Page 188 of The One
I freeze. “What do you mean?”
He doesn’t hesitate. “There’s an encrypted thumb drive hidden in the wall behind the bathroom vanity in Ella’s room. You’ll need the two lock combinations we made up for the tree house.”
I nod. We’ve both known those numbers since we were kids. The memory hits me like a flash. Us running around together, keeping secrets from the rest of the world.
I never thought I’d have to use those numbers for something like this.
“It’s not an overnight disappearance. This will have to be carefully planned and nobody, and I mean nobody, can know about it,” Tiero implores.
I nod, opening my mouth to say something, but the weight of everything presses down on me so much it suffocates any response I might have had.
After a long, unbearable silence, I ask, “What will happen to our businesses, our family legacy, should I leave?”
His eyes meet mine, and for a moment, I see everything. The sacrifice, the love, the devastation.
“They’d fall to the wolves,” he says flatly, already detached to a degree.
“If you decide to stay, you’ll have to establish yourself firmly at the helm, no leniencies, no mercies. You can’t afford even the smallest sign of weakness or it will be exploited.”
I take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm rising in my chest.
“I want you to be happy.” Tiero’s voice is a quiet whisper.
I don’t know how to respond.
What would make me happy is for my brother to live and find his happily ever after with his girl.
“Only you can resolve your conflicting emotions about what you want and what we were brought up to believe.”
The idea of stepping away from it all would be a betrayal of everything we’ve known, of our ancestors who painstakingly built what we reap today.
Loyalty tola famigliahasbeen carved into our souls from birth.
I let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing my chin vigorously.
“How are things with Mari?” Tiero asks when the silence threatens to take over.
My tension immediately eases, and I can’t help the smile taking over my face. That’s her power over me.
“She’s amazing. She makes me feel more than I ever thought possible.”
A brief flicker of happiness shines through his eyes, but then he turns serious again.
“Teo, don’t wait to make her yours. None of us know what’s around the corner.”
“I won’t,” I promise. “I won’t let her slip through my fingers.”
“Be happy, Teo,” he says quietly, his voice strained. “Be happy with her.”
Chapter Seventy-One
Mateo
I’m exhausted, but sleep refuses to come. Every time I close my eyes, my mind twists itself into knots. And worst of all, my restlessness is keeping Mari awake.
“Talk to me,amore,” she whispers into the darkness, her voice full of concern. She snuggles deeper against me, pressing a soft kiss to my chest.
I let out a slow, heavy breath. “I don’t even know where to start. My mind is a mess.”
