“Romeo.” He draws in a breath like he’s praying for patience. “You can’t just go on murder sprees whenever you feel like it.”
“Well, if you have a better idea, I’m open to suggestions.”
“We’ll have a meeting this week,” he tells me. “Until we figure out a permanent solution, I need your assurances that you aren’t going to disappear any more of them.”
“Noted.” I offer him a smart-ass salute.
“I’m still fucking pissed about this,” he seethes. “You know how much I despise Ares Stavros. You practically gave him an invitation to fuck with us, and now I have to toss him a bone.”
“Throw it into the ocean. Maybe he’ll play fetch.”
Angelo glowers at me. “When problems arise from this, which they inevitably will, you get to deal with him.”
“Fine.” I shrug.
I don’t mind dealing with Ares. He’s an asshole, and I would have killed him on principle for hurting our sister if our father had permitted it. But he doesn’t get under my skin the way he does with Angelo. Playing peacemaker with him is a small price to pay for killing Gabi’s attacker and his fuckface friends.
“One more thing,” Angelo says. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about the dick tattoo behind Riccardo’s ear, would you?”
“What makes you think I would know anything about that?”
“Jesus.” He sighs. “Do I even want to know what else you’ve been doing to fuck with him?”
“Nope.” I turn around and smirk as I walk away. “We’ll leave that between me and God.”
“Romeo Aurelio Vitale.”
“I was wondering when you might show up.” I glance up from the lounge as Abella storms out of the elevator and into the penthouse.
“You better start talking before I murder you.” She glares at me.
“Sure.” I shrug. “What would you like to talk about? The weather, politics, religion?—”
“You have an hour before Gabi gets home from school to explain what you’re doing with her.”
“Sorry, I don’t kiss and tell.”
She lets out an exaggerated sigh as she comes to join me on the lounge. “She’s engaged to your cousin.”
“I’m aware.”
“You’ve been a total dick to her.”
That one punches me in the gut, and Abella doesn’t miss it.
“I know.” I swallow.
“I get that things have been…complicated.” Her voice softens. “But she’s not a toy you can play with whenever you feel like it.”
“That isn’t how I see her.”
“Then how do you see her?”
I fall unnaturally still, tension crawling through my body as a rough exhalation escapes me.
Abella’s eyes widen, and her jaw unhinges. “You’re in love with her.”
“Bold of you to assume I’m capable of such an emotion.”
