Matteo held his hand up to silence Anson, who snapped his mouth closed, clearly rolling it all over in his mind.
“Here is my proposal.” Matteo pulled out a cigar and lit it up before taking a few puffs of it. The sweet smell hung in the air around us. I glanced at Anson, who still wore a frown on his face.
“My son has made it clear he wants what you have.Rosalie.He was recently tricked into thinking it would happen by Lorenzo. That actually really pisses me off.” Matteo offered mea smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’ve spent years looking for my family, so I will do anything to make up for that time, including offering my brother’s son a position within my ranks if it means my heir can have the woman he loves.”
“So you’d want me to move Rosalie from one empire to the next? And to betray my own family?” I shook my head at that. “Not happening.”
“You misunderstand me. There is no betrayal in the sense you’re thinking. I’m simply offering you a freedom Lorenzo De Luca cannot offer you. Tell me yes, and I’ll give you certain protections. Tell me no, and we will continue as if you’re still my enemy.”
I was quiet as I contemplated his words. I knew Matteo to be a bad man. A dangerous man. Here he was, though, offering me something that could save my girl from a life that could take her away from all of us.
“What would I need to do?” I asked, needing the details just so I didn’t beat myself up over them.
“It’s simple. My son wants Rosalie. I want him to have her. You want her to be safe. And the sacrifice.”
“What’s the sacrifice?”
“Your life,” he answered simply. “You die. It solves a great many problems for all of us. Rosalie gets her safety. Alessandro gets the woman he loves. You get freedom, and out of this world you don’t want to be in. I get you out of the way so you can’t take Alessandro’s birthright away. You’ve already made the deal with Alessandro, so why not put it into motion?”
My stomach twisted at his words, pain washing over me at the thought of dying.
“Father, no,” Anson snapped. “That’s insane. I don’t want her like that.”
“It is the only way for all sides to come out on top. Well, except Constantino. I daresay he’d be in a grave, but it’s as little sacrifice as there can be.”
Matteo and Anson went back and forth while I sat dumbly in my seat, rolling over his words. He was right. I had to die if I ever wanted Rosalie to have an ounce of freedom and safety. She’d never leave this life or us any other way. I already had her word that if something happened to me, she’d run. I knew Anson well enough to know he’d protect her in my absence. He’d keep her safe. Make her really smile again. Take away all the fear and stress she was under daily.
The guys would be fine. They’d let her go then. I knew they would. They’d finally see how dangerous everything was and how she’d always be a target if she remained with them. It hurt. Fuck did it hurt, because this wasn’t what our life was supposed to be. Enzo wasn’t supposed to fall into this role for years, if he ever even did. I’d always hoped that his old man would just grant him a pardon and let the business die when he died. We’d talked about it at length in high school. We were so fucking dumb and naive to think we’d overcome all this shit.
The thought of Rosalie falling into the hands of the enemy flooded my mind. She’d survived once, and it had nearly killed us. I still had the ugly images in my mind. If something more happened to her like it had with Bianca, or worse, I’d never forgive myself.
This was the only way.
My death would take her away from it all, like we’d always talked about.
“How would I die?” I finally broke in. “When it’s time. How would I go?”
“It would be simple enough. A quick shot to the head. Lights out. No pain. Just fast and easy. Alessio is an excellent shot. He could take care of everything.”
“It would be painless. I never miss,” Alessio’s deep, accented voice called out.
I swallowed thickly as Anson let out a soft curse.
“Fucking no, Fox,” Anson said. “Don’t even fucking think about it?—”
“Yes,” I said, my voice shaking.
Anson gaped at me.
“Yes. I’ll die for her safety.” I scrubbed my hand down my face. “When?”
Matteo reached into his desk, pulled what appeared to be a coin out, and slid it across the wood at me.
I lifted it and frowned. It really did look just like a coin.
“What is this?” I asked, looking from the coin to him.
“It tracks you. When you’re ready to die, hold it firmly between your thumb and finger for three seconds. It’ll alert me to your location, and Alessio will arrive. You get control in all of it, right down to the location and time.”
