Page 69 of Rosetti Family New York
“Keep your hair on,” Leonardo says, sounding almost offended. “There’s a house picked out in Red Hook. It’s just a matter of time.”
Nanna Toni snorts. “Yeah. And you’ll all be late for my funeral.”
We eat and argue, and I can barely keep track of what I put in my mouth, let alone the words I throw back and forth. There’s no quiet moment. I can’t believe the chaos, how good it feels, how warm it is. Nanna Toni sends my head spinning, especially when she gets started on Sicily again.
“Be careful, hon,” Carmela says, an amused look on her face. “When she talks like that, it means you’re doomed.”
“I’ll go if Eleanor comes with me,” Juliet teases.
The old woman looks at us and grins. “Buy an old lady a ticket too.”
“I think it sounds nice,” I say. “I always wanted a big family.”
Carmela gets a strange look on her face, half a smile. “You think we’re joking, but we have so many relatives—”
“We better start packing,” I interrupt.
Nanna Toni yells names and addresses over the clatter of plates, and I lean back, trying to catch my breath, with a squirming puppy in my arms and Juliet safely beside me.
36
Leonardo
The front door creaks open, and I step into the brisk October air, thinking of nothing but this new meeting, this fresh piece of business that’s all mine. No fucking Albanians sniffing around anymore.
Then I hear Eleanor. Her steps are quick, angry clicks on the cold marble, and she stops me before I even reach the car.
“Where do you think you’re going?” she says, folding her arms. She’s standing there in that black skirt suit, a high-collared silk blouse under the jacket, and heels that could kill. I smile and lean against the doorframe of the garage. I’ve never been good at saying no to her.
Eleanor holds her ground, statuesque, ice-blue eyes locked on me. The mansion forecourt looms around us, all harsh angles and shadows, but she makes it her own. I linger there, taking her in. Her hair’s pulled back, dark and sleek, showing the sharp line of her jaw. She’s ready for war. It’s almost a shame to ruin her day by telling her I’m going to the meeting alone.
“I’ve got this, Eleanor,” I say, calm and measured, pushing my hands into my pockets. “No need for you to be bothered.”
She’s standing still, too still, and I know I’ve said exactly the wrong thing. “No need for me to be bothered?” she repeats, tilting her head like she’s trying to figure out if I’m really that dense. Her fingers go to her ring, twisting it, a habit she can't break. I’ve seen her do it when she’s ready to kill someone. “Leonardo,” she says slowly, like she’s talking to a child, “you do realize I’ve been groomed my entire life to understand the gem business, don’t you?”
I keep my cool, shrugging like it doesn’t matter. “Gems, fights, guns. They’re all the same. It’s business. And they know I’m in charge now.”
Her mouth curves, amused but ruthless. “If you want to look like an idiot in front of your new associates, by all means, go without me.”
She’s too smart for her own good. Or maybe too smart for mine. I push away from the doorframe, taking a step toward her. Her eyes never leave mine, and I wonder if this is the part where I pretend I have the upper hand.
I keep my voice light. “This how you plan to spend your morning? Arguing with me?”
“It’s a full-time job,” she says. She stands there, daring me to say no, to leave without her. And I know I can’t.
I think about the last few weeks, how I’ve finally taken over the gem business. With the Albanians out of the picture and Richard gone, it should have been easy. But nothing’s ever easy when it comes to Eleanor. The space between us feels like it’s shrinking and expanding all at once, and I’m too aware of how much I want to close it.
“You think I can’t handle a meeting with a pen pusher?” I ask, watching her reaction. “That why you’re doing this?”
“I know you can handle the meeting. What I think,” she says, stepping closer, “is that you’re trying to cut me out. And I won’t let you.”
The stubbornness in her voice is the same thing that drew me to her, the same thing that drives me insane. “I married a damn bulldozer,” I say, shaking my head, pretending to be more annoyed than I am.
Her lips twitch, almost a smile. “You married the Price empire, but you got me instead.”
“Yeah,” I say, my voice softening. “And you know what? I think I’m starting to like it.”
She gives me a long look, assessing. I should’ve known better than to think she’d let me go without her. Eleanor always gets what she wants. It’s something we have in common, except when it comes to each other. She has a way of undoing me, of taking my plans and turning them into hers.
