Shattered Dreams (Boys of Bellerose, #3)(51)
“Exactly,” Jace exclaimed. “Sort it out. And I did, so thanks for your help. Congratulations, you wrote another number one.”
“You’ll get the full songwriting credit,” Rhett added, leaning forward to get his glass. “Because our girl is one talented-as-fuck composer.”
Some of Billie’s anger faded as she smiled in his direction. “I really do love that side of music. I can’t imagine going out on stage like you did, though. I’d probably die of fright.”
Rhett lifted his glass, and all of us followed suit, clinking them together. “Nah, that’s the best fucking part. Like flying without drugs. There’s no feeling to compare.” He paused for a second, before he shot Billie a wink. “Except maybe being insid—”
Jace growled and punched his bandmate, his whiskey sloshing around the car, but no one appeared to care as they tussled. Billie just shook her head and shifted to the side to let them have their moment. We both sipped our whiskey, and I was relieved that the Champagne had been ditched. At least for now.
“Never a dull moment,” I commented, and Billie’s smile was filled with memories and amusement.
“You have no idea. No freaking idea.”
I didn’t, but part of me hoped that, for just a little while, I would.
When we arrived back, our security’s cars boxed us in so that they surrounded us as we emerged into the secure underground parking lot of the hotel. Down here, there were no fans around, but they still didn’t take any chances.
I’d already scoped out the place, and it looked clear from my angle, which didn’t mean my gun wasn’t primed and ready to go if needed. I didn’t trust anyone else with security for me or those I loved, and if I knew him at all, Grayson had already done his own sweep of this parking lot.
We were as secure as we’d ever be.
“Meet you back here in an hour,” Jace told everyone when we reached the shared living space of his suite. “Club Lovin’ is prepped and ready for us.”
Rhett scooped Billie up and hauled her off to his room, shouting as he went, “Don’t wait up for us!”
Jace shouted after him. “I’ll drag you out by your fucking balls, bro. Don’t be late.”
“Always trying to get your hands on my balls,” Rhett laughed as he slammed his door shut.
Muttering under his breath, Jace wandered into his room, and I went in search of Vee. Ensuring she was safe was my responsibility.
The security stepped aside when I reached her door, and I entered without knocking. Vee was sprawled back on the bed, and she jumped up as soon as I entered the room and closed the door behind me. “A!” she screamed, throwing herself at me. I caught her with ease, accepting her hug and dropping her back to the floor. “Billie video-chatted me during some of your songs, and it was incredible. I’m so damn proud of you.”
Fuck, I was starting to understand what Rhett meant about flying without drugs.
“Thanks, Vee. It was amazing. I’m not going to lie, it was a high I’ve never felt working for my father.”
Vee led me to the bed, pulling me down to sit with her. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot tonight,” she said softly. “About how happy you’ve seemed over the past few weeks. This is where you belong, Angelo. This is the life you should have always been living.” She paused briefly, before looking up at me from under her long eyelashes. “With Jace and Billie.”
I couldn’t even argue with her. “Yeah, but sometimes that’s all we get, the dreams of what should have been, versus the reality that we must live.”
Vee shook her head, a stubborn expression I recognized very well crossing her features. “I refuse to accept that. I, personally, love the mafia world. And I think I’d be damned good at running the family, with a hell of a lot more brains than is currently being used. You, on the other hand, do not have the stomach for it. You do what must be done, but it doesn’t fill your blood with passion. This is your passion, right here, with Bellerose. I will figure out how we can have both. I will figure it out, A.”
Hugging her to my side, I released a long breath. “Maybe there is a way. If we’re smart in how we force hands and reveal secrets, we might be able to rearrange the top level of our families—rearrange to our advantage.”
Vee clapped her hands together before she leaned up to press a kiss to my cheek. “My thoughts exactly. We have a small reprieve now, hiding out in Europe. They’ll think they’ve won, but I say we use this time to make some plans of our own.”
My wife had not been arrogant when she said she had the skills to take over as the head of our family. Not that they’d ever let a woman hold the role, but I knew no one more suited. Beneath the beauty and kindness Valentina could display, there was a coldly calculating and intelligent woman. She didn’t mind getting her hands dirty, and she could outshoot me any day of the week. Those old fucks controlling our lives had no idea what they’d unleashed by trying to kill her and destroying the last threads of her loyalty.
No idea at all.
twenty-three
BILLIE
Tonight was like living a dream. A dream from a million years ago, when I’d been so sure my future was with Jace and Angelo in all ways. As their best friend, lover, wife… their forever.