Chapter 43 Victoria
VICTORIA
My phone rang at 12:47am.
I was already awake—I couldn't sleep; I hadn't been sleeping well since I'd heard the rumours about Jeremy hiding someone in Brooklyn. Some girl. Someone he was protecting despite the complications it could create.
Someone who might ruin everything we'd planned.
The number was Jeremy's.
I answered. "You shot my investigator?"
"He was watching someone under my protection. Taking photos. Reporting to you." Jeremy's voice was controlled, but I could hear the anger underneath. "What the hell, Victoria?"
"I heard rumours. You are protecting some girls. Hiding her in a Brooklyn safe house." I sat up and turned on the bedside lamp. "Our arrangement requires discretion, Jeremy. If you're getting attached to someone—"
"I'm not getting attached."
"Then why are you hiding a blind girl in a safe house? Why did you trade the Brooklyn docks to get her away from Antonio? Why are you protecting her at all?" I paused. "People are talking, Jeremy. Both our families are hearing things. And if this girl compromises our arrangement—"
"She won't."
"Are you sure? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're doing exactly what I warned you not to do. You're getting attached. You're letting someone matter to you. And that's dangerous for both of us."
There was silence on the other end.
"I needed to know who she was," I continued. "Needed to know if she was going to be a problem. If I need to adjust our plan. If we need to have a conversation with our families about—"
"There's nothing to adjust. She's just someone I'm protecting temporarily. It's not—it's not what you think."
"Isn't it?" I stood and walked to the window. "Jeremy, I'm not your enemy. We're in this together, remember? We both have people we care about. We both need this arrangement to work so we can have the freedom to pursue those relationships privately. But if you're falling for this girl—if you're getting serious about her—that affects both of us."
"I know," he said.
"Do you? Because shooting my investigator suggests you're more invested than you're admitting."
"He was a threat to her safety. That's all."
"He was a private investigator taking photos from a public street. The only threat he posed was to our arrangement." I softened my voice. "Look, I'm not asking you to stop protecting her. I'm asking you to be smart about it. Be discreet. Don't let this become something that forces you to make a choice between her and the Family. Because that choice won't end well for anyone."
More silence. Then he said, "I'm handling it."
"Are you? I asked. Because the Jeremy I know doesn't trade valuable territory for someone who means nothing to him. The Jeremy I know doesn't shoot investigators over someone he's just 'protecting temporarily.'" I paused. "You're falling for her. Maybe you don't realise it yet, but you are. And when you do realise it, you're going to have to decide what that means."
"Victoria—"
"I'm not judging you. I'm telling you what I see. And what I see is someone getting in deeper than he planned." I moved back to the bed. "Just be careful, Jeremy. For both our sakes. Because if your father realizes you're compromised, if my family thinks you're backing out of our arrangement—"
"I'm not backing out," he shouted over the phone.
"Good. Then we don't have a problem. Just—keep your blind girl hidden. Keep this quiet. And for God's sake, stop shooting people over her. It draws attention we don't need."
"The investigator will live."
"I know. I already got the call from the hospital." I sighed. "I'm calling off the surveillance. You've made your point. But Jeremy—if this situation changes, if she becomes more than just protection, you need to tell me. We need to coordinate. Plan. Figure out how to handle this without destroying what we've built."
"Understood."
"And Jeremy? Whoever she is—the girl you're protecting. I hope she's worth it. I hope she's worth risking everything for. Because that's what you're doing, whether you realise it or not."
I hung up before he could respond.
Then I sat on my bed and stared at my phone.
Jeremy Santoro was falling in love.
He didn't know it yet. Probably wouldn't admit it if he did.
But I could hear it in his voice. In the way he'd reacted when someone watched her. In the way he'd shot a man just for taking her photograph.
That wasn't just protection.
That was possessiveness. Obsession.
The beginning of something that could destroy our carefully constructed arrangement.
Or—if handled correctly—something that could work in both our favours.
I picked up my phone and dialled a different number.
"Matteo." My voice was soft when he answered. "I know it's late. I just needed to hear your voice."
"Victoria?" his voice was immediately concerned. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Everything. I don't know." I lay back on the bed. "How much longer do we have to keep doing this? Pretending?"
"As long as it takes. You know that."
"I know. I just—sometimes I wonder if it's worth it. All this secrecy. All these games."
"It's worth it. We're worth it." His voice was firm. Certain. "One day we won't have to hide. One day our families will accept us. Until then—"
"Until then we play our parts."
"Exactly."
I closed my eyes. "Jeremy's in the same position. With some girl he's protecting. I think he's falling for her."
"Is that good or bad for us?"
"I don't know yet. But I'm going to find out." I paused. "If Jeremy and I both have someone else, if we can both prove to our families that we're better off ending the engagement—"
Matteo signed and said, "Don't get ahead of yourself. One step at a time."
He was right. But still.
Maybe Jeremy's blind girl was an opportunity.
Maybe we could help each other.
Maybe there was a way out of this arrangement that benefited everyone.
But first, I needed to know more about her.
Who she was. What she meant to Jeremy. Whether she was strong enough to survive his world.
Because if she wasn't—if she couldn't handle being with a Santoro—then she'd destroy him.
And that would destroy our arrangement too.
I'd give Jeremy space for now. Let him figure out his feelings.
But I'd be watching.
Discreetly this time.
Because we were in this together, whether he wanted to admit it or not.
And I'd protect our arrangement.
Even if that meant protecting him from himself.
JEREMY
I hung up and stared at my phone.
Victoria was right. About all of it.
I was getting attached. Getting invested. Getting in deeper than I'd planned.
And I had no idea what to do about it.
Because every logical part of my brain said Amelia was a complication I couldn't afford. A liability. A risk.
But every other part of me—the parts I didn't understand, didn't want to examine too closely—those parts said she was worth the risk.
Worth the territory I'd traded. Worth shooting investigators. Worth everything.
I just didn't know why.
And until I figured that out, I needed to keep her hidden and keep her safe.
Keep her away from the questions I wasn't ready to answer.
I climbed out of the car and headed for the safe house entrance.
Time to make sure Amelia understood how important it was that she stay inside.
Even if I couldn't explain why.
Even if I didn't understand it myself.