Page 173 of Be With Me
The world saw this man as rough, brutal, cold. A man built to break things.
But I knew better.
I’d seen the tenderness. The patience. The way he held me like I was something sacred.
And maybe, just maybe, I was. To him.
My fingers curled into his shirt. “You asked me once who took care of me. I didn’t have an answer back then. I do now.”
The gray in his eyes softened and he leaned down, pulling gently on my bottom lip. “Always, Berry.”
I smiled against his mouth, something fierce and beautiful blooming in my chest.
With him, I didn’t have to shrink myself. I didn’t have to play small or quiet down the parts of me that wanted more.
With him, I was safe to be exactly who I was.
And for the first time in my life, love didn’t feel like a sacrifice.
It felt like freedom.
CHAPTER52
ROM
“The shocking revelation has put Carlos Morales’s entire campaign at risk,” said the news anchor on the TV. “The audio recording was apparently made by his own daughter, Mia Morales. We’ve not been able to reach Mia for comment. It’s unclear what prompted her to expose this evidence of wrongdoing by her father, but it’s safe to say New York City constituents are grateful she bravely revealed the truth. The FBI and NYPD have launched investigations and will be auditing Morales’s campaign finances.”
The camera cut to a second anchor. “With the election only a few days away, it’s hard to imagine how Morales can recover from this blow. He campaigned on his tough stance against organized crime, which makes this revelation—that he accepted funds from an organized crime family—particularly hypocritical.”
I sank back in my chair and dragged my thumb across my bottom lip.It worked.
The day after Mia gave me the recording, I played it for Cosimo. Within the hour, we’d emailed a copy to every major news outlet we could think of. We knew they’d fall over themselves to be the first to report on it. This was a juicy story that would get them views.
Now, three days later, we were having a watch party in one of the meeting rooms at Black Silk. This was the third station saying more or less the same thing.
The main takeaway? Morales was fucked.
Mia sat at the far end of the table, her hands folded in front of her. I studied her expression, looking for any sign of discomfort and found none.
Cos muted the TV and leaned forward, his gaze sliding over the capos seated around the table.
“With Morales neutralized, our full focus shifts to the Santoros,” he said. “Prepare for long nights ahead. Anyone has a problem with that, come talk to me.”
Silence.
“All right, show’s over,” I barked. “Everyone out. I’ve got work to do.”
The capos filed out. At the far end of the table, Mia rose to her feet.
“We owe you a debt,” Cos said to Mia as the door closed behind the last capo. “From this point forward, you're under the family’s protection.”
Mia’s expression didn’t shift. “I think Rom’s got that covered,” she said.
Damn right, I did.
“But how about you promise not to hurt my best friend?”
Cos frowned. The wedding with Fabiana had been moved up to next month. No more delays. The alliance with the Messeros mattered now more than ever.
