Chapter 46 #2
I looked at Rosalie for her answer, and she nodded, so I went to her and scooped her into my arms before leaving the room with her. I walked her to my bedroom and deposited her on the bed. Carefully, I propped the phone up on my dresser and settled in next to her.
It felt really fucking weird to be next to her, knowing she wasn’t really mine, and that we were talking to her three guys. I felt like I’d stepped into the twilight zone.
“How is everything going?” Anson asked.
“Fine,” Rosalie said, glancing at me. “It’s… different.”
I nodded. She wasn’t wrong.
“Plans for… more?” Klaus asked.
My heart kicked in my chest. I looked over at Rosalie to see her staring down at her hands.
“It’s too soon,” she murmured. “I-I don’t know.”
“I want to,” I said immediately, jumping on my damn chance. Fuck it. Yeah, it had been five years, but she was everything I’d ever wanted, and we had a daughter. I didn’t see a reason why we couldn’t be together again.
Rosalie looked at me. “You said you were done.” She frowned.
“I also said I liked spiders when I was eight to impress some bitch in my class who said she had a pet one. I’m a fucking liar, Rosebud. I already told you I wanted to try. I wasn’t kidding then.”
Her lips twitched in the corners as we stared at one another.
“We wanted to get some things out in the open,” Anson continued. “We’ve already discussed it, and Rosalie has agreed. We’re open to you joining us, but you have to leave the life.”
“The life? My life?” I shook my head. “I-I can’t leave here. I’m almost done with my residency—”
“The mafia,” Klaus said in his deep rumble. “You leave that life. None of us wishes to be a part of it. It makes no sense to bring that danger to our door. We do not ache for more power or wealth, nor fame. We have all of that. If you want to join Rosalie with us, that is our hard limit.”
“I-I…” I looked from the screen back to Rosalie, my heart in my throat. I didn’t mind leaving this life of crime, but I had a hard time saying I would because it meant leaving behind E and Enzo. And Riot.
Fuck.
“Fox died for her freedom,” Anson said softly. “Don’t let that death be in vain.”
“Fuck,” I whispered, swallowing hard. Throwing Fox’s name out was a low blow.
“You should kiss her,” Evan said as I stared back at Rosalie.
“Maybe it’ll help you make your decision.
If you’re not feeling it, then there’s no point in wasting anyone’s time.
We can work on scheduling visitation for you with Ellis if you choose to be in her life.
That visitation will only happen in L.A.
if you aren’t leaving the life. We can’t risk our daughter becoming a victim as Rosalie has over the years. ”
I looked over at him, my mouth going dry. Was he fucking serious?
“You’re going to dictate when I see my daughter?” I scoffed at him. “I think the fuck not—”
“I’m going to dictate it. Evan, Anson, and Klaus are going to enforce it,” Rosalie said softly. “Ellis’s safety matters to us. You know as well as I do that this life isn’t safe, Cole. Do you really want the same shit happening to her that’s happened to us? To me?”
I swallowed hard at her words. “No,” I whispered. “I don’t.”
“Then kiss her,” Evan said firmly. “If the spark still exists, perhaps it’ll guide you in your decision. We have Rosalie scheduled to return home within the month. Once she’s here, this is where she will remain. With Ellis.”
I was trying really fucking hard to like these pricks, but I didn’t like motherfuckers telling me what to do. The anger and irritation welled in my chest.
“Cole?” Rosalie called out softly.
“What?”
“Kiss me.”
I frowned at her. “Really?”
She nodded. “If we do this sober, then we will both know. Right?” Her green eyes searched me.
I already knew the answer, but if she needed confirmation, then I’d give it to her.
I leaned in and cradled her face.
“Are you sure?” I murmured, my eyes darting to her soft, parted lips.
“Y-Yes,” she whispered.
In another life, she’d have never had to ask me, but this wasn’t that life. I was trying to do right by her.
I leaned in and gently brushed my lips against hers. I thought it would be a sweet kiss. Something tasteful since her husband and two dicks were watching us, but the moment I pulled away, the ache to kiss her again returned, and I fell victim to it.
I crushed my lips against hers in a deep, soul-searching kiss.
She kissed me back, her tongue tangling with mine.
Oh, fuck. My Rosebud.
I let my fingers twist in her curls as I dragged her as close to me as I could get her.
It had been way too fucking long since I’d tasted her soft lips. Well, tasted and remembered them.
My dick was hard, and I was ready to go.
She broke the kiss off and stared into my eyes.
“Just as perfect as I remember,” I whispered.
Her lips twitched. “Yeah.”
I rested my forehead against hers. “I-I need to think, OK? This is a lot…” I pulled away from her and looked at the phone.
“I want to be with my family, but I have two of them. I-I need some time to sort through everything…” My voice trailed off as I swallowed.
“I need to figure out how this will work. The guys have been my family since we were kids. Can I have time?”
“You can have all the time you need,” Evan said. “We want you to make sure you know what you want, but we also ask that you not hurt Rosalie or Ellis in the process. Don’t give them hope, then pull it away.”
I nodded. “I know. I won’t.”
“Ro, baby, you guys should talk. We’ll chat tomorrow. I love you,” Evan murmured.
“I love you,” she replied, her voice soft and so fucking sweet. The affection for him in just those three words made me desperate to hear them directed at me.
“LeeLee,” Anson called out.
“Ani,” she replied.
He gave her a smile. “Tomorrow, baby.”
She nodded. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I wasn’t going to be here because I had to work.
“Klaus?” She looked at the phone, her green eyes wide.
“Ich liebe dich,” Klaus said softly.
“Forever,” she said softly.
“Always,” he replied.
The call disconnected, and we sat in silence.
“So now what?” I asked.
She cradled my cheek. “You tell me.”
I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply before I tugged her down onto the bed with me and stared into her pretty eyes.
“Stay the night with me,” I whispered. “Will you?”
She nodded, and I hauled her against me, my heart pounding as she rested her head on my chest just like she used to do.
There was no fucking way I could let this go.
But I had to let something go, and that really fucking sucked.