It was weird seeing him hug Alex.
She was his exception.
Luca gripped Alex’s ass and lifted her feet off the ground, rubbing this rare moment of affection in our faces. He pressed his body against hers, but his attention was on us. He was taking her away from Bastian and me because he could. And because he knew we wouldn’t fight him.
We never did.
Bastian was the only one who ever challenged Luca. And with something as crucial to our family as a marriage, we couldn’t interfere. In the end, either Luca or Marcello had to marry her.
I held up my hands, gesturing that I’d back off. Luca snapped his head toward Bastian, waiting for his nonverbal response.
He nodded, but I could see his chest deflate, his shoulders sinking. Bastian had it bad for Alex. He thought we had a real shot at happiness with her.
We owed everything to the Salvatores. As scared orphans with nowhere to go, our father and brothers welcomed us into their home. So even though it killed both of us to let Alex go, we didn’t have a choice.
Luca wanted her.
And she was his… until she wasn’t anymore.
CHAPTER 17
DAMIAN
I woke up in the dark, staring at the black walls of my bedroom, heart pounding in my chest. Another nightmare. The dreams worsened since the day Luca claimed Alex.
In each dream, I lost Bastian.
That was my worst fear, the one thing I dreaded more than anything. He’d been distant and wouldn’t let me touch him. Our dynamic was off because of Alex.
We still saw her at school. But Luca kept her at his side like a dog. Sometimes, he put her on his knee and stroked her hair to piss us off. She thought he was being sweet and melted into his arms. Alex didn’t know he was only being nice to fuck with our heads.
To fuck with hers.
Drenched in sweat, I sat up and slid my legs off the side of the mattress. Running a hand through my black, damp hair, I brushed the longer strands off my forehead. My skin was hot and sticky, and for a moment, it still felt like I’d lost Bastian.
The dream was too real.
In my mind, I saw his blood on the cold, stone floor. His neck snapped, and his head turned to the side. I didn’t know where we were—maybe on Skull Island for The Devil’s Knights initiation.
Our dad said it would be the hardest two months of our lives. He said we would bleed and hurt and wish we were dead before we left the island.
I couldn’t lose Bastian.
And yet, I was.
He was pulling away.
I crept out of my bedroom in the middle of the night, desperate to see Bastian, needing to know he was okay. That he was still breathing.
Slipping inside his room, I closed the door and got in bed with him. Bash was curled up on his right side, cradling the pillow with his lips parted. In sleep, he looked peaceful. I watched his chest rise and fall, blowing out a relieved breath that he was alive.
He’s safe.
I rolled onto my side to face him and grabbed his hand, threading my fingers between his. The sudden movement caused him to rock into me, tightening his grip on my hand. A tiny smile turned up the corners of his mouth.
I brushed the messy brown hair off his forehead and kissed his skin. It had been a while since I’d felt this close to him. Bastian was the only person who understood me inside and out. We didn’t have any secrets.
Bash rested his head on my shoulder. “Can’t sleep, D?”
