Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Fox rolled his eyes as he settled into a seat near us.
31
BLADE
I didn’t say much for the rest of the flight. Mainly, I watched as Fox and Carlo chatted. Both of them talked excessively when they were nervous or anticipating something while I preferred to brood in silence.
Carlo told us some more about his cousins, and Fox told him what he could about the missions he’d been on recently.
When the plane touched down, I felt myself tense. I had no idea how I was going to react when we faced the Pisanos. Ghost and Fox both said they trusted me despite my freezing the other night, but what if I failed?
Fox was there to back me up, but no one was going to be watching Carlo the same way I was. I never wanted to be in a position where I was expected to kill people on a regular basis again, but I wanted to know I could still defend people I cared about. I didn’t want what happened to me to have taken that basic instinct away. I prayed I could be the man Carlo needed.
I felt like more of an observer than a participant as we deplaned and were led to a large black SUV driven by one of the Marchesis’ guards. I stared out the window as we drove through the city. Instead of going to the Marchesis’ home in the North End, we were headed out of Boston to their estate in Weston.
Carlo reached for my hand and squeezed it. I squeezed back, and he laced our fingers together. His touch instantly made me feel better. I wasn’t looking forward to meeting his brothers and cousins, but that simple pressure from his hand brought me back to myself and made me feel like I could handle it. He really was an anchor for me.
The driver pulled up in front of an enormous house. It truly was an estate. An older woman opened the door and invited us in after introducing herself as the Marchesis’ housekeeper, Lola. When we stepped inside, I had to work to keep my mouth from falling open. It wasn’t what I’d expected at all. There was none of the golden gaudiness I expected to see in a mobster’s home.
“The house is beautiful, isn’t it,” Carlo said. “Lola does an excellent job.”
She blushed. “Thank you. Lucien asked that I bring you to his office, so please follow me.”
We stepped into a room that looked like a study from a Regency novel. There were three men there, and I knew from my research that they were Lucien, who wore a suit, his brother Angelo, and their cousin Devil, who were both dressed in all black. I was surprised to see a woman there as well. I assumed she was their aunt Sabrina. The Marchesis—Sabrina included—were even more intimidating in person than I’d imagined. I had no doubt that at my best I could take any of them individually, but as a group and with the resources they had, I’d be at their mercy. That thought didn’t scare me like it would have a few months ago. I knew they were ultimately allies, and I also had Carlo with me.
I pushed away the nagging thought that he’d been with me when I froze the other day.
Lucien stood up and held out his hand to Fox. “Thank you for retrieving Carlo for us.”
“You’re welcome. X asked me to stay and assist you in putting an end to the current situation.”
Lucien nodded. “I would appreciate that.” He glanced at me, then focused on Carlo.
“Carlo, are you going to introduce us to your additional bodyguard?”
“Lucien, this is Blade. Blade these are my cousins Lucien, Angelo, and Devil, and my aunt Sabrina. He was interrupted by two more men entering the room. “And these are my brothers, Biagio and Matteo.”
“And you’re here to assist us as well?” Lucien asked holding my gaze.
I hated how it took me a moment to find my voice. I used to talk to men far worse than him all the time without being nervous. “My main objective is protecting Carlo. I’m willing to do whatever is necessary to keep him safe.”
“Ooh.” Devil gave a thumbs-up. “Good work, Carlo.”
Lucien glared at him. “Let’s get down to business. We have a lot of things to put in place today if we’re going to make our move first.”
I liked that Lucien wanted to be aggressive. I had no desire to sit around waiting for an attack. I wanted to end this so I could see what chance I had with Carlo.
Lucien took a seat behind a large, dark wood desk. Angelo propped himself on the edge of it, which clearly pissed his brother off, and Devil leaned against a bookshelf behind the desk like he was functioning as Lucien’s muscle. He was certainly big enough to do the job. Fox, Carlo, and I sat down on a sofa, and his brothers took the remaining chairs.