Page 16 of Fall
“Don’t worry about Nonna,” the boss dismisses her. “She’s talking to her cousin in Italy. Everything’s fine.”
“Something’s wrongand no one’s talking,” Natalia seethes. “I have a right to know, Father.”
The two of them exchange a hard stare that lasts a lot longer than I want to witness. When her eyes shift from his face, they trail across the room and land on me. I feel all the air leave my lungs like it’s been sucked from the entire room. Her eyes are dark with anger, but the questioning look shows her fear too.No one in this family is truly innocent. We know the Romano name has come to stand for many things, none of them cute or cuddly.
Romano does not back down. He waits for her to remember who’s in charge. It’s the buzzing of her phone that ends their showdown.
“Shoot. The stylists are all here,” she announces.
“Your friends will be along soon too,” the boss adds. “I meant totell you.”
“This isnotover, Father,” she says, still defiant and demanding, but as suddenly as she showed up, she huffs out a breath and leaves.
From top to bottom, we’re all on a need to know basis, so it’s not the first time we’ve shielded Natalia from the rougher inner workings of the empire that will one day be hers.
And I’m sure it won’t be the last.
The Romanofamily faces a new threat. With only a week to come around to the big boss’s order, leaving the country within the next few days is a good idea. There’s no point waiting around for the axe to fall. But Argentina? I get why they need to leave, but fuck. South America is a world away.
And I’ll be here, managing things until the big boss calms down or a new deal is made.
I have lessthan three days with her. Soon Natalia will be out of harm’s way.
I should be relieved that she’ll be safe.
I really should.
But there’s a tightness in my chest, a longing to do something, say something to her.
I just never imagined that being second in command would mean having to let her go.
