Is Matteo here?” I ventured, glancing around.
“No.” He didn’t elaborate.
“You have a night off?”
“No.” He smiled at me again and settled back in his seat. A bottle of alcohol was brought over with two glasses. A man served us, dressed in black, before he left.
“Try.” He nodded to the glass in front of me.
I lifted the glass to my lips and took a sip before coughing. He chuckled and shook his head.
“Too strong for the little hummingbird?” He raised a brow at me.
“No.” I steadied myself, took another drink, and forced myself not to cough or wince.
He seemed to find that amusing because he laughed again.
“Let me guess. Matteo owns this club,” I said after getting another mouthful down. It was beginning to go down smoother, and it helped that I had my fruity drink as a chaser.
“He does. I am here overseeing operations tonight.”
“Of course,” I muttered. “I can’t escape the mob. There’s one of you in every club on every damn corner, it would seem.”
His blue eyes glittered at my words. “Lorenzo owns four clubs in the city. Five next month, from what I’ve heard.”
I raised my brows at that information. I hadn’t known that.
“Does he not tell you, or do you not care?”
“Probably a bit of both.” I took another drink. “There are some things I don’t want to know.”
“Naturally.” He finished his drink and refilled both our glasses. “Alessio and I run most of the clubs Matteo owns. Tonight, I am at this one. Tomorrow, it will be Alessio.”
“Lucky you.”
He said nothing as he studied me.
I finished off my fruity drink and frowned. The hard stuff he ordered us was going to get rough.
“Do you smoke?” Klaus asked, pulling out a tin from his suit pocket.
I stared at the white stick he pulled out and frowned.
“Is that… sugar?”
He winked at me. “It is. I’m sure you’re familiar with it.”
“I-I thought you hated the horsemen. Why would you buy Ethan’s products?”