Vincenzo

“Are we done here?” I tapped the toe of my leather boot on the handwoven rug in my brother’s office. We had been going in circles for hours and still had no plan. I was all for talking strategy, but right now, we were trying to tap a dry well. “I’ve got shit to do.”

Lorenzo barked out a laugh. “You mean you’ve got an omega to do? Because I know you don’t have anything more important than dealing with the Dombrusos. The threat against us isn’t a game, it must be addressed.”

Others in the room couldn’t hear it, but I sensed the fear in my brother’s tone. They saw the suave head of the Santiago family reacting to a threat against us. I saw a husband and father concerned for the family he’d only just recently started.

I sighed, knowing he was right. I needed to help. “No, keep going.” Those bastards had threatened his mate, my brother-in-law, and their unborn baby. There wasn’t anything more pressing than neutralizing that threat.

But Eric was a close second.

Lorenzo crossed his arms over his chest. “The Dombrusos have some long-standing connections.”

“So do we.” I held his stare, unsure of where he was going with this.

“We could use more connections. Some alliances that aren’t just handshake deals would go a long way in this fight.”

Marriage. Of course. Tying two families together. That was what he meant. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him we could have had an alliance with Dominic’s family, if he hadn’t killed all of them, but he didn’t want to hear my sarcasm right then. That, and Dominic’s family was terrible, and I didn’t want to ally with them anyway.

“The Vetrovas have an omega of marrying age,” Tobias added. Unhelpfully.

As Lorenzo’s second-in-command, it made sense for me to take a husband who would further our family’s influence and connection. But I had no desire to do that. Sure, I wanted our family’s position solidified, but there were other means to do it. Handshake deals may not have been written in marriage vows, but they were just as good.

I needed an out. “He’s barely of age.”

“It’s something to think on,” Lorenzo said. “Don’t forget we have Jeremiah.”

“Oh, hell no.” My fists automatically curled at the suggestion. “You aren’t using our omega brother as a bargaining chip.”

Lorenzo grimaced.

I saw it again, the desperation of a man trying to keep his family safe while navigating the corrupt world we lived in.

“Of course not,” he said. “These are just last-resort options.

I nodded, hoping he was truly only considering an arranged marriage as a worst case. I certainly was. “We’ll take care of the Dombrusos. If you’d like, Orsino and I can spend some time visiting and glad-handing with our allies. We’ll remind them why they partner with us.” I didn’t want to spend more time away from home, away from Eric, but this was what I needed to do for the family. I supported Lorenzo by fostering our family’s connections.

It was my role.

That seemed to appease Lorenzo. For now. “I want to add additional protection to Dominic’s personal guard. You and Orsino should think about taking one on as well.”

We had considered it, but more than anything, we needed to make sure those near us were trustworthy. It wasn’t time to bring new people into the fold. “You’ll be adding more to your staff as well.”

That wasn’t up for debate. One of my roles in my brother’s household was to keep him safe. Tobias was his head of security, but many of the decisions for Lorenzo’s protection came from me. I couldn’t trust that Lorenzo would do what was best for himself.

He would always protect his family before himself.

Lorenzo gritted his teeth. “If I must.”

Protecting Lorenzo’s family would also protect the omegas within our home. That included Eric.

That omega had gotten under my skin in a way no other man ever had. As part of the harem staffing our home, he was always available to all the alphas within our employ. Omega harems were meant to keep our alphas from having to seek out trouble.

After my first night with Eric over a year ago, I knew I couldn’t share him.

And every other alpha in the house quickly learned that too. He might’ve lived with the omegas in the harem, but he was not one of them. He was mine.

That also meant when I didn’t have time for him, he was alone. Which I hated. I never wanted the smile on his face to drop or the light in his eyes to dim. And, as much as I didn’t like to admit it, I missed him when I didn’t see him for a day or two.

It was easy for Lorenzo and Dominic because those two weren’t kept in separate wings of the house. Dominic could stop by Lorenzo’s office, or Lorenzo could visit wherever Dominic was without anyone thinking anything of it.

The same couldn’t be said for Eric and me.

The past week of tracking down the Dombruso family, not just Vince but all his extended family who were vying for power, and trying to get information on where they were and what they had planned against us required more meetings and chasing tips than I was used to. We didn’t usually have these kinds of threats to our position as one of the stronghold families, but since my brother took over for my dad, the power struggles had begun.

At least as other families were concerned.

If they thought Lorenzo wasn’t capable of running our family businesses with the same ruthlessness my father showed, they’d be in for a fatal surprise. We would dispose of our enemies swiftly and without mercy.

And anyone who threatened a Santiago, threatened all the Santiagos. We didn’t take threats lightly.

Lorenzo opened his mouth to continue strategizing, as if we could go over any more details without our brains frying. We knew all about the Dombruso family. They were similar to ours, with the oldest alpha in charge, the other two working underneath him. Like Lorenzo, Vince Dombruso had recently taken over and was likely looking for a way to show his worth to the world.

He picked the wrong family to fuck with.

The only member of the family we didn’t have a lot of information on was the youngest alpha, Felik. He didn’t appear to be involved in the family business. In fact, it seemed he had disappeared from the face of the Earth. Killed by his family or working undercover somewhere? We didn’t know details, and Lorenzo hated when we didn’t know something.

My phone buzzed just as Lorenzo walked out of the room, apparently done for now. Although, I’d missed whatever his parting instructions were while lost in my head. With him gone, I glanced up at Tobias. I would have to ask him later what our marching orders were.

He had his phone out, so I took that as permission to check mine. It was from Eric, and my belly did that annoying little flutter it always did when I thought about him.

Hope you’re having a great day.

Fuck, why was he so sweet?

I am. Busy, but all good. How are you doing?

Fine. Thinking of you. Wishing you were here. Um…are you gonna be here anytime soon?

The bubbles popped up like he was still writing, but then they went away. Apparently, he was keeping the rest of his thoughts to himself.

He didn’t typically initiate conversation with me. Then again, I never went so long without a visit to him.

Perhaps a gift would help. I liked bringing him things whenever I traveled. Showering him with gifts was what I did best. Thanks to me, Eric was the proud owner of designer clothes, shoes, and jewelry. However, it was when I gifted him a potted plant–a simple golden pothos that had been on clearance and for some reason made me think of him–that he really showed his appreciation.

His eyes had lit up like starlight, and the corners crinkled with joy. It wasn’t just a smile. It was an experience. His delight at the simple gift was like a dose of a drug, and now the addiction to it ran through my veins. I’d do whatever I could to have that experience again. Each smile he gave me was just a hint at the true experience within, just waiting for me to come up with the right words, the right actions for it to happen again.

I’ll try to stop by tonight. Don’t wait up. I’ll wake you if I can make it.

It would be a miracle if I could sneak away for a few hours to see Eric, but every now and then, miracles happened.

TTYL.

OK. I could feel so much disappointment in those two letters. I hated making empty promises, but until this shit with the Dombruso family was dealt with, no one was safe.

Not even the staff, and certainly not my sweet little Eric.