Chapter 26

Savina~

Nero Sartori's house was just as I had imagined. It was a beautifully decorated fortress, and with the number of guards that surrounded the property, it was clear that Nero took his wife's safety more seriously than was probably sane. Granted, Kasen Sartori was carrying the Sartori heir, but I knew enough about Nero to know that he'd probably be this way with her, regardless.

Two days later, I had no idea what Ashton was up to, but I knew that I couldn't keep on like this. I had a life, a job, and clients, and I could only put that off for so long. So, when Aurelio had told me that he had to meet with Nero today, insisting that I accompany him, I knew that it'd been stupid of me to believe that Aurelio didn't know that I was up to something. After all, the man knew me better than anyone else, something that hadn't changed with time.

When we had walked into Nero's home, I'd been surprised that we hadn't been greeted. Even knowing how close Aurelio was to Nero, I still hadn't expected it. Though Aurelio's new role within the family was that of consigliere, I had still expected the formalities that went along with the title. Aurelio having free reign of Nero's private residence had been a real eye opener.

I'd also been surprised when Nero had greeted me civilly and kindly. Though he'd been decent enough to me the other day, he was still the Sartori Boss, and his title alone made a person think twice before approaching him. Nevertheless, our visit seemed very informal, even though I knew that Aurelio was here to talk business. While he hadn't told me so, I knew Aurelio well enough to know that he'd never disrespect Nero by going after Ashton without Nero's approval. After all, Ashton was outside Sartori territory.

Still, things hadn't become uncomfortable until both men had closed themselves off in Nero's office, leaving me to wait in the sitting area. While the servants and guards were doing their thing, I felt rather conspicuous being here.

"Don't make me kill you."

I turned back on the couch to see a very pregnant Kasen Sartori making her way down the stairs, a guard trying to help her, though she clearly didn't need it.

"Mrs. Sartori-"

"I mean it, Russio," she bit out. "I'm tired of being in bed. I will burn this entire house to the ground if you don't get out of my way."

"Mr. Sartori is going to-"

"Nero isn't going to do a damn thing," she harrumphed, and the conviction in her voice made me wonder if she actually knew who she was married to. "Besides, we have guests."

My eyes rounded when I realized that she was talking about me. Knowing my place in the hierarchy, I immediately stood up. "I…I can keep an eye on her," I muttered, not sure if I was overstepping or not.

"See?" she said, eyeing Russio. "I'll be fine."

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Russio did the sign of the cross before saying, "I'll be right over there, Mrs. Sartori."

In a voice a lot more calmer than before, Kasen Sartori said, "Thank you, Russio."

It took everything that I had in me not to assist her as she approached the couch, but I managed. "Mrs. Sartori," I greeted when she neared the couch.

"Call me Kasen," she allowed graciously as she lowered herself onto the couch. "As much as I love my husband, being call Mrs. Sartori all damn day long gets tiresome."

I tried not to grin. "I bet."

Kasen smiled at me, and though she'd always been an extremely beautiful woman from what I could remember, pregnancy looked good on her, and she really was glowing when I'd always believed that glowing during pregnancy had been a myth. Kasen Sartori was gorgeous with her black hair, hazel eyes, and stunning face, and she was also probably going to be one of those lucky women that lost all the baby fat one month after giving birth.

"It's good to meet you officially, Savina," she said. "I remember your family."

"I'm surprise that you remember me," I replied honestly. "You hadn't been to many…uh, functions that I could recall. Last I heard, you had become a lawyer and had been allowed to have a different kind of life."

"Yeah, see how well that worked out for me," she snorted, making me grin.

I gestured towards her stomach. "Congratulations, by the way."

Kasen cocked her head as she regarded me carefully. "You know, there isn't anything that Nero doesn't tell me."

The warmth on my face was immediate. Though I was certain that she hadn't said that to embarrass me, I still felt the sting of all my mistakes like a slap in the face. "That's…uh, unusual," I replied, partly to buy some time, and partly because it was true.

Instead of getting offended, Kasen just smiled. "Nero's rather unusual."

As I stared at the most powerful woman that I knew, I decided to reach deep inside my heart for some faith. While I didn't know Kasen Sartori beyond who she was, and while the woman didn't owe me anything, I had no one else to talk to. My parents weren't an option, and Aurelio was too emotionally invested in this clusterfuck to be objective.

"What would you do?" I asked, finally acknowledging what she'd said.

She looked pensive, but her eyes softened at my question. "Do you love Aurelio?"

I nodded. "I wouldn't be in this situation if I didn't."

Not caring about all the ears around us, she said, "If it were me, I'd find a way around the rules and do what needed to be done."

I let out a heavy sigh. "That's a lot easier said than done."

"Not really," she replied easily. "If there's anyone that knows all the players in this game well enough to outsmart them, it's you. While I understand anger, regret, love, and revenge, there is something more at play that is way more important than any of those things. In fact, it's the most important thing in the world."

"What's that?"

"Peace," she answered. "The peace that you can only find when you're able to look at yourself in the mirror with no regrets." Her entire face softened. "How long has it been since you've felt that, Savina?"

"Not since the day that I walked away from Aurelio," I admitted.

"You won't be any good to Aurelio, and you'll never be able to build something sustainable between you if you're not at peace with your past," she said. "It's one thing to have regrets, it's quite another to live in those regrets. If you're unable to sleep at night, how are you going to be able to love him during the day?"

"He'll hate me," I whispered, feeling the truth down to the marrow of my bones.

"I can't lie and say that he won't be furious with you, but he won't hate you," she replied, sounding confident.

"How can you know that?"

"Because men like Aurelio Provenza love only once in a lifetime, Savina," she said softly. "If he was capable of hating you, then he would have perfected the ability during these past three years. Instead, he's ready to go to war for you."

"How do you know that?" I asked, fiddling with the ring that I still wore.

"Because Nero tells me everything," she repeated. "I know that Ashton Oliver lives in O'Brien territory, and I also know what that means for the Sartoris if Aurelio goes after Ashton without Declan's blessing."

"I can't have Aurelio owing Declan O'Brien anything."

Kasen grinned. "Spoken like someone that knows exactly what she's doing."

"I also can't have the Sartoris going to war over me," I added. "Over something that…something that really is my fault."

Her hazel eyes got serious. "Then you better hurry up and make your move, Savina. I know for a fact that Aurelio and Nero are in his office right now, discussing all the logistics of going after Ashton Oliver. So, if you want to get to Ashton before all hell breaks loose, then you need to do something soon."

"Aurelio doesn't let me out of his sight," I told her. "In fact, I'm pretty sure that he drugged me last night."

"You're out of his sight now," she pointed out.

"Are you saying that no one will stop me if I leave right now?" I asked incredulously.

"No," she answered. "I'm just saying that he probably lets you out of his sight more than you realized, but you can't see it because you're trapped in his house." She shrugged. "All you have to do is un-trap yourself."

She made it sound so simple, and for a woman like her, it probably was.