But as I watch my brothers prepare for an alliance that could change everything, all I can think about is Kristen and Lily.
I have something worth protecting beyond blood and business.
And I'll be damned if I let anyone take that from me.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Kristen
The elevator doors slide open, and I step into... nothing I expected.
Exposed brick walls stretch toward massive industrial windows that flood the space with afternoon light. The ceilings are impossibly high, original wooden beams crossing overhead like the ribs of some beautiful beast. An open kitchen gleams with stainless steel and white marble. A sectional couch that could swallow my entire old apartment sits facing a fireplace I didn't know existed in Chicago lofts.
"What is this place?" The words come out breathless.
Nico's hand settles on my lower back, warm and possessive through my thin sweater. "Ours."
I turn to face him, my heart doing something complicated in my chest. "Ours?"
"I bought it." He says this like he's telling me he picked up milk. "Three weeks ago. Closed yesterday."
"You bought a loft." I'm repeating him like an idiot, but my brain refuses to process. "You bought a loft."
"I need somewhere to fuck you away from everyone." His dark eyes hold mine, completely serious. "The compound has too many ears. Too many people walking in at the wrong moment. This is ours. Just ours."
I laugh. I can't help it. "You're serious."
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
He doesn't. He looks like a man who decided he wanted something and simply took it. Which, honestly, tracks.
"Nico." I press my palm against his chest, feeling his heartbeat steady beneath my fingers. "You can't just buy real estate because you want privacy."
"I can do whatever I want." His hand covers mine, pressing it harder against him. "And what I want is to hear you scream my name without worrying about traumatizing my sister."
Heat floods my cheeks. And other places. "That was one time."
"Vittoria still won't make eye contact with me at breakfast."
"That's not my fault. You're the one who?—"
He cuts me off with a kiss that steals the argument right out of my mouth. His tongue slides against mine, tasting like the espresso he had in the car, and I forget what I was even protesting.
When he pulls back, I'm gripping his shirt like it's the only thing keeping me upright. Which, honestly, it might be.
"Today," he says against my lips, "we celebrate."
"Celebrate how?"
That dark smile spreads across his face. "By testing every surface in this place."
Oh.
"Every surface?" I manage.
"The couch." His hand slides down my spine. "The kitchen counter." Lower. "The bed." He palms my ass and pulls me flush against him, letting me feel exactly how serious he is. "The bath."
My breath catches. "That's... ambitious."
