Page 44 of Violent Pawn

His glance and downturned lips remind me he is.

“You’re dating her daughter, bolvan.” Dummy. “She’s protective.”

“Oh.” His hand curls, index finger slipping into a new position, but I rest my own over his before he gets too deep in his head over nothing.

“It’s not bad. Gabriella seems to really like you, so don’t assume the worst. Chances are, Sera talks highly of you, and since she’s only really ever met you twice, she’s trying to figure you out. If she didn’t like you, you and I wouldn’t have been invited.”

“Oh.” This time, it’s with relief and not worry.

I tap his knee once with my palm, and then twice, and then once again—a show of support in more than one way. “You’re everything a woman could want for her daughter. You’re beyond protective. You love Sera more than anything. You saved her life on three different occasions. Gabriella’s fawning over you.”

He slants me a look before nudging my half-empty glass. “How many of those have you had?”

“This is my first, if you must know.”

Right on time, Serafina returns to pull Lev off the couch and drag him towards the others, which saves me from dealing with his counterargument.

Alone, I scan the room. Vanessa and Zeno are leaving as Lev and Serafina join Gabriella and Elio by the piano. Katya and Dimitri sit by the window, staring out at Zeno’s property, talking quietly amongst themselves.

And Nero is⁠—

Not here.

Someone drops onto the couch beside me, followed by a deep rumble in my ear. One, if I’m not careful, could haunt me past this holiday. “You see it too, don’t you?”

“Mm-hmm.” Like he’s stated before, our families are joined. Being around one another is inevitable.

Besides, he’s not bad. Not really. Tolerable.

“Good thing we have each other.” He taps his drink against mine before downing his, then rests the glass off to the side and stands, hand held out. “Want to get out of here?”

Being alone with Nero sounds like the kind of invitation to avoid.

While my brain short-circuits, he adds, “I have dinner plans with a friend. It was always my intention to head out early. Instead of subjecting yourself to the sickeningly sweet happiness here, we can be alone together.”

Uh… Joining Nero with his friend on Christmas Eve isn’t why I allowed Vanessa to drag me to Rome. Nero with his cheeky smirks, smart remarks, and ocean eyes that endangers my libido and every wall ever erected between me and handsome men is someone to avoid. He’s a danger to everything I once promised myself to never fall for.

Yet Nero, for all his cockiness, hasn’t done anything bad. Hell, he once saved my life. Putting aside the flirty and cutting remarks, he’s been alright.

I rest my hand in his...because what’s the worst that can happen?

Nero leads me to a low, sleek red sports car with the convertible roof drawn up due to the temperature, with a code for a name I couldn’t begin to guess how to say.

European cars for you.

The keys are slung around his finger, but before he approaches the driver’s seat, I snatch them and cut in front of him to claim the spot. “I’ve had one drink. You’ve had how many? Let’s not risk you behind the wheel.”

“Three, for your knowledge.” Hands lift until his palms are face out. “Respect. I’ll direct you.”

He hops into the passenger seat without complaint, which wasn’t what I expected. The brand of male I grew up around was the type who’d walk before allowing a woman to drive their precious vehicle.

Nero’s reminded me of them from day one. His smile, his face, his attitu—no. Not his attitude, nor his personality. Now that I’ve gotten to know Nero, that’s no longer true. He’s not like them.

Not at all.

Which is why I can’t help but probe the difference for myself and get into his head. “You’re fine with a woman driving your precious car?”

“I’ll kill you if you crash it or break it or anything.” He chuckles. “But I’d prefer you kill the car before innocents in a drunken accident, so no, I don’t really care what gender drives my car as long as it’s done correctly.” His hand comes down on mine over the manual gearshift, all without commenting on the differences between an automatic and a manual car. “Get this into your head, Petrov. I’m not like the men from your past.”