Page 262 of Breaking Rosalind
Roman clasps his hands together and nods.
“What happened with Emberly?” I ask.
“She found out about Roman’s scam and locked him up without his clothes or phone.”
Benito’s tone is filled with the familiar inflections of an ‘I told you so’, as though he predicted that situation with the crazy balcony woman would backfire. Roman shoots him an annoyed glower.
I don’t have the mental bandwidth to look too deeply into their interactions, especially when I remember something Tommy muttered.
“The first night Tommy locked us up in his house, he mentioned having a guest. He also said you were tied to a bondage table.”
Roman grimaces. “She already left them.”
“Are you sure about that?” I ask.
“Tommy’s son would have mentioned her if she was still at their house. Ten minutes with Tommy would let Emberly know she was in the presence of a psychopath. She’s too resourceful not to take advantage of last night’s chaos to escape. Trust me, she’s gone.”
I nod, not entirely convinced, but then I don’t know Emberly. Roman might be right. My brother already took her inheritance, so Tommy wouldn’t need her for her money. If they had her, the Galliano family would use her as leverage to at least find out what happened to Matty.
Benito rubs the back of his neck and frowns like he’s trying to figure out a puzzle. “Tommy can’t have escaped that helicopter crash unscathed.”
They continue speculating on whether Tommy’s son was bullshitting about his father’s survival, and where the old bastard might have crawled. None of these theories hold my interest.
The disgusting words Matty shared about my conception slither through my mind like venomous slugs, poisoning my thoughts. Would bringing up something so terrible dishonor Mom’s memory, grant her a form of posthumous justice, or reopen old wounds?
“What do you want us to do with Matty’s corpse?” Benito’s voice breaks me out of my thoughts.
“We keep the body hostage until Tommy tells us what he did with Mom’s,” I reply. “He can also explain to us what exactly happened twenty-five years ago.”
Roman deflates, looking like time he spent in captivity broke him more than the five years he spent on death row. “Excellent work, Cesare.”
Benito nods. “Both of you.”
Wow.
The first time neither of them look at me like I’m a fuck-up, and I can’t even bask in their praise. I always wanted my brother’s approval, but getting it now feels hollow without Miranda and Rosalind.
“If Rosalind is seeking employment, tell her we’re recruiting,” Roman says.
“Talent like hers is more suited to an establishment like the casino,” Benito says.
A possessive rage turns the edges of my vision red. Clenching my fists, I breathe through flared nostrils, ready to claim her as mine.
But she isn’t mine because our bargain is complete.
I couldn’t imprison her after discovering she was Miranda’s mother and I sure as hell can’t do the same, knowing that she gave birth to my sister.
“She wants to leave,” I say, the words flat.
My brothers rise off the leather sofas. “Are you sure?” Roman asks. “She can’t keep you from your sister.”
“I already agreed to let her go if she helped with the Galliano brothers.”
“Technically, she failed because Tommy isn’t dead.” Benito rubs his chin.
“She’s more likely to cut off my balls if I try to trap her with a loophole.”
The corner of Benito’s mouth lifts in a smile.