Page 19 of The Prices We Pay (Vittori Enterprises #1)

Sebastian

“ H ey, Enz. What’s up?”

“Damien Popov just cornered Joe at Jean she’s smart and witty; she’s confident and bold.

Yet, there’s a part of her that’s withdrawn and doubtful.

Scared and timid. Stubborn and argumentative.

Joe is a woman who will hold nothing back; she will tell you exactly what’s on her mind while simultaneously keeping a vault of secrets locked away.

She is an independent woman who has made it this far in life on sheer will, hard work, and determination.

However, when she looks at each of us, I can tell she wants a partner in life, whether she wants to admit it or not.

But most of all, she’s a compassionate, courageous, and empathetic woman who takes no shit from anyone.

Josephine Jenkins does not break. She will bend to the ends of the earth in order to get what she wants out of this life .

She will let nothing and no one get in her way. Not even those who were supposed to love her most.

She’s truly a woman who can take on this world all on her own.

But that doesn’t mean she should have to. So when I saw her at Kings last night on a date with that woman, all I could think was, “That should be one of us.”

She shouldn’t have been there with anyone but the people that were at our table.

All of us could tell she was miserable. Just as Luca, Dante, and I were ready to storm over to her table like a group of cavemen, Enzo so kindly informed us that probably wouldn’t have been very well received.

My lips curl up slightly at the image of her scolding the three of us in the middle of a nightclub.

Thankfully, Enz came up with a much better plan.

Joe got to meet our friends, who are now family, and all of us had a fun night.

However, some people’s definition of fun is different than others.

Namely, Dante sitting at the table silently pining over her, and Luca doing the same while also grappling with the fact that he’s her boss and he has… well, me.

I’m not going to make this decision for him, though.

I’ve made it abundantly clear that I want to give him whatever he wants out of life.

If that’s just me—which I find highly unlikely—then fine.

If that’s a life with the four of us guys, perfect.

If that’s a life with just Josephine, I’ll be upset, but okay.

But if that’s a life with all of us… I don’t think I could have come up with something more perfect if I tried.

I may have come from the most sheltered Upstate New York town you could possibly imagine, but I knew from a young age that I was never going to be a person who conforms to a traditional relationship.

My sexual desires aren’t something many people can handle or want.

Not to mention, I’m a man who has a lot of love to give.

I’m like Enzo in that regard. I’ve always admired him for being so open about his love for others.

We’re a couple of blocks from Joe’s apartment when I see the Vietnamese restaurant. I quickly cut across two lanes of busy traffic, ignoring the honks and Dante’s grumbling in the backseat about my driving, and park along the curb out front.

“Are you serious right now? You’re actually stopping for food? We don’t have time for this,” Luca complains from the passenger seat. He’s usually not so testy, but ever since Josephine came around, he’s wound tighter than a rubber band. Even our extra sessions don’t seem to be doing much.

“The woman said she wanted food, so we got her food. I had D punch in an order before we even left the apartment.”

“Sebastian,” Luca says as he looks at me like I have two heads. “Did you not hear who found her today? Damien Popov. We need to get to her apartment and make sure she’s okay.”

“She’s fine, Luca. Enzo’s there with her. Nothing is going to happen to her with him—”

“She’s not fucking fine! The head of the fucking Bratva sent one of his men to send us a message. She could have died! Now pull your head out of your fucking ass and drive the goddamn car!”

There it is .

Luca’s chest heaves as I clench my molars together. “Oh shit,” Dante grumbles from the back.

Not taking my eyes off Luca, I ask him, “D, would you mind running in and grabbing us our order? I’m going to have a word with Luca.”

“Have fun getting your ass handed to you.” Dante climbs out of the car, and my stare remains fixed on Luca.

But no matter how much I want to punish him for his tone, I know that’s not what he needs right now.

He doesn’t need me to take control of the situation.

Right now, what he needs most is to feel everything he’s been trying to avoid, and the fact that she almost got hurt is bringing everything to the surface.

“Baby…”

“Don’t, Seb,” he snaps as he stares out the front of the car. “You can chew my ass later, just… not right now. Okay?”

Reaching across the car, I grip his jaw, forcing him to look back at me. “I was going to say that I understand.”

He looks at me incredulously. “You understand? ”

“You’re someone who’s used to having all the cards. You deal with every hand with precision. You know what cards are where at all times, but you’ve just been dealt the biggest wild card of all time.”

He scoffs. “Please. Damien is—”

“I’m not talking about him. I’m talking about Joe.

” He stiffens in his seat. “You thought you had what you needed in life, but I think having her around has made you realize that there’s more you want.

And I don’t know how else to tell you that I will support whatever that is.

No one but you gives a shit that you’re her boss.

No one but you gives a shit that you want her just as much as you want me.

And no one but you gives a shit that you give a shit. ”

He tries to fight a grin but loses. Leaning into my hand, he whispers, “I’m afraid, Mio Re.”

“Of what?”

“She can’t protect herself like we can. What if I have her and then I lose her? I don’t know if I could handle a loss like that again. ”

I should have known that was his fear. He may have been young when he lost his mother. But the toll it took on him and Pascal isn’t something I’d wish upon anyone. However… “I think she can handle protecting herself just fine.”

His eyes narrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I huff out a laugh. “You’ll know when she’s ready to tell you.

” I drop my forehead to his and thread my fingers through his dark hair.

“In the meantime… just let this be, Baby. Let whatever is meant to happen here happen. Be open to what she can offer you. Just like you are with me. Just like you are with Dante and Enz. Whatever is meant to happen between us will happen. We will figure it all out. Just let it be. Okay?”

It takes a moment, but he finally nods softly. “Okay.”

I kiss him quickly before sitting back in my seat and then push the button on my door to roll down his window. “You can come in now,” I say to Dante, who’s standing outside the car with bags full of our food .

Luca scrubs a hand down his face as Dante climbs his ginormous body back inside. And like he knows Dante is about to open his mouth, Luca holds his hand in the air and says, “Say one word, and you’re fired.”

Dante and I both bark out a laugh before I put the car in drive.