Page 89 of King of War

Enzo’s brothers exchange glances. “An intervention,” Micah says.

I frown, confused. “An intervention for who?”

“You. Definitely you,” Rafael says, flashing me a wicked grin.

“No, for him.” Angelo points at his oldest brother.

Enzo shakes his head. “Ignore them. Have a seat.”

I do as he asks, sitting on the chair he’s holding out for me. His hand settles against the back of my chair, and even though he’s not touching me, this still feels intensely intimate. He lowers his head, close enough that I can smell his cologne and feel the heat radiating from him. “I know I don’t deserve you, baby.” His eyes search mine. “But I’m so glad you’re here.”

My pulse stumbles. He’s right. I am here, but why? I should have left days ago. I should hate him enough to walk away, but now I can’t even breathe properly from being so close to him. Unable to stop looking at him, or wanting him.

“I’m happy to be here,” I say honestly. Because despite what’s unfolded these past few weeks, this feels warm and familiar.

“Do you remember when we used to do this every Sunday?” Angelo asks, breaking the spell I seem to be under.

Enzo takes his seat.

Rafael laughs. “Not just when we were kids. When we were grown adults too. Forced to by Mama.”

“We were encouraged to,” Angelo says in her defense.

Luca shakes his head, a rare full smile lighting up his features. “No, we were threatened.”

“Same thing,” Rafael says.

“I remember,” I tell them. “You boys always tried to get me into trouble, but your Mama knew I was a good girl really.”

Enzo winks at me and my ovaries almost combust.

Angelo snorts. “Remember when Rafael put a live frog right in the middle of the table and tried to convince her it was Rayne’s pet and she’d brought it as a dinner guest?”

“She was torn between trying to be a good host and screeching about there being vermin at her dinner table.”

Rafael’s laugh is loud and raucous. Even Micah and Luca chuckle.

“I can’t believe you almost convinced her I had a pet frog,” I say, a smile tugging at my lips.

“To be fair, you did once have a pet snake,” Angelo reminds me.

I smile widely now, recalling Jezebel, my corn snake.

“And you’ve always loved any kind of animal,” Enzo adds. When I meet his gaze again, it’s filled with a hunger that belies his soft tone of voice.

Angelo wipes tears of laughter from his eyes. “As I recall, you did actually try and keep the frog as a pet afterward.”

“Yes, I did. Until Rafael set it free.”

“By letting it loose in the garden while Papa was sunbathing,” Micah says drily.

“He punished us all for that,” Luca adds.

They argue good naturedly about who was punished most severely and it reminds me of those days back in the Medici family home when Mama Medici was alive and her sons were my best friends, the family I’d always longed for. And one of her sons, well, he was so much more… I look to him again and find him still staring at me intently. My skin heats instantly, like a fire igniting beneath my skin. Because now I can’t help but think of so many other memories of him. His hands on my skin and his mouth in dark places.

“It was three fucking times, Micah,” Rafael barks out on a laugh, almost doubled over at the table, tears of laughter streaming down his cheeks. I have no idea what he’s referring to now, having lost the thread of their conversation in Enzo’s eyes. But it’s enough to snap me back to reality, and to this wonderful feast before us.

“This all looks incredible.”