Chapter 56 Rosalie
ROSALIE
By the time Friday came along, I’d already run through the many possible conversations I could have with Margot and her posy of social faux pas.
The soft hum of conversation and the clink of glasses filled the room as I stood by the entrance to the house, scanning the growing crowd. I smoothed down my dress and took a deep breath.
Max had told me he’d be able to make it, yet I found him nowhere.
He’d promised.
I stepped further into the room, weaving through the guests, who had already begun to form tight-knit clusters. Familiar faces tried to greet me, some offering polite smiles and nods, while others were engaged in the unnecessary small talk I hated but entertained anyway.
My eyes kept darting to the door, hoping to catch sight of Max, but instead I found my mother. She gave me a subtle nod—a reminder to keep up appearances. I forced a smile and moved toward the bar, hoping a drink might steady my nerves.
As I waited for my martini, a voice called out to me. “There you are!” It was Daisy, her face alight with excitement. She was dressed to the nines, as usual.
“Daisy,” I greeted, managing a genuine smile.
She wore a black dress and had her hair tied back.
She started to ramble on about the other day, but all I could think about was Max. It had been half an hour, and he still wasn’t here.
“You didn’t happen to see Max yet, did you?” I asked.
Daisy shook her head. “No, but how is married life treating you?”
The bartender handed me my martini, and I took a sip, savoring the cool, crisp taste. “It’s treating me well.”
She smirked. “See? I told you that curse was just a bunch of nonsense.”
I let out a small laugh. “Oh, the curse was real. It just had a name, and that name was Max.”
Her eyes widened as she leaned in closer. “Both Derik and Simon?” she asked, her voice hushed.
“And Lucas,” I added regrettably.
Daisy’s eyes widened with shock. “He got Lucas too?” she whispered, her voice quiet compared to the loud chatter. “No one told me.”
I cringed. “Sean put him in my grave . . .”
Her mouth fell. “I hate this family.”
I still couldn’t believe Max had gone through all the trouble of taking three lives just because of a kiss.
The sheer absurdity of it gnawed at me. I was walking a fine line between passion and peril.
I felt guilty for my attraction to Max, but it was impossible to ignore, no matter the circumstances.
I liked to tell myself there were other reasons for him to have killed them.
You know, reasonable excuses.
Perhaps Derik had insulted his mother once in a reckless argument, thinking no one would remember or care. Or maybe Simon had threatened him with a knife. I didn’t care. Anything was better than the truth, which was that Max was possessive to a fault.
Finally, I nodded, hoping that told Daisy enough.
“I’d expect that from mobsters. I heard they had to deal with Mason too. Something about him working with Valentina?”
Max had always been intense, his emotions running deeper than most. It was one of my favorite things about him, regrettably.
The room seemed to blur around me as I thought about him.
“Well,” Daisy said, trying to lighten the mood, “let’s not dwell on that tonight.
There are too many people to greet. Momma invited everyone, including your husband’s family, unfortunately.
You know, I’ve had just about enough of them.
Those Romanos, always ruining my seating arrangements and my neat decorations—”
“I’m a Romano. Careful.”
She looked at me. “Oh, I suppose you are.”
As we mingled, I tried to focus on the conversations, polite exchanges, and laughter, but my mind kept drifting back to Max.
I glanced down at my watch, realizing it had been almost an hour since the party started.
Anxiety bubbled up inside of me, and I couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong.
I took another sip of my martini to calm my nerves. The party continued all around me, but I felt increasingly disconnected, as if I were watching it from a distance.
As I stepped through the patio doors, my grandmother, Esme, turned to face me. “Rosalie, dear,” she said warmly, enveloping me in a hug. “I was just telling your mother how radiant you look tonight.”
I managed a smile, trying to hide the worry I felt deep down. “Thank you, Grandma.”
She pulled back, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied me. “There’s something different about you. You’re glowing.”
I laughed softly, brushing off her observation. “It’s just the excitement of the party, I suppose.”
Esme raised an eyebrow, not easily convinced. “No, it’s something more than that.” She tilted her head, her gaze piercing. “Are you pregnant?”
I felt the color drain from my face, the question catching me completely off-guard. “What? No, of course not,” I stammered, trying to regain my composure. “Why would you think that?”
Esme’s expression softened, but she didn’t back down. “It’s just a feeling I have. A grandmother’s intuition, if you will.”
I shook my head, still reeling. I couldn’t be. I was still on birth control no matter how many times Max had demanded I get off it.
“I promise you, Grandma, I’m not pregnant.”
Esme gave me one last lingering look before wandering off to greet other guests.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. This evening was proving to be more complicated than I anticipated.
Daisy returned to my side, having noticed Grandma. “What did Esme want?” she asked, her curiosity piqued. “Did she say anything about Angela’s dress? I told Esme she’d wear something like that.”
I shook my head. “No, but she thinks I’m pregnant.”
Daisy’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, let’s hope not. I wonder if your babies will come out with red horns and tails.”
“Thanks, Daisy. I needed that.”
Just then, the door opened. It was Vincenzo. He spotted me and made his way over, his expression serious.
“Vincenzo,” I greeted him, my voice betraying my concern. “Have you seen Max?”
He paused, giving me a once-over, his eyes softening. He looked a lot like Max, with his dark hair and long legs. They even had the same crow’s feet in the corners of their eyes.
“Sorry, gorgeous, no Max in sight. But don’t worry your pretty little head. You know him—he’s probably somewhere putting out a fire or two. He’ll show up,” he said, giving my shoulder a squeeze.
I took in a deep breath and blew it out.
“He’s like a bad penny, always turning up. And until he does, you’ve got me. What more could a girl ask for?”
“Oh, please,” I muttered. “You’re no better than him.”
“Hey now, I might just be a little better,” he said with a quick, cocky smile. “I show up on time.”
I elbowed him in the stomach lightly, but he stood firm.
Just then, the room seemed to hush. I turned my attention to the patio doors, and there he was—Max. He was speaking to Marco, filling the room with the intensity he brought along with him.
“Oh, there he is. Pretty boy himself,” Vincenzo muttered.
I sighed, shaking my head slightly. “It’s about time,” I replied, trying to hide my relief.
Vincenzo leaned in a little closer. “You know, if he keeps you waiting like this again, just give me a call.”
“Is that so?” I teased, raising an eyebrow. “And what do you think Max will have to say about that?”
He smiled. “Would you like me to go ask?”
I took a sip of my drink. “You seem to have the courage, but one enigmatic man in my life is more than enough. Two is just overkill. And you should know, if you plan to impress a girl, you might want to sleep with a lot less of them.”
He turned to me slowly, lifting his brow. “Excuse me?”
“Oh, please, Vincent. Everyone knows your track record. You haven’t been seen with the same girl twice.”
“What? Are you callin’ me a dog, Clarke?”
“That’s Romano to you. And yes, actually, I am. I see where your eyes land, and you need to keep them off my sister.”
He scoffed. “I was never planning on going there, Romano. But since you mentioned it, how is she doing? I haven’t spoken to her yet.”
My eyes narrowed. “This is your warning.”
He ran his tongue over his teeth. “And let me guess. You’ll be the one to show me the consequences.”
As if Daisy could hear the two of us talking about her, she came right up beside me with a cosmo in her hands. Vincenzo looked up.
“Or maybe I could learn my lesson from the woman herself.”
Daisy smiled, unaware of what we were talking about. “What lesson?” she asked.
Vincenzo smiled.
“No lesson. He was just leaving, and so were you,” I said, trying to push her away from him.
Max caught my eye across the room and held my gaze for a moment before excusing himself from Marco. “Rosalie,” he greeted me.
“Max,” Daisy interjected. “Could you please tell Sebastian and Dante to stop eating all the finger food? We still have half an hour until the gallery.”
Max smiled, reaching his hand to the small of my back. “Always a pleasure, Daisy. I’ll handle it.”
“I’ve got it,” Vincenzo said, with a wink in Daisy’s direction.
“Thanks,” she said and excused herself. She didn’t like Max much, but I took no offense, because Daisy didn’t like any mob man much—which I hoped was still the case, as Vincenzo followed after her.
As they walked away, Max’s grip on the small of my back tightened, pulling me closer.
“You’re late,” I argued.
“And you’re gorgeous.”
I turned to face him fully. “You’re just like Vincent—you know that?”
His lips curved into a slow smile. “Is that so? I’m not sure if I should be flattered or offended.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Flattered if you think it’s a compliment. Offended if you realize what I really mean.”
“Vincenzo and I may share some traits, but don’t mistake us for the same kind of man.”
“You seem to have the same taste in women.”
Max looked at me strangely. “What, outrageously dramatic women who look like they want to kill us?”
“Yes.”
“Only when they’re worth the trouble,” he murmured, his voice so low I almost didn’t hear him.
“I heard that.”
“That’s because I wanted you to.”