Page 218 of When We Fall: Part One

“I would die before I let that happen,” Anson said, openly glaring back at him.

Cole rolled his eyes and gave him the finger. “Bye, baby. Anson, fuck you.”

And with those words, he left us alone. I sighed and looked at Anson, who shook his head.

“Ready?” I asked.

“Born that way,” he said, nodding for me to follow him out. I did, leaving behind a silent prayer that everything would work out the way it was meant to.

Whatever that meant.

SIXTY-NINE

FOX

“We’re in. We’re staying in the game. However, we need to make a plan for the next steps. Levin is going into the fold with my father. Soon after, they’ll call on Vin. I’m sure of it. It’ll leave me in a weakened state with no protection. The end game is my demise, so I’m not in the running to take over. The fact my father—” Dom paused and cleared his throat. “Matteodidn’t suffocate me in my sleep as a child still baffles me. I’m not going to get hopeful and think he gives a modicum of shit about me, but it’s odd.”

We listened as Dominic spoke in the office. It had been a long night. Luckily, Rosalie didn’t wake up with too much of a hangover, and E didn’t freak out again. It was a good night, even if the celebration had been a bust. Seeing Rosalie sad because Anson had left with some women made me upset. I knew he just wanted to get out of there. Enzo and Cole tended to make people uncomfortable.

“He probably wanted to make you suffer,” I said to Dom. “As punishment.”

Dom grunted and didn’t bother to dive deeper into the theory. What I knew of Matteo was that he was a mysterious man. He was far too hard to read. Growing up with him as afather had to be awful. Even though he was my father’s brother, he was nothing like him. My father was kind, caring, and compassionate. Never once did he try to kill my ass.

Cole stomped into the room, looking irritated, and flopped onto the couch. I knew Anson was picking Rosalie up, so he must have been the one to greet him.

“I agree. It’s probably just some fucked up punishment. This was probably his plan all along. Raise you. Get you into shit too deep. Have you killed? Then it looks legit.” Enzo nodded.

“Well, I’m not going down without a fight,” Dom said fiercely.

“We’re at your side,” Vincent’s words were firm.

Dom glanced at him. “I don’t think we have much time left, Vin. Truly.”

“We may have a lot more than you think. Levin hasn’t been called upon yet. We just know it’ll eventually happen.” Vincent looked to Levin. He had Bianca on his lap, the pair cuddled into one another, an expression on his face that only said he wasn’t pleased with having to leave. Who could blame him? I’d be pissed, too.

“I’ll leave when called,” Levin said after kissing Bianca.

“I’ll go—” Stefan started, sitting forward.

“Fuck off, Stefan. I’m going. You’re dead. Stay that fucking way. Work from the inside out,” Levin snapped. He glared at Stefan.

Stefan scowled back but didn’t press the subject.

“Levin is right. Everything will be in vain if you jump back in,” Vincent said. “They might kill you this time. It’s not like your old man plays nice, either.”

The scowl on Stefan’s face deepened. “I don’t want Levin to do this.”

“Join the club,” Vincent muttered, shaking his head.

Levin let out a sigh. “I’m doing it.”

“I don’t want you to,” Bianca called out, her voice wavering. “I only just got you back.”

“Bumblebee,” he murmured, a pained look crossing his face. “I’m doing this for us.”

“I don’t want that. I want us to be safe. This isn’t safe!”

“She’s right.” Dom sighed. “Which is why I think Drake should take her away until this blows over.”