by Shay Savage
“I want some answers,” I tell her, “and then I have a proposition for you.”
“A proposition?” Janna laughs. “Oh, do tell!”
“Answers first.” I fold my arms across my chest. “And I already know most of it, so I expect you to keep your story straight.”
“Honestly, little brother, I really have nothing left to hide here.”
“You killed my brother.”
“I did not, but Jay did. You know that. You also know that Micha started it when he was investigating Cherry and that it was self-defense.”
“He told you Cherry was an Orso, and I was a Ramsay?”
“Yes, he did. He wanted to know where Cherry was, but at that time, I had no idea. I didn’t find out about Sofia until I did a little of my own digging.”
“Why did Sofia take Cherry?” I ask.
“I can only give you my best guess,” Janna says. “Sofia had lost a child, and my father wanted nothing to do with raising an Orso. He also didn’t want them around here, so he found her a new identity and shipped them both off to Maryland.”
“Why did they choose Virginia Bay?”
“Roland apparently knew her from his childhood,” Janna says. “At least, they went to boarding school together. I found that from school records. I think he just found someone willing.”
“If you knew she wasn’t your blood relative, why did you approach Cherry?” I finally turn and narrow my eyes at her. “You could have come to me.”
“After I heard you had a falling out, I wanted to know what she knew. Clearly, she didn’t know about her relationship to the Orso family, and I figured I could use that to my advantage. I knew you wouldn’t turn, and the idea of a Ramsay at the head of the Orso family was basically useless to me. Cherry was still a wild card, but I figured out soon enough that you’d poisoned her against us.”
“That’s when you decided to take her out, isn’t it?” I stare into her eyes. I know I’m right even though she doesn’t answer. “Cherry was the target when you were shooting at us. You had to get her out of the way because without her in your pocket, you knew you weren’t going to survive.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Business isn’t good for you, Janna. You and Jay are on the outs. Your support is waning. I think it’s time we make some changes.”
“Is that what this is about? You’re going to swoop in and take over now?”
“Not that,” I say, “but I do have a proposition for you. In fact, it’s for our entire family.”
“So, it is our family now, is it?”
“Is that what you’ve feared?” I turn to look at her. “You think I want to take over? You know Jay is incapable, and you’re afraid I’ll want to run things? Let me put your mind at ease—I’m not interested. That said, you are leaving town.”
“I am not leaving town,” she says through gritted teeth. “We have a treaty.”
“That treaty is now null and void.”
“You can’t do that.”
“I just did.” I turn to face her. “All the secrets are out, and the treaty no longer serves us.”
“And you think you can just waltz in here and tell me how to run things? I don’t think so.”
“I do, and I am.”
“You and what army?”
“Well,” I say as I give her a lopsided grin, “maybe not an army, but I do have significant backing.” I nod my head towards the car where Landon Stark still sits. “Do you see who’s in that car?”
Janna looks over at the car with narrowed eyes.
“Your cousin. So what?”
“I mean in the back of the car.”
She looks again, shifting her position for a better view.
“I’ll bite,” she says. “Who is it?”
“Landon Stark is sitting over there, ready to back me up.” It might not be the entire truth, but she has to believe it for this to work. “Joseph Franks is dead, and that man will be running the Seattle outfit soon enough. Crossing him would be a very bad idea, but supporting him—that works out for both of us.”
“Franks is dead?”
I nod, and Janna goes pale.
“What is it you’re suggesting?”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, relieved that she didn’t just get up and leave.
“Let’s face it, Janna, our families have been at war for generations, and for what? Cascade Falls? Seriously? The only beef we have with each other is that our ancestors hated one another. We don’t have to continue that.”
“And your solution is for my family to up and leave? Is that it?”
“More than that,” I say, looking directly at her again. “Stark needs support and numbers. You and Jay would be a lot better off if you positioned yourselves at his side while the transition takes place. By the time the dust has settled, you’ll be in a much better position than you are now. Not only will you avoid the petty squabbles over resources in Cascade Falls, but you’ll be protected by one of the top three organizations in the country.”
I can practically see the wheels turning in her head. I let her take a minute to think about it, and she finally looks back at me.
“Stark is really willing to do this?”
“He’s open to the discussion. You’re going to have to prove yourselves.”
“Why?” she asks, her voice now full of suspicion. “Why would you do this? Why would you get us out of town just to put us in a position with more power?”
“Because I am making some serious life changes.”
“Really?” She stares at me, clearly still skeptical. “What’s your role in all of this?”
“Consider the facilitation of this agreement to be my final act. Cherry and I will be leaving all of this behind.”
“You’re getting out of the business?”
“Yes.”
“Then why wouldn’t I just stay here and take over the Orso operation?”
“Because you’d still have to deal with Antony, and you’d still have to get through Threes. And just to be very clear, if you were to come after my family—and they are my family—once I’m gone, I will be back, and there won’t be anyone left alive when I’m through.”
Janna looks off into the distance, her eyes focused on nothing. I don’t want her to hesitate, so I keep pushing.
“I’m giving you the perfect opportunity here, dear sister. You and Jay take your people and leave with Stark. You stay with him—learn from him—and when he retakes the Seattle throne, you’ll be right there by his side. You’ll have far more opportunities in your future than you’d have staying here, and you know it. You play your cards right, and you could find yourself at the top of the West Coast within a few years.”
Janna glances at the car once more before turning back to me.
“I have to discuss it with Jay.”
“Jay is going to do whatever you tell him to do. Don’t try to delay this, or you’re going to lose the option.”
“Is that a threat?”
“It’s just a fact. Stark will be leaving town in a matter of hours.”
“Jesus, Nate.” Janna huffs out a breath. “You really should give me a little time to think about it.”
“No time. You have to decide.”
She licks her lips, looks at the car again, and nods.
“All right,” she says. “We’ll talk to Stark.”
“And convince him you’ll be an asset.”
“Oh, so now it’s an interview?” She glares at me.
“Call it whatever you like, but he doesn’t know you. You’re going to have to make an impression. I know you can do that. Once you pledge your loyalty, you and Jay liquidate all your business here and leave town.”
“What about the rest of my guys?”
“Take them with you. The Orsos don’t want them, and Stark needs the numbers.”
“Needs them?”
“This benefits him too. You know there will be conflict when he moves to take over Franks’s
operation.”
“Putting us in danger,” Janna says quietly.
“There is always danger in this life.”
Janna looks from me to the car and back again. She lets out a long breath.
“Fine,” she says. “I’ll do it. I’ll talk to Stark.”
I lead Janna over to the car, and she gets in the back seat with Stark. I assume their conversation will take a while, and I plan on taking a nice, long walk, but only a few minutes later, Antony is approaching me.
“It’s all settled,” he says. “Stark is leaving with Janna, and they’re all heading out of the country tonight.”
“Did this really work?” I ask, hardly able to believe it.
“It did, boss.” Antony places his hand on my shoulder. “You did it.”
I’m in a daze as we head back to the house. Cherry is out front when we arrive, waiting for me.
“How did it go?” she asks.
I reach out and pull her close to me, pressing my lips against hers. I kiss her softly before she pulls away, demanding I answer her question.
“I think after all this time, everything is finally coming together for us.”
“She took his offer?”
“It all went perfectly. They’ll be out of town tonight. I think we have seen the last of the Ramsay family.”
“So no more feud?”
“No more feud.”
Cherry hugs me, but it’s not enough. I kiss her again, letting myself get lost in the feeling of her lips and tongue. We don’t break apart until Nora yells at us to stop making a spectacle and come inside to look at flower arrangements.
“Now what?” Cherry asks as we head inside.
“Plan a wedding and choose a college,” I say. “Once we’ve settled on a place, I’ll find us a house—something out in the country, maybe, where you can have a garden. Anything you want.”
“I think that sounds just about perfect.” Cherry smiles and squeezes my hand.
We have a plan. A good plan. A plan that doesn’t involve violence or anything illegal. In fact, it involves new life and new opportunity. For the first time since I took over this family, I feel like I can truly, completely relax.
As we approach the front door, the house doesn’t seem as foreign to me as it did only a few hours ago. In fact, it seems strange that I could have seen it as anything other than the inviting place where my family lives. Maybe I don’t want to live here in this environment, leading the family business, but the house feels good. No matter where Cherry and I end up living, this house will always be a home to me.
Nora greets us, and though she immediately starts yapping about photographers and guest lists, her expression is off. There are dark circles under her eyes, and when she smiles, her eyes don’t shine.
“Nora, what is it?” I ask.
“Do you really have to ask?” She glares at me for half a second and then quickly looks away. “You’re leaving me.”
“I’m not leaving you, Nora. I’m leaving this lifestyle.”
“Leaving is leaving.” She shrugs. “Whatever. I’ll get over it.”
I reach out and pull her close to me. I close my eyes, trying to ward off my own tears as Nora sheds hers. After a minute, she pushes me away.
“I’m sorry,” I tell her, “but it has to be this way. We’ll come back to visit—I promise. I’ll call you every day if you want, but I have to do this.”
“I know.” Nora wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. “I don’t like it though.”
“I’ll miss you,” I say. “You’re still my sister, right?”
“Of course I am, you jackass.”
“That’s what I’m talking about!” I laugh, and Nora’s smile finally reaches her eyes.
While Cherry and Nora go heads down into wedding plans, Antony approaches me.
“Nate,” he says softly, “can we talk?”
“Of course.” I’m pretty sure I know what he’s going to say. We head into my office, and I wait as patiently as I can for Antony to speak.
“I’m not sure I can do this,” he says.
“Do what?”
“Lead this family.”
“Nora told you she didn’t want it, huh?”
“Yeah, and I’m not surprised. She’s never been that deep into the day-to-day stuff. She’s always been someone who will mouth off when she has an opinion about something, and I don’t expect that to change, but Nate…I don’t think I can do this.”
“Yeah,” I say, “you can. I didn’t think I was up to it, and I leaned on you a lot. I probably should have leaned on you a little more, but I had someone in my head yelling at me all the time.”
“I don’t even have that.” Antony chuckles nervously.
“You don’t need it.” I reach out and place my hand on his shoulder. “You can do this, man. I have total faith in you to protect our interests and our family. In fact, I’m glad it’s going to be you. If I had a brain in my head, I would have asked you to do that right after Pops died.”
“I don’t know.” Antony shakes his head as he stares at the desk. “I can’t even imagine myself sitting in that chair.”
“I couldn’t either,” I admit. “Weirdest thing in the world. Why don’t you sit down there and see how it feels?”
With a little coaxing, Antony takes a seat.
“Well?” I ask.
“It feels weird.”
“You look good though.”
“Do I?”
“Hell yeah!” I laugh. “Much better than I ever did.”
“Are you blowing smoke up my ass just to make yourself feel better about leaving?”
“Maybe a little.” I shrug. “Obviously, I am much better looking than you are.”
“My ass.”
We both laugh. Antony gets up from the chair and comes back around the desk. He stands in front of me and gives me a long look.
“I don’t want you to leave,” he finally says.
“I know.”
“You can step down without leaving.”
“I could,” I say, “but that’s not what I’m doing. Cherry isn’t made for this life, and I need to get her away from it. I don’t want to be around it anymore. We have a child to protect, and to do that, I need to get her away from this town and start a new life.”
“The choice I didn’t make,” Antony says with a nod.
“With Maddie and her mom?”
“Yeah. She wanted me to leave, but I stayed…for the family.”
“I’m not forcing you to do this,” I say. “Work it out with Nora. Threes can take over, or liquidate everything and get out. I’m not going to keep you here.”
“No, I don’t want to do that,” he says quickly, then grins. “Baby Mama would never take me back anyway. I did cheat on her.”
“Twice.”
“Three times, but who’s counting?” He laughs, and then his face becomes serious. “I’ll miss you around here.”
“It’s not like I’m never coming back,” I tell him. “This is still home to me, and it always will be. We’ll come back for holidays, and you sure as hell better show up when it’s time to name my kid’s godfather.”
“I get to be the godfather?”
“Who else?” I reach out and hug my cousin. He grips my shoulders tightly for a moment before releasing me.
“It’s not going to be the same,” he says, “but I’m happy for you, Nate. Happy for both of you.”
We head back to the kitchen, where Andrea has put out sandwiches, and Nora and Cherry are fussing over cake designs. As soon as Cherry has endured enough of Nora’s wedding plans, I grab her by the hand and haul her up the stairs to my bedroom.
“I’ve never actually been in this room,” Cherry says.
“Well? What do you think?”
“Hmm...” She looks around critically, one fingertip pressed to her chin. “Your furniture is boring.”
“Really?” I laugh. “I think the word you are looking for is modern.”
“Meh.” Cherry shrugs, then laughs along with me.
“There is one piece of furniture I’d like you to become quite familiar with.” I pull her close to me and grip her backside. I grind my hard dick against her until she starts to moan. “You want some of that, baby?”
“Oh, yes!” Cherry grins up at me as I maneuver her to the edge of the bed and lay her down on her back.
Slowly, I run my hand down her arm and over her hip. I grip the back of her thigh as I run my mouth down the side of her throat, licking her skin and blowing warm air over her. Cherry shivers and moans again. I quickly pull her shirt over her head and release her bra before I pull off my own shirt. A moment later, all of our clothing is scattered around the floor, and I go back to kissing her everywhere.
“You’re driving me crazy,” Cherry says as I run my tongue over her nipples.
“I want you crazy,” I say in a dark, husky voice. “I want you crazy for my touch, my kisses, and my cock.”
I slide my cock between her legs, rubbing up and down her folds and grinding against her. I run my hand from her breast to her side and then to her abdomen. I hesitate, glancing down at my hand on her stomach.
“It won’t hurt the baby,” Cherry says. “I looked it up.”
“You did?” I ask, and she nods. “Maybe you should be on top though.”
I grip her hips and roll to my back with Cherry straddling me. I tense as I watch her grip the base of my cock, smiling playfully as she runs her hand up and down it a few times before positioning me at her entrance. She lowers herself over me, encompassing me—body and soul.
We move together slowly and rhythmically. There is no rush, no pressure, no hurry. When she leans down to kiss me, it’s soft and gentle. I touch her back, her shoulders, and her arms, and she gently cups my face and balances herself with her other hand. I watch her face as her cheeks go flush, her eyes close, and her breathing increases. She moves faster, and my cock starts to throb.
Cherry gasps and tenses, groaning my name as her entire body shudders. That’s all I need to send me over the edge, and with my head pressed back against the pillow, I push up into her a final time, feeling all the glorious tension in my body melting away as I fill her. Cherry gasps and collapses on top of me, her hot breath coating my shoulder as I reach up and run my fingers through her hair.
