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CHAPTER EIGHTY - FIVE ROSE AMARA'S POV After knocking on the office's door, I open it and step inside. I pause when I find an unknown man sitting across from my granduncle. 'Rose. Come in." Uncle River motions at me to join him, so I close the door and do just that, bluntly watching the new man. He appears to be in his mid to late forties. His large frame dwarfs his dark suit. His brown hair is styled back, and he's sitting nonchalantly. It's not so threatening as to attract attention, but it's not slack either, like he's ready to jump up any second. It's so similar to… Ethan's. Tattoos cover the backs of his hands, and they don't appear like the ones I recognize from the Bratva, the Triads, or the Yakuza. He's watching me as intently as I'm watching him, like we're two predators before a fight over who owns a territory. 'This is Rose." Uncle River introduced me. 'So she's the one Ethan married." the stranger observes quietly. British accent. Wait, could he be… 'Are you…Ethan's…" 'Godfather, yes. My official name is Ghost, but you can call me Julian." "You're the one who told him he's dangerous." My voice rises. "Why would you say something like that to him? Don't you know he lost his parents when he was freaking five? They were murdered before his eyes, and he could never receive love after that. That's why he becomes overprotective—he doesn't want to lose more people. He says you Rosesed and knew him his entire life, so how could you make him believe he's defective?" "Because he is." Julian remains calm, not a single muscle moving in his face. "He was defective from a young age and will never love normally or have fairytale characteristics. He's obsessive, driven, and can become reckless sometimes. It's who he is, and it will never change." 'Who told you I wanted to change him? I accept him the way he is." My lips part at that confession because it's true. I do accept him the way he is. I even love those darker parts of him, the overprotectiveness, the possessiveness, how he makes me feel like I'm his world. I love everything about him, from his infuriating passive-aggressive attitude to how he provokes me and everything in between. I love him. I just love him, and that's what has been breaking my heart since I woke up to find a letter in his place. 'No wonder he said he drove you to the point of no return," Julian muses. My heart picks up speed. 'Have you talked to him?" 'Yes, some time ago." I leave Uncle River's side and stand in front of him. 'Where is he? What is he doing?" 'Last time I checked, he was trying to kill Rolan." "He's not dead." I chance to glance at Uncle River. "Right?" 'No, he isn't," my granduncle confirms. 'Then…where is he?" Julian forms a steeple at his chin. 'I suspect something went wrong." 'What?" My voice sounds as spooked as I feel. "When I talked to him, I believe he was interrupted." 'Interrupted by what?" 'The question is who." 'What happened?" 'That's what I'm here to find out." Julian stares at his watch. 'If Rolan has a demand, he would make it about now." 'You think Rolan has him?" "I'm almost sure. Ethan went there to kill him, and since he's not dead, the situation slipped out of control." I brace myself against the chair, sucking in a deep breath. The idiot. Why did he have to go there? Why did he jeopardize himself like that? He'll be okay, right? It's Ethan, after all. No one will be able to hurt him. Uncle River's office phone goes off, its ringing echoing in the silence of the space. My head jerks up at the sound. Granduncle picks it up and puts it on speaker. River Amber." 'Rolan Fitzpatrick. How have ye been, River?" The unmistakable voice with the Irish accent slips through the phone. My fingers dig into the cushion of the chair. 'Good, good." 'Unfortunately, the piece of news I have might ruin yer mood." 'What happened?" 'Sadly, I was attacked by one of your closest men. Your grandniece's husband, I believe. How unfortunate." 'Where is he?" Uncle River asks slowly, not losing his cool, which is far different from how I'm barely holding on. 'He's with the lads downstairs. How unfortunate, indeed." He has a provocative way of speaking, slow but meant to get on your nerves. 'What do you want?" Uncle River asks. "Not much. Just the territories you've been slaughtering my lads over. Hand me those, and I'll hand ye, yer in-law." 'You think I would ever give up brotherhood territories?" 'Does that mean you'd rather give him up? Unfortunate. Very unfortunate." Rolan pauses. 'I'll give ye a day to think about it. After that, I'll send ye his head." The line goes dead, and I stagger against the chair. My stomach churns, and I grab it as I slowly sit down. 'Are you okay?" Uncle River asks me. 'I'm…not." My voice catches at the end, but I swallow and meet his gaze. 'We have to do something." "I won't give up Bratva's territories, not even for my own daughter. After all, dozens of men died to secure them. The leaders would kill Ethan instead of making the brotherhood appear weak." I know that. I know it, and yet, my brain is fried. All I keep thinking about is the image of Ethan's head. Shit. My stomach lurches again, and the need to vomit hits me out of nowhere. I breathe deeply to shoo the sensation away. I can't fall down now. If I do, I won't be able to protect Ethan and our unborn child. Sucking in a deep breath, I face Uncle River. 'Can you call a meeting? I have a plan."