“Hi,” she answers after the second ring. “Did the meeting go okay?”
“We’re still busy,” I say. “The Cosa Nostra is going to apologize to you. You don’t have to say anything to them, though.”
She pauses for a moment, then mutters, “I don’t want their apology. They can shove it where the sun don’t shine.”
“I know. But this is about humiliating them and giving you the power. You always make the enemy grovel.”
“Oh. I didn’t think about it that way.” She lets out a sigh. “Okay. I’ll listen to them grovel.”
I walk back to the other men, then say, “She’s listening.”
“Rosalie,” Parisi clears his throat, not liking this one bit, “We apologize for how things turned out.” I shake my head, and it has him adding, “and for the abuse you suffered at our hands.”
“Oh shit,” Rosalie shrieks. “No, Luna, drop the poop!”
Nikolas bursts out laughing, and to my surprise, Greco junior joins him.
“Gotta go,” Rosalie’s voice comes over the line. “Love you, Viktor. Oh, bring dog food.”
The line cuts out, and I turn my attention back to the men. “Where do I sign so I can go buy dog food?”
We all gather by a table where the peace treaty is waiting for a drop of blood from us all.
I lock eyes with Parisi, then nod for him to go first. He pricks his thumb, then presses it to the document.
Luca goes next, followed by Greco junior. I step forward and let a drop of blood fall next to Luca’s, then lick the tiny wound on my thumb as I step away.
While the others give their blood vow, Greco junior comes to stand next to me, crossing his arms over his chest. “For what it’s worth. Thank you for taking out the bastard.”
My eyebrow pops up. “No love lost?”
“None whatsoever,” he mutters.
“In that case, you’re welcome.”
He turns and holds his hand out to me. “For the peace treaty.”
I stare at the man, and when he keeps his eyes locked on mine, I take his hand and shake it. “Do better than your father.”
“I plan to change a lot in New York.”
We let go, and as soon as Luca picks up the document, I say, “Let’s not do this again anytime soon.”
“Agreed,” Parisi mutters.
I’m the first to leave the hotel room with my friends right behind me.
New York owes me a huge fucking thank you for staying calm when all I wanted to do was rip their throats out.
Except for Greco junior. He has potential and will hopefully lead the Cosa Nostra into a new era.
“What did Greco say to you?” Luca asks as we step into the elevator.
“We bonded over our mutual hate for his father.”
“Look at you being all civilized and making friends,” Nikolas taunts me.
“Why do dogs eat their own shit?” Gabriel suddenly asks. “Ours does it too, and then he comes to fucking breathe right in my face.”