Top Dog

“I know what you’re doing. Trying to overthrow Stefano. You need to stop. It’s not safe.”

“How do you know that?”

“Your bodyguard showed up at my house this afternoon.”

“He what?” I asked, dumbfounded.

“Enrico showed up at my house and told me what you were trying to orchestrate. It’s not safe. Matteo isn’t safe with you doing this.”

“Enrico’s compromised, Romeo.”

“How do you mean?” he asked.

“Enrico’s in love with me,” I said. “Has been for a couple of years now. It’s unrequited, of course, but he can’t be trusted. He has his own agenda. I’ve been on my guard with him from the moment he commanded me out of your house like he owned me.”

Romeo narrowed his eyes at me. “ Look, I’m working under the assumption that Enrico is now Stefano’s pawn. Especially since he came to you. Why would he go willingly talk to a man he probably views as competition?” I asked.

“And let’s face it. There is no competition,” he said with a grin.

I giggled and shook my head as he drew me back into his embrace.

“It feels so good to hold you, Julia.”

“You can’t listen to the information Enrico gave you,” I said as I rested my cheek on his chest. “There’s a good chance that any information he gave you was what my uncle wanted you to hear. I’m not the one who needs to be watching my back, Romeo. You are.”

I panned my gaze up to his as his fingers supported my chin.

“I have my own plan in the works to take your uncle and his allies down,” he said.

“What?” I asked as I furrowed my brow. “How?”

“I’m working with the police.”

“Are you serious?” I asked.

“I was able to swing things in my favor. And yes, it was all legal. The break-in, the case. All of it is tied together. They stole my father’s ring from my home and then planted it in the evidence box against me. It’s all on footage. The officer they caught doing it is on your uncle’s payroll. And I have them working with me in exchange for a lighter sentence and not automatically getting thrown in prison for the rest of their lives.”

My jaw unhinged with shock as Romeo continued to speak.

“But you have to be smart. We both need to be. You have no idea how proud I am of you for wanting to take control of your family’s business, for wanting to do things the right way. But you can’t take over your family's business and build this up for our son if you’re dead, Julia.”

“Stefano isn’t coming after me, Romeo. He’s coming after you.”

“And when he figures out what you’re doing—and he will—you’ll be a target as well. And I know you know that.”

“I’m scared, Romeo. But my family deserves better. We deserve better. Our son deserves better,” I said breathlessly.

He brought his lips down to mine, and my heart started racing in my chest.

“I know,” he said. “But Stefano’s been doing this a lot longer and has zero hesitance to kill. We’re working legally with a man who lives in illegality. He is far more ruthless than you could ever become, which is why you’re already working at a disadvantage.”

My forehead fell against his as a heavy sigh left my lips.

“Help me,” I said. “Help me do this for our family.”

“Promise me you’ll be careful, Julia. And I promise to do anything I can to help you achieve what you want. What we both want,” he said.

“I promise, Romeo. I promise I’ll be careful.”