Despite his obvious hesitation, Lucian still showed up a few days later to give Roseanne the crash course she had demanded.
"I really think it's better if you stay out of this," he whispered, slipping off his shoes as he stepped into the house.
Roseanne quickly grabbed his hand and led him inside the house. They stopped in the dining room, away from Kaden who was absorbed in drawing and cartoons unaware of the tension in the air.
"Matteo found me."
Lucian's eyes went wide, panic flashing like lightning. His entire posture stiffened as if the floor beneath them had turned into a cliff's edge. "What!?"
Roseanne let out a long sigh. "I don't even know where to start. It's been a crazy week. I just… need you to tell me something, anything, so I'm not completely blind. You know I have to make sure Kaden stays safe."
Lucian clenched his jaw, his fingers tightening around hers. "What exactly do you want to know?"
"Everything." Roseanne stared at him without blinking. "I know enough to suspect they're not clean. I found a gun taped under Galen's desk once. I've seen him come home reeking of blood."
They sat down across from each other. Lucian exhaled slowly, the tension in his shoulders palpable. "Start with Matteo. What did he want from you? What did he say?"
"He said he only wanted to say hi… to Kaden," Roseanne explained. "But I have a feeling he wanted me to do something and it's connected to my boss."
"Your boss? Who… Ms. Gjorgiev?"
"Mr. Romano…"
Lucian's reaction was instantaneous, like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him. His eyes sharpened, deadly serious. "How the fuck do you know a Romano?"
"He's apparently Ms. Gjorgiev's distant cousin. He's been filling in for her while she's on holiday," Roseanne explained quickly, her words spilling out as panic crept in at the sharp change in Lucian's expression.
She added, voice low but urgent, "Someone mentioned the Romano family are called the Dragons." The memory of Mr. Hansley's warning flashed in her mind. "What does that mean?"
Lucian didn't answer right away. He just stared at her for a long moment as if weighing how much to reveal before finally speaking.
"There are four families. The Romano family, the Grant family, the Archer family, and the Mancini family. Out of all of them, the Romanos are the ones you shouldn't get involved with."
Roseanne pressed her lips together, listening intently. "They're all billionaires."
"They are," Lucian said, glancing toward Kaden to make sure the boy wasn't listening. His voice dropped to a whisper. "But most of their wealth comes from illegal operations. They've basically built entire criminal empires. They're syndicates, through and through."
Criminal empires. Syndicates. The words were heavier than she expected. She had imagined corrupt families, maybe a few violent gangsters. But empires? That meant organization, structure, and hierarchy.
"What's my father's role in this?" she asked.
Lucian's eyes darkened. "He's an associate of the Mancinis. He cleans up their messes, bribes the right people… makes sure no one asks too many questions. He's their lawyer."
"And what's yours?"
He let out a short, humorless chuckle. "My family does the same. We run their businesses."
"Illegal business?"
"Yes," he said bluntly.
"Do you… carry a gun everywhere? Like Galen?"
"Depends on the situation. But not here, Rose. Never here."
It was a lot to process. Her mind raced a hundred miles per hour, questions forming faster than she could speak.
"Do you guys… kill people?"
Lucian's expression darkened, colder than before. Their fingers remained tangled, a small, grounding gesture, but his eyes carried a weight she had never seen. For the first time since they became close, Roseanne saw a side of him she had never imagined.
"Yes," he said quietly, his voice low and steady. "If it's necessary."
Roseanne exhaled and gave a reluctant nod. "Alright… but when you said I shouldn't get involved with the Romanos, why is that?"
"Because our relationship with them isn't exactly… friendly."
"What do you mean by that?" she pressed, frowning.
"Everyone in these businesses knows it. The Mancinis and the Romanos have never been on good terms. There's a long history behind it. And we're part of the Mancinis."
This complicated things. Roseanne stared down at their intertwined fingers. How could she even begin to explain to Lucian that she had been more than involved with a Romano?
That Kaden's father was Czar?
And most importantly, what exactly was Czar to the Romano family?
"Here," Lucian said, guiding her gaze as he rested a hand on Roseanne's wrist. He tapped it gently. "This is where the Romanos usually get their tattoos. Or here," he added, moving to her upper arm. "The dragon—that's their family crest."
Tattoo?
"How do I tell the difference between them and normal people who just happen to have a dragon tattoo?"
"It's not hard," Lucian replied. "You'll recognize it when you see it. The design itself is simple. The only color is in the eyes."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Green means they're the lowest rank—bodyguards, runners, subordinates. Blue means they hold some power. Lawyers, associates, assistants. Red…" His voice lowered slightly. "Red means they're part of the Romano family. Blood relatives."
Roseanne pressed her lips together as a distant memory surfaced. A tattoo… had she seen one before?
That night.
Most of it was a blur now. She could only recall scattered pieces of it. The warmth of his body against hers, their fingers intertwined, their breaths mixing as their lips met again and again. His kisses had been relentless, almost desperate as if the night would end too soon.
Still, she remembered a dragon tattoo.
Except it hadn't been on the wrist.
And it hadn't been green, blue, or red.
"Is it possible that the tattoo isn't on their wrists?" Roseanne asked carefully.
Lucian frowned at her question.
"Like… on their back?" she added carefully. "And the eyes weren't any of the colors you mentioned."
Instead of answering right away, he studied her face. His expression tightening before he finally spoke.
"What color were they?"
"Gold," Roseanne said quietly. "They were bright gold."
Lucian's jaw hardened. "Tell me the truth, Rose. Where did you see it and how did you get involved with him?"
"It's…" Her voice trailed off, hesitation clear in her eyes.
"Because there's only one person allowed to have gold eyes," Lucian continued, "And that person is the current head of the Romano family."