Lorelei went a little tight around the eyes, but she shrugged. “I’ve been busy.”
Can you ever forgive me for putting you in this position?
Rose didn’t ask the question. There was only so much she was willing to reveal in front of Romeo and he showed no signs of leaving. On the other hand, threats were easy enough. She propped one hand on her hip and looked down at him. “If you harm a single hair on my sister’s head—”
“She’s my wife.” He raised a single eyebrow. “I’m not sure how the Romanovs treat their spouses, but Lorelei is in no danger from me.” He finally looked at his wife. “Your sister and I have some business to discuss. She’ll come talk to you after.”
Rose expected Lorelei to argue or say…something. But she simply nodded and rose. She slipped past Rose and out of the room without a word. She was acting too placid, too docile. Not like the Lorelei Rose knew at all. What the fuck was going on?
Rose turned back to Romeo. “Did you do something to her?”
“No.”
“Why won’t she talk to me?”
He shrugged. “That business is between you and your sister. You didn’t come here for a family reunion.”
No. She hadn’t. She needed his cooperation, but the weird interaction with Lorelei had rattled her. “We need to talk.”
“Si.” He motioned to the chair across from him. “Sit.”
As she sat, he took the bottle of wine and poured her a glass. It was only once she picked it up that he continued. “If you try to take Lorelei from me, you won’t like the consequences.”
She set the glass down without drinking. “You wanted her from the beginning. Not me.”
Another shrug. “Why are you wasting time parroting back information we both already know to be true?”
She kind of wanted to shatter her glass on the table and impale his neck with it. Rose could almost see the spatter of arterial blood that would cover everything. It wouldn’t solve anything, would only make more problems, but it would feel so good. She gave herself a shake. “I want to know why you picked her.”
“That’s not why you’re here.”
No, it wasn’t, but now that she sat in the same room with him, she had to know the truth. “I still want to know.”
He stared at her with those cold amber eyes. “That’s between me and Lorelei. If that’s all you came to speak about…there’s the door.” He motioned with the hand holding the wine glass.
Rose would question her sister about it later, but right now she had to say some unforgivable shit to smooth things over. She lifted her chin. “You got exactly what you wanted.”
“Certainly seems that way.” He gave her nothing to work with, but that was fine. She knew how Romeo operated. He wasn’t one to be driven by emotions and he wouldn’t make any calls that weren’t strictly in his family’s benefit. Compromise barely entered into the equation.
She picked up her wine glass and took a sip. She couldn’t keep badgering at him, pushed by her guilt and conflicted emotions about the situation. There was only one card to play, and it might be a doozy, but she had to present it in a way to make Romeo take the bait. “I have a proposal for you.”
“I already have a wife.”
“Is that a joke?” She lifted her brows. “Romeo, you surprise me. I didn’t know you were hiding a sense of humor beneath that icy demeanor.”
He sighed and shook his head slowly. “I am merely stating facts, Rose. I have a wife. I am not interested in anything you have to offer me.”
“That’s a shame.” The wine was good. Expensive. She took another sip, pretending to consider. “I thought you might be interested in Lev Romanov’s head on a platter, but if you’re not…” She started to rise.
Romeo went perfectly still. “Sit.”
“I am not a dog, Romeo. I don’t answer to your commands.” She still allowed herself to sink back into her chair. “I heard a rumor he got awfully close to your sister the last time he was in town.” She didn’t have the specifics of what had gone down between Lev and Drucilla two years ago, but it was enough that Romeo killed a bunch of Lev’s people and threatened a full-out conflict if Papa ever allowed Lev into the city again. As far as she knew, Lev hadn’t even entered the country since then.
Romeo studied her for several long moments, and she had the eerie feeling of being prey facing down a predator about to strike. Rose might have laughed if there was enough air to draw a full breath. Romeo wasn’t the only predator in the room, though, and he’d be a fool to forget that. She met his gaze steadily, letting him work his way through it.
Finally, a small eternity later, he lifted his glass to his lips. “I’ll hear you out.”
“I thought you might.” She didn’t allow herself to slouch back into her chair. She simply smiled. “You have my sister. I can all but guarantee you Lev. In return, I want something from you.”
“I’m listening.”
Her phone buzzed and she glanced down to see a text from Dante.
Kirill is on board. He won’t harbor Jovan’s people and he’s secured peace with the Verduccis. I’m officially excommunicated.
She looked up, her smile warming. “I’m going to marry Dante.”
Romeo stared for a long moment and then huffed out a dry laugh. “You must think I’m a fool.”
“On the contrary, I think you’re quite intelligent. I also think you’re a man with his priorities in order.” She leaned forward. “What is the use of nursing some decades old feud with a family across the country? That’s your father’s fight. Your grandfather’s. It’s not yours.”
His lips curved, but his eyes remained so cold she was surprised her breath didn’t ghost the air in front of her. Romeo eyed his wine. “You are not the person to tell me which fight is mine, Rose.”
“Maybe.” She shrugged. “But Dante has been excommunicated from the Verduccis. Even if you’re determined to maintain the feud, then you can take it up with Matteo.”
That sparked a reaction in him. He narrowed his eyes. “Matteo.”
“Oh,” she said, falsely sweet. “I didn’t realize you hadn’t heard. Lorenzo is dead. Matteo is now the head of that family. He and Kirill just came to an agreement that will result in a strong alliance between them.” And cut off Russian access to LA in the process. One branch of the family down, two more to go. Her phone buzzed again, but she thumbed it off. This conversation was too important to continue interrupting, even for Dante.
Having Romeo’s interest sharpen on her wasn’t a comfortable feeling, but she maintained her calm mask. Rose crossed her legs. “There’s a war coming, Romeo. Not an old toothless feud and not some pissing match between small players.”
“Jovan.” He said the name tonelessly. “What’s to stop me from throwing my lot in with him?”
She gave him the look that question deserved. “Please. The first thing he’d do is give your sister to Lev, quickly followed up by killing my sister.” Fear made her stomach clench, but she pressed on. She had to get Romeo onto her side. There was no other option. “That’s the best-case scenario. It’s far more likely that he’ll just kill all of you. Jovan isn’t one to leave a wolf at his back.”