Buttons and Grace (Buttons 6)

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah…”

“But I said the same thing to Pearl, and it was bullshit.”

“We aren’t you,” he said.

“That woman has been by your side for a few months. She enjoys being with you, enjoys spending time with Pearl. I wouldn’t give up on her, Cane. The poor girl was taken from her home and yanked down into hell. It would be hard to justify loving a man who ever did business with Tristan to begin with, one who took her as a loan for a business deal. She just needs some time to work through those details.”

“I risked my life to save her. Some of my men died. I put your life on the line… I put Pearl’s on the line.” He shook his head as he clenched his jaw. “She knew I loved her. She had to. But she just used me…”

I didn’t know what to say to that. It was probably true. “Even if that’s the case, she was just trying to survive. You can’t blame her for that. You can’t blame anyone for that. And if she really wanted to use you, she would have lied and said she loved you and asked you to keep her in the first place.”

Cane crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah…I guess that’s true.”

“I wouldn’t give up on her just yet. You remember how long it took for me to admit I loved Pearl. I always knew I did, but I had to fight my own issues before I could allow myself to really feel it. Adelina has been through a lot, more than either of us could possibly understand.” I’d always been a predator, as had Cane. We didn’t know what it was like to be the subject of a cruel fantasy. No one ever wanted to use us for their own vile interests. With Pearl, I was the predator, and she was the prey. But our relationship worked because we both wanted it to be that way. She wanted me to be overbearing, protective, and obsessed.

“I realize that. I have compassion.”

“Then be patient a little longer. Not all hope is lost.”

“Maybe,” he said noncommittally.

I rested back against the headboard and felt the pain in my ribs. It went down little by little every single day, but I still had a long way to go. My mind wanted me to be back on my feet, running in the morning and heading to work. But my broken body was stationary, needing the patience to regain its strength. It was such a pain in the ass. “Let’s make wine together.”

Cane grabbed a chair from the sitting area and pulled it up to my bedside. “Wine, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m surprised you aren’t drinking scotch right now.” He sat back and rested his knees far apart.

“I would if I could.” I nodded to the door. “Mrs. Barsetti won’t allow it.”

“And we both know she runs the show,” he teased.

I glared at him. “You want a job or not?”

“Crow, I don’t know shit about wine. I don’t even drink the piss.”

“You can learn to love it.”

“Doubtful. Besides, it seems pretty quiet over there. Not much for me to do anyway. And if you think I’m gonna haul boxes or drive shipping trucks, you’re mistaken. Plus, I’m terrible with people, so I shouldn’t have any direct contact with your clients.”

“What a great resume…”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m just being honest, Crow. I have more than enough wealth to retire with a happy lifestyle. But I’m too young to retire. I’ll go crazy sitting at home all day. Even with Adelina there, I need something more.”

“I was thinking of expanding the business anyway. We could buy more land, and we could start up another winery. It could be private property so you wouldn’t have to deal with clients. You could just oversee the harvesting, packaging, and distribution. You’d work in an office like I do. You would have the independence of working on your own without having to deal with me every day, but we would also be partners.”

“So I’d take half of the profits from this new place?”

“You’d take half of everything, Cane.”

He stared at me blankly. “What? You’d give me half of the winery you already built from the ground up?”

“Yeah. We’re a team. It’s not any different from the weapons business.”

“That’s a lot of dough, Crow.”

I shrugged. “I have more than enough. I’ve been shoving money into different offshore accounts to hide it. I’ve invested in a lot of real estate because I don’t know where to put it. Money isn’t important to me anymore.”

“Even with a kid on the way?”

“My wife and child will have more than enough when I’m gone. I don’t need to worry about that.” I’d already set up everything for her when my life was in danger. She knew exactly how to access the funds and live an extremely comfortable life. She could start over somewhere new if she wished. Or she could stay in the beautiful house I left for her. She didn’t owe anyone anything, and she would be a very wealthy woman.