But Too Well

LVII : Cynicism

Hey everyone. Thank you to those readers who have supported this story. You inspire me to write more! I'm in the process of wrapping up But Too Well. Maybe another 5 or 10 chapters. How do you think it should end? What are your ideas? PM me or leave me a review to let me know!

Special shout-out to @Rima_xoxo4ever for your endless support, since the beginning.

To all my fellow Raptors fans out there... This update is to celebrate. Enjoy. (I mean, it's a pretty heavy chapter, not very celebratory, but it's the thought that counts! ;) )

XOXO Ami

***

THE NEXT WEEK, I try to collect as much information as possible from my family and the internet without making anyone suspicious.

Wednesday after work, Natalia and I dissect the events of Monday night, coming to a few conclusions.

"So, Marco and Luca and Gabriel and Angelo think that they can strike a deal to pin it on the Santirellis, so everyone walks off free?" My voice sounds as confused as my jumbled thoughts.

Natalia shrugs, falling backwards onto my carpet. "I can't believe my idiot cousins became traitors." She tries to sound indifferent, but I can hear an edge of hurt behind her voice. "Marco?" She mutters an Italian obscenity under her breath.

"Why would they agree to something like that?" I take another sip of hot coffee, leaning against the legs of my couch.

She huffs. "Because he has dirt on everybody. He created the perfect plan for himself. He and his buddies make a deal with Nero. They won't rat him out if he doesn't rat them out. And then they don't have to kill him, and he doesn't have to kill them."

"And he gets the satisfaction of knowing they've sold their souls to the devil."

"And the Santirellis get their asses handed to them. Everyone else can go their separate ways."

We fall into a heavy, tired silence.

A thought nags at the edge of my mind. "Do you think he'll consider it?"

She studies me for a moment, trying to read my intentions. We know each other impossibly well by now. "Do you think he should?"

More silence. Eventually, I breathe, "Yeah. I think he should."

Natalia narrows her eyes. "Rosalyn. He's just starting to climb out of this hole of shit and blood and you want him to crawl back in? Marco is a monster. His men are heartless, cruel sociopaths with absolutely no honor. They can't be trusted."

I don't want to upset her, because I know how sure she is about this. I'm still walking on thin ice around her.

But at the same time, she's practically family, and if I've learned anything over the last couple of years, you should tell your family the truth.

"To be honest, I just want this to all be over. Hasn't this crap been going on long enough?"

She gives me a wry smile. Raising an eyebrow she shakes her head a little. "It has. But, Rosalyn, you just jumped head first into it again. What did you think would happen?"

Ouch. But she's not being unkind, just pragmatic and brutally honest, like always.

"I don't think I was thinking with my head," I mumble, regretting the words as they leave my mouth.

A sly, knowing look fills her perfect face. "No, I don't think you were."

I try getting back to the issue at hand. "But don't you think Marco is as suspicious of Nero as Nero is of him? Surely the mutual destruction is enough motivation for him to leave Nero alone at the end of all this."