Chapter 292: The Anonymous Message

"I don’t want to leave him," Eve said. "I love him. But I’m also terrified. And I’m angry that he didn’t tell me about the warehouse hit. I had to find out from some anonymous texter."

"He didn’t tell you because i just told him a couple of hours ago Eve, and since he didn’t tell you immediately, he was trying to protect you," Mike said quietly. "To keep that part of his world separate from you."

"But I don’t want it separate," Eve said. "I want to know what I’m dealing with. I want to make informed decisions."

Mike was quiet for a moment.

"Okay," he said finally. "Let me tell you what you’re actually dealing with, as your brother and as someone who works in this world."

He took a breath.

"Dimitri is one of the most powerful men in New York. He runs multiple operations, import/export, real estate, financial services, and yes, some things that exist in legal gray areas. He has people working for him who are loyal to the point of death. He’s ruthless when he needs to be, but he’s also fair. He doesn’t hurt innocent people unless they force him to."

"That’s not reassuring," Eve said.

"I’m not trying to reassure you," Mike replied. "I’m trying to be honest. The warehouse hit...that was Dante Romano escalating the war against Dimitri. Dante sent men to kill him on an island, and now he’s hitting our operations to destabilize us. That’s the reality of the world Dimitri operates in."

"And what about me?" Eve asked. "What’s my reality, brother?"

"Your reality is that you’re safer with Dimitri than you’d be anywhere else," Mike said flatly. "Because he will kill anyone who threatens you. I’ve seen him do it. I’ve watched him eliminate threats without hesitation. And I can tell you with absolute certainty that he would burn the entire world down before he let anything happen to you."

Eve cried harder at that.

"How is that supposed to make me feel better?" she asked.

"It’s not supposed to make you feel better," Mike said gently. "It’s supposed to make you feel safe. And there’s a difference."

He pulled her against his chest, and she let herself cry into his shoulder like she had when she was younger and the world was simpler.

"Does it get easier?" Eve asked when she could speak again. "Being part of this world?"

"Yes and no," Mike said honestly. "You accept it. You understand that the people you love live in a reality that’s more complicated than most people’s. You make peace with the fact that danger exists but that the people you care about are capable of handling it. And you trust them."

"I do trust him," Eve whispered. "That’s not the issue."

"Then what is the issue?" Mike asked.

"I’m scared," Eve said simply. "I’m scared that one day he won’t come home. That one of these operations will go wrong. That Dante will succeed. That I’ll lose him."

Mike was quiet for a long moment.

"That’s a legitimate fear," he finally said. "And it’s something you’re going to have to come to terms with if you stay with him. But Eve..." He pulled back so he could look at her face. "Dimitri is incredibly good at what he does. He’s strategic, he’s careful, and he’s surrounded by people who are loyal to him. The chances of something happening to him are lower than they would be with anyone else in his position."

"That’s still not zero," Eve said.

"No," Mike agreed. "But life has no guarantees anyway. You could leave him right now and get hit by a taxi tomorrow. You could stay with him and live to be ninety. There’s no way to know. All you can do is decide if the person is worth the risk."

Eve thought about that.

Thought about Dimitri teaching her to shoot. Thought about him making love to her in the bathroom. Thought about the way he held her like she was the most precious thing in the world. Thought about the way he said "I love you" like it was a vow.

"He is," Eve said quietly. "He’s worth the risk."

"Then you tell him that," Mike said. "But you also tell him that you need more information. You need to know what’s happening so you can make informed decisions about your own safety. He doesn’t get to protect you by keeping you in the dark."

Eve nodded.

"I will," she said.

Mike squeezed her shoulder.

"For what it’s worth," he said, "I’m glad you’re with him. Because I know he’ll keep you safe. And I know you make him happy in a way he wasn’t happy before. So whatever happens, I support you."

Eve hugged her brother tightly.

"Thank you for coming," she said. "For listening. For being honest with me."

"Always," Mike said. "That’s what big brothers do."

They talked for another hour, about the warehouse hit, about Dante, about the operations, about what Eve could expect moving forward. By the time Mike left, Eve had a clearer picture of the world she’d chosen to enter.

It was dangerous. It was complicated. It was nothing like the life she’d lived before.

But it was worth it. Because the man at the center of it was worth it.

***

Dimitri got home around 7 AM.

He looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes, tension in his shoulders, the weight of running an empire visible on his face.

Eve was waiting for him in the kitchen with fresh coffee and breakfast that Nonna had prepared before leaving for her morning errands.

"Hi," Eve said simply.

Dimitri stopped, studying her carefully.

"Hi, Cara Mia," he replied cautiously. "You’re awake early."

"I couldn’t sleep," Eve said. "And I got a text from someone claiming to know about the island and about what you do."

She watched his expression harden.

"Who sent it?" he asked, his voice becoming cold.

"I don’t know," Eve said. "Unknown number. But it made me realize something."

She gestured for him to sit, and he did, across from her at the kitchen island.