Page 79 of Bastard Prince
No one spoke. Fuck, I barely even breathed, watching Eric for a sign that he was about to freak, but he calmly holstered his weapon and climbed in the car, starting the engine.
I eyed Francesca and she shrugged, nodding at me to get in the front seat. I got it; dude might seem okay now, but he could flip his shit any second. Holding Caroline’s first gun in my hand, I slid into the seat and closed the door.
When we reached the club, we climbed out, Francesca going to stand next to Eric where he leaned against the hood, staring at nothing.
“Eric?” she said softly.
“It’s alright, Francesca,” he answered, giving her a sad smile. “Everything’s going to be alright. I’ll make sure no one even knows you two were there.” He looked at me and I nodded, crossing my arms. We weren’t friends, me and him, but that didn’t mean we had to be enemies.
“What about you?” she asked, concerned.
Eric heaved a huge sigh, closing his eyes, before he said, “I think it’s time I left the FBI.” Francesca’s eyebrows went up, but she said nothing. “So many innocent people were hurt because of this bullshit, Frankie. That’s not what I signed on for.”
“What will you do?” She placed her good hand on his arm, and he rested his hand over it, laughing.
“I have no fucking idea.” He shook his head sadly. “I have done things, Francesca. Things I would never had considered doing before I joined this case. And now I can see that it was all a lie. I—I have killed people. So many people, and it was all part of Caroline’s grand plan to move herself forward.”
He sighed, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. “I just need to figure out who I even am anymore, you know?”
Francesca patted his arm lightly, shaking her head. “You’re a good man, Eric. Regardless of the things you’ve done, we both know you did them because you thought what you were doing was right. You’ve always wanted to do what’s right. Start with that and you’ll find what you’re looking for.”
Eric smiled, and Francesca stepped back. “Well, take care of yourself, Eric.”
“You too, Frankie. And for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re finally happy.” He looked at me as I came around the car, wrapping my arm around her, careful of her damaged shoulder, and drawing her away from him.
The guy was alright, I guessed, but I was done watching him touch her.
“Las Vegas looks good on you, Frankie.”
Turning her head to me, Francesca flashed me a brilliant smile. “Yeah, I think so, too.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Francesca
I watched the city go by, the lights dim through the tinted windows as Enzo drove the rented SUV through the late night Manhattan traffic. I had made this drive just a few short months ago, but as we approachedTarantella,the nerves I felt last time I came here were nowhere in sight.
Because tonight, I held all the cards.
Enzo reached over, his hand resting on my thigh as he shot me a curious look.
“You ready for this, babe?”
Slipping my fingers between his, I looked at our joined hands, and smiled. Enzo had recently gotten a new tattoo on the back of his right hand, and I traced my fingers over the silhouette of the wolf, my heart fluttering at the way my symbol stood out against his tanned skin.
I liked him having my mark on him, the possession and ownership it gave me over not just the man, but also his heart, filled me with pride—and turned me the fuck on.
I liked even more the gorgeous lotus flower that now adorned my other shoulder, the invisible ink not diminishing one bit the incredible way that having his mark on me made me feel, either.
“Absolutely,” I replied confidently. “Nothing is going to stop this from happening tonight.”
We had spent the afternoon in a meeting with the Commission, a meeting that really could have gone a whole lot differently.
In the end, Enzo and I had explained what we had learned and then negotiated; our position one of leverage considering all that we knew and all that we could help them fix.
It took some time, and a whole lot of pompous male posturing, but eventually, the Commission saw the benefit of letting things play out the way Enzo and I wanted.
And thank fuck, because, honestly, I went into that meeting hoping it didn’t end with a bullet in my skull. I mean, it wouldn’t have been the first time the men of the Commission would have called for my death.
