“Well, then, someone needs to be punished because this isn’t working for the underground.”
“Dante,” Rosalie cut in. “Enough.”
“No. It’s not fucking enough, dear sister,” he snarled, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her onto his lap.
I bristled at the move, and Cole stepped forward.
“I would not,” Malachi murmured. “Let it happen.”
The room went silent as Rosalie and Church stared one another down. He reached out and cradled her face before thumbing her bottom lip.
“Come stay with me,” he said softly. “Let me keep you and Ellis safe.”
Cole tightened his hands into fists. I shook my head at him, hoping he didn’t lose it and cause more problems than we could handle.
“Dante—”
“Just temporarily. Until your tour starts.”
“My family.” Her bottom lip trembled.
“There is more at play here, dear sister,” he said.
“What’s at play?”
“Enemies.”
She frowned at him. “Who?”
“Lorenzo De Luca accumulates them,” Church murmured, leaning into her. I watched, my stomach twisting as he nuzzled into her neck and inhaled deeply. I didn’t know much about them as siblings, just that they were and Dante seemed to bend to her will, but this… this was odd behavior, even for him.
“Even Cole Scott has them. Let me keep you safe.” He twirled one of her red curls around his finger as he whispered something into her ear we couldn’t hear.
I didn’t like how close he was to her.
“If you’re discussing the horsemen, we should be part of that discussion,” I said in a deadly whisper. “Don’t you think,Dante?”
He chuckled that dark laugh of his before slowly pulling away from Rosalie and locking his intensely green eyes on me.
“No, I don’t fucking think you should be. If I wanted you to know the secrets I tell my dear sister, then I’d be whispering them into your ear, not hers. Stay in your lane, De Luca.”
Before I could shoot back a reply, Cole spoke up.
“You stay in your fucking lane.” Cole dragged Rosalie off Church’s lap so fast that she stumbled into him. Stitches and Sin immediately stood. I got up too and went to stand in front of Cole.
“Not in my fucking house. Not with my family,” I snarled at the watchers. The ghosts. Whatever-the-fuck they were calling themselves these days. “We made a deal a long time ago. I run the city, you run the hell beneath it. You don’t get to come to my fucking level and start causing trouble. I handle shit here, not you.”
“Sit,” Church said.
His men glared at me for a moment before returning to their seats.
“You’re right, De Luca. We did make that deal. However, I’d like to make a new deal.”
I eyed him wearily. “What is it?”
“I want you to make a sacrifice.”
“Dante,” Rosalie pleaded. “No?—”
