Page 125 of Rio

Raquel is right.There are so many of us.It takes a while for all the greetings to subside, but by the time the boys all sit back down again, I feel Raquel relax beside me.

I’m touched by these guys.When we meet without the old man, and its only happened once before, it really does feel like we’re a family.

We need to make this a regular thing.

At my place setting, a cut-crystal bottle of my favorite aged tequila waits, condensation just starting to form on the glass.Beside it, a matching tumbler, already poured.Dex knows me so well.The champagne has been poured in glasses.

He gets up from his seat.“Welcome, Raquel.Just glad you could make it to dinner.”

The girls beam at her, like she’s one of them, and I guess she is.

She smiles.“Thank you for inviting me.”

“To Rio.For paving the way.Way to go, brother.”He raises his glass, and everyone else raises theirs.“And to Raquel, who came tonight, despite knowing our surname.”This gets a laugh from everyone.“I’m sorry our old man dragged you, an innocent woman, into his power games.”

“She was collateral,” I reply, anger rising in my chest.He ruined her life, or tried to, to teach me a lesson.What a psycho.

“She wasn’t just collateral,” Enzo says.“He probably enjoyed it.”

Jett swirls the whiskey around in his glass.“Unfortunate, but strategic, according to father.”

“Her career was destroyed,” I bite out.“And her name dragged through the mud.”My jaw tightens.Raquel squeezes my hand gently.

“Let it go,” she whispers.“Don’t spoil this evening.”

“The old man’s an ass,” Matteo says.“He shouldn’t have taken his grudge against Rio, and the rest of us, on you.You still sure you want to date my brother?”

“More than sure,” Raquel answers.

I rise and clear my throat, wanting to make a toast.I lift my glass of tequila, the amber liquid catching the light.“No reporters.No legal teams.No boardroom.Just us.A band of brothers.A family.”

The table is quiet, the candlelight catching in every glass.

“Thanks for putting this together, dude,” I nod in appreciation at Dex.“It’s been tough.Really tough, but it’s been hardest on the woman I love.”

I look down at Raquel.She does something I’ve never seen before—she looks coy, her eyes dropping to the table as if she can’t meet anyone’s gaze.It hits me how much losing her job and her reputation has broken her.Even though I stood up to the old man in the boardroom, I know it’s not a quick fix.This will take time to heal.

“You stood up to him, bro.That’s a big thing.”Dex is trying to make me look good, but I wish he’d tone it down.He means well, but this wasn’t all me.

Raquel looks up at me.“It can’t have been easy.”She reaches for my hand, her fingers curling over mine.Her voice is soft, because she knows.She understands me, knows what it took.

“And on that note,” Jett says, standing.“Won’t take too much time, Rio, just wanted to say that what you did was a big thing.”

“You inspired me,” I reply, feeling a lump in my throat that surprises the hell out of me.I’m suddenly overcome with emotion.Suddenly feeling like we’re so much more than who we used to be.The corners of Jett’s mouth lift just enough for me to know he appreciates the comment.

Looking at Raquel, he says, “I hope you’ll be a part of this family.You can ask Cari and Dani—we’re not that bad when you get to know us.We’re not like our father.”

Zach shakes his head and sits back.Jett continues, “I just want to welcome you and hope that whatever wrong’s been done to you, we can somehow make it right.Being fired, having your reputation attacked—it’s too big a price to pay.”

“Thank you,” Raquel says quietly.“I appreciate that.But for this man?There’s no price I won’t pay.”Silence falls, and something tightens in my chest.Heat crawls up my spine.She said this in front of everyone, and now she stares at me lovingly.

Glasses are raised, and there’s a chorus of cheers.

The servers begin setting out steaming platters of steak and sides, the scent of charred meat filling the air.The conversation picks up again, laughter mixing with the clink of cutlery and glasses.

Raquel’s eyes are shining as our gazes lock.The earlier meekness, the timidity—those things that were so unfamiliar in the woman I love—have vanished.Leaning closer, we can’t help it, our lips meeting in a quick, heated kiss that sends sparks tingling through me.I know things are going to be okay.

I know we’ll be more than okay.