“Don’t fucking think about it,” he warns with a flash of his teeth as the guy starts to squirm. Salvatore’s bright blue eyes gleam and his face has flushed with exhilaration as if this is the most fun he’s had in years.
The first guy freezes in place. His friend goes still too, staring up at the apparent maniac who’s tackled him.
Where the hell did Salvatore even come from?
I release my knife and fold my arms over my chest. “What are you doing?”
Salvatore glances over his shoulder at me with a gleeful grin. “Happy to come to your rescue, tesoro. These idiots needed an ass-kicking.” He shifts his attention to the guy who’s still standing as if considering whether he could topple both without letting go of his main victim.
Irritation twists the automatic tug in my heart.
Is he fucking kidding me? How did he happen to be nearby to see what was going on in the first place?
Just a horrible coincidence, I assume. Salvatore’s family business would take him into the less savory parts of town fairly often.
I resist the urge to grit my teeth. “I didn’t need rescuing. Theyareidiots—and so are you. I was perfectly fine.”
The first guy backs up a few steps, holding up his hands. “Yeah. We, uh—we don’t want a fight.”
“Shouldn’t have been harassing my girl, then.” Salvatore pulls out his own knife, which is much deadlier-looking than mine, and twirls it between his broad fingers. “Maybe I should stick thisupboth your asses.”
The guy he pinned turns sickly pale. “I swear we’re not going to bother her again.”
I’d protest that I’m not “his” girl, but it’s hard to tell whether that would defuse Salvatore’s temper or provoke him further. Which seems like an especially urgent consideration when he leans down to yank up the boy’s sleeve.
“Oh, but I’ll feel better if I make totally sure of that.” He drags his blade along the pale skin of the boy’s forearm to produce a pale line of blood. “Let’s see. How do you spellI’m a fuckhead?”
He looks just as eager as before and terrifyingly serious. My pulse stutters.
I have to saysomethingbefore this situation spirals out of control.
“Enough!” I push forward and hold out my hand. The tug inside me deepens as I get closer to Salvatore. I tamp down the panic that tells me I should be putting more distance between us before fate ramps up the tension even more.
Instead, I wave at the boy on the ground. “They’re just kids. They’ve got plenty of reasons to be pissed off at people from Luminary. You made your point, so let him go.”
Salvatore gives me a speculative look. “It’s no trouble at all, a thaisce. They obviously have more lessons to learn."
I give him as stony a stare as I can summon in response. “I’d rather not be any part of teaching those lessons.I’msaying you should drop it. Or is this not about me after all?”
If his inclinations are like my Salvatore’s, the only reason he hasn’t outright butchered the boy under his foot is that only magic touched me, not the guy himself. If the kid had laid hishandon my ass, he’d be missing a few fingers now.
But it was just a stupid prank… and apparently the mafia heir has decided he respects my boundaries today.
With a sigh, Salvatore removes his foot and uses it to prod the guy’s ribs. “You’d better hope you don’t meet me again. I’ll hope you do. Get going.”
The guy scampers up and dashes away with his friend. Salvatore flips his switchblade shut and into the pocket of his slacks before aiming another grin at me, so casual you’d never think he was just carving up a kid. “Where to now?”
I should be glad he isn’t asking why I’m over here at all, but the insinuation that we’ll be going anywhere together sets my jaw on edge. I’m obviously not making any progress with my investigations today.
“Oh, I’m heading straight to None of Your Fucking Business,” I reply. Spinning on my heel, I hurry before the ache in my palm can cry out any louder.
Twenty-Seven
Elodie
When Maurice pulls up in front of the house, there’s a glossy silver SUV I don’t recognize outside the garage. As I step out onto the limestone-tiled front walk, apprehension prickles over my skin.
I slip inside to a murmur of conversation carrying from deeper within the house. At the soft thud of the door closing, Aunt Daphne pokes her head into the hall.
