Page 165 of Keeping Kasey
“Itisthat simple, Logan. It’s that simple becauseyou’rethe boss, andyouget to decide. Dad used this engagement to control the Romanos and pressure you, but he’s gone, and now you get to decide what happens next.”
He makes it sound like it’s that easy.
It isn’t.
“Kasey doesn’t want me. And without her, we can’t justify risking our alliance with the Romanos,” I say, and swallow hard. “I’m sure I’ll come to care about Isabella.”
“But you’ll never love her.”
“Love is a luxury.”
“No, it isn’t,” he bites out, eyes narrowing. “Sometimes, I forget just how much Dad rubbed off on you.”
Heat spreads through my chest, and I match my brother’s glare. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you’re so focused on the family that you forget about yourfamily. Dad left Mom to die at the hands of his enemies. He stood by and watched Damon crumble into addiction. He completely abandoned Elise. He drove Mason totry and kill us all. Do you really think we’re any better off because Dad putdutyfirst?”
I slam my fist against the desk. “What do you want from me? One second you’re pushing me into a corner to marry the Romano girl, and now you’re telling me I’m ruining our family if I do?”
James lifts his hands, and we both take a second to cool off.
“What I want is for you to be happy,” he says in a significantly calmer tone.
“Happiness isn’t in the cards for me.”
“What about not being so miserable?”
“I could try that, but no promises.”
He breathes a laugh. “You don’t have to marry Isabella.”
“What other choice do I have?”
James’s smile is small, like he’d hoped I would ask. “As a matter of fact—”
The door to my office bursts open, and James and I shoot to our feet just as a heaving Matteo steps inside.
“We’ve been sabotaged.”
James, Matteo, Damon, and I are seated in my office only minutes later.
“When and where?” I ask.
“This morning, three shipping containers of weaponry and ammunition showed up at the warehouse empty,” Matteo states. “All that was left were a few empty pallets and crates.”
“It’s been almost two months since the last sabotage,” Damon says slowly. “I’d begun to think the worst of it was over.”
“Could this have anything to do with the note?” James asks.
I shake my head. “It’s unlikely. Ford didn’t find a single connection in the client list. It’s most likely been a wild goose chase, after all. I don’t think that’s what sparked this.”
“I’ve got a good guess,” Matteo mutters.
Damon rolls his eyes. “Of course, you would find a way to blame Kasey.”
“You can’t seriously believe this has nothing to do with her,” Matteo says. “These sabotages got worse the last time she was in town, and it was ignorant for us to assume her return wouldn’t have the same effect.”
“Is it out of the realm of possibilities that this was an outsider?” Damon asks. “Why automatically assume it’s a traitor? Have any of our soldiers gone AWOL yet?”
