Is Julian still a prisoner? I’m not even sure myself. But I want time alone with Teddy, and I need assurance that Julian won’t go on a killing spree just because he’s bored. Jack can manage him, probably better than I can.
Julian has always liked him.
“Fine.”
Just before the study door shuts behind them, I hear Julian asking brightly, “And how is Miller Beaumont?”
Jack’s reply makes me give a grim smile of camaraderie. “I told you once before, Julian, and I meant it. You don’t eventhinkabout Miller.”
“Topolino,” I say, as soon as their footsteps die away, and I thread my hand through Teddy’s hair. I want to take him in my arms, kiss him thoroughly, but I’m afraid of hurting him. Who knows what Julian did to him in those seconds before I arrived? I kneel down next to him, looking into his face. “How are you really? Tell me.”
“Sore, I guess. But I don’t care.We did it.” His face is shining with triumph, enough to make me smile, even as my eyes burn. I lean in and kiss his forehead, trying to master myself all over again—but struggling with very different emotions from the ones Julian provokes.
“Yes,” I agree. “We did it. But we’re never doing anything like that ever again. You understand?” I press the hot tea with honey into his hand that Wilson brought in on my command before Jack got here, and make him drink more of it down.
“We,” Teddy says afterward, and I raise a questioning eyebrow when he says nothing further. “You said,” he goes on, “‘weare never doing anything like that again.’ You and me…” He puts the cup down and looks at me, lips parting unconsciously as he takes a breath. “Alessandro,” he murmurs, reaching to touch my face just as I am caressing his.
His fingers trace my scar, and I don’t pull away. I stay where I am, close my eyes, and let him explore. His fingertips pet over the puckered skin, the hard ridge, tracing from my brow to my mouth, and over my lips.
When I open my eyes and look at him, he is smiling. “I thought I’d never see your gorgeous face again.” His brows lower as he searches my face. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“I…” I catch his hand in mine and press a kiss to his palm. “I should never have let you go in there.”
“You didn’t have much choice in the matter,” he points out. “I was pretty determined.”
“Yes, but I’m the fucking Boss. If I can’t even get my lover to listen to me, how am I supposed to lead the Family?”
“Your lover,” he repeats slowly, a smile brightening his face. “I like that.”
I like it, too. More than like it, but before we can continue our conversation, there’s a noise outside, and the study door opens again.
I half expected Jack to return with news that Julian has escaped, but the two of them are standing there. “It’s true,” Jack says simply. “He has a video he wants us to watch. So what now?”
“Now, I watch it.” I take Teddy’s hand and lead him around the desk. “And you, Jack, you watch him.” I nod at my brother.
“Oh,” Julian says, surprised, looking between Jack and me. “You’re friends again.”
Jack takes his arm with a weary face. “Yeah, best buddies. Come on, Julian, I’ll tell you all about it on the way back up to the security room.”
CHAPTER48
TEDDY
“Out,”Alessandro says when we go into the security room, and the men in there scatter like flies, without even a glance at me—but Julian, I notice, makes their eyes widen as they go by.
And then they pull faces as they catch the smell coming off him.
Alessandro makes sure that both he and Jack are between Julian and me, and that I’m closest to the door. I feel strangely cared-for, despite being in a room with three men who have killed alotof people between them.
“I’m getting a sense of déjà vu,” Julian says, tapping his lower lip and frowning at the ceiling. “Oh, yes. That whole business with Angelo Messina.” His eyes slide toward Alessandro. “Speaking of, I hear his old Boss is paying a visit.”
“Shut up,” Alessandro says evenly. He nods at Jack, who opens up Julian’s email on one of the viewing screens.
“Your mother is very interested in the preparations,” Julian goes on.
Alessandro takes Jack’s gun out of his side holster and points it at Julian, all without taking his eyes from the screen. Jack doesn’t say a thing about it. And for once, Julian seems to decide that silence is the best option. But he catches me looking at him and rolls his eyes playfully.
If he hadn’t tried to kill me—twice—I’d probably be more open to joking around with him. I turn back to the screen and try to concentrate.
