Page 6 of Savage Empire

Weneedthem.

And being needed gives them all the power.

It seems no matter how drastically my life continues to change, I still end up being subjected to existing in a powerless position.

I look away, exhaling a sigh. “We’ll see.”

“Hey,” Yordan says, squeezing my hand. “We’ll be all right. We always figure something out, don’t we? If everything goes well, this will give us somewhere safe to stay. We’ll find work?—”

My eyes sting, tears threatening to well. “You’re going to try and become a soldier for them, aren’t you?”

“It would be an honor, Rayna. You can’t deny it, The Outfit are the best around. We’d be set for life. They treat their men like family.”

“Family you’d be expected to take a bullet for,” I reply bitterly.

“It’s my choice, not yours.”

We’ll see about that.

I’ve done countless things in the past to keep him protected, and I’d make a deal with the devil himself to continue to do the same.

“Hello!” a bright voice greets, snapping me out of my thoughts.

A flash of vivid white fabric has my eyes going wide. A beautiful young woman with long dark curls cascading around her is staring at us with wide, kind eyes. She’s wearing a silkball gown that fits like it was custom-made. And it likely was, because we’ve must come face to face with the fucking bride. Jade Moretti-Morozov. Daughter of Dante Moretti, sister to the man who just fucked up my life, and wife of Dmitri Morozov—the future Russian Pakhan.

“I hear you’ll be joining us.” She smiles, a genuinely friendly grin. “Make yourselves at home, please!”

Yordan is gaping at her like he’s just come face to face with a Victoria Secret model, and I don’t think I’m reacting any better.

Shaking myself out of my daze, I blink at her. “We don’t want to intrude?—”

“Nonsense,” she chirps, interrupting quickly. “The more the merrier. Apollo’s guests are my guests.”

Apollo’s guests.

My eye twitches, the man is fucking claiming us already.

How did he even beat us here? He looked like he was wandering off into the woods when we started walking further inland.

I try not to wince, giving her a tight smile. “It’s been a long day…”

“Oh, of course,” Jade replies, entirely unoffended. “Why don’t you guys head to the building? Here, my brother is about to go that way to get his kids to bed. He’ll lead you guys there and get you some clothes to sleep in.”

The words to deny her kind gesture are on the tip of my tongue, but she’s too quick to stop.

“Leon,” she calls out, waving someone over.

Within seconds, a tall blonde man holding a toddler approaches. His strong jaw and piercing blue eyes are sharper than Apollo’s, but despite his lighter hair and complexion, their resemblance is uncanny. Jade, though, she could be Apollo’s daughter. The two of them are practically twins, age gap ignored.

Is everyone in this family unnaturally beautiful?

“Hello, sweet boy,” she coos, greeting the child in his arms first before looking at her brother. “Hey, will you take our new friends to the west building with you and get them settled into an unoccupied suite? They’re with Apollo.”

Okay, this girl is far too nice to snap at…but we are notwithApollo.

“Sure,” he agrees smoothly. “Cleo and Melani are already heading there with Emilio, Anatoly, and the rest of the kids.

“You’re the best.” She claps her hands together, leaning forward to press a playful kiss on the toddler’s cheek. “Sogni d’oro, little Leo. Be a good boy for your dada, hmm?”