Page 24 of Read This Before the Villain falls in Love with You

Enzo points a thumb downward, chuckling. "She's trying to make a run for it. Look at her. She's figuring out how to jump the fence."

"She'd break an ankle and complain about the gravel the whole way down," I remark dryly.

"Right. And you suddenly care about gravel. Don't lie to me." Enzo kicks his heels against the wall. "Just admit you can't stop staring and let it go."

I watch Nora kick a piece of limestone across the dirt. "I don't obsess over people."

"Sure, and Matteo only drinks tap water," Enzo laughs, clearly enjoying himself far too much.

"You've been up here long enough to grow moss. Sofia asked if you'd died. Nonna asked if you wanted lunch brought to the railing. Matteo asked if he should start a betting pool on how long until you climb down there and do something stupid."

I take the cup back with a firm jerk. "Matteo can bet on his own medical bills if he opens his mouth again."

Enzo rests his elbows on his knees. "He offered three to one odds on before lunch. I took the under."

Enzo grins, the bruise on his cheek pulling tight as he tilts his head toward me. "So what's the plan? Do you keep her forever because she talks back, or do we put her on a plane once the Bellinis back off?"

"She stays," I tell him, my voice dropping until his grin disappears. "Whatever comes onto my land belongs to me. That's the end of it."

"You usually don't stare at prisoners like that from the roof, boss," Enzo shoots back with a smirk.

The honest answer sits in my throat like something I refuse to swallow. I watch Nora crouch to examine a cracked tile near the fountain, completely unbothered by the two armed men pretending to smoke nearby. She mutters something that makes one of the guards chuckle, an unforgivable breach of protocol I will handle personally before noon.

"The plan," I repeat, keeping my eyes fixed ahead, "is keeping her safe until things calm down."

"Safe. Right." Enzo hops down and claps my shoulder hard. "You are so obvious, big brother. But sure. Let's call it keeping her safe. I'll go tell Nonna you're hard at work standing by the rail."

"Tell Nonna anything and you are on pantry inventory for a month," I threaten quietly.

Enzo backs toward the stairwell, chuckling. "Worth it."

He leaves before I can throw him over the rail. Smart kid.

I stay where I am. Nora has moved to the far edge of the courtyard, where the olive trees throw shade thick enough to hide in. She tips her face up toward the sun like London never invented weather. Something in my chest pulls tight, ugly and unwelcome.

This stopped being a logistical mistake the second she arrived tied and fighting in my foyer. It is a sickness now. A dark, predatory urge to cage her completely, to watch her realize that no amount of money or legal threats can claw her out of my hands.

I go downstairs.

Gravel crunches under my boots before I reach the grass. Nora spins around on the heels of her shoes, hands buried deep in her pockets. Her chin comes up immediately, eyes narrowing as she scans my face, calculating angles and leverage with cold, steady focus. The skin around her lower lashes is still puffy and flushed from last night, but her spine stays rigid as iron.

She crosses her arms over her chest. "Standing on balconies and staring down like a creep is bad manners in most places."

I stop inches away from her, towering over her until my shadow swallows her completely. "Good thing I make the laws here, Blake. Are you enjoying your cage, or are you still plotting which guard to stab with a fountain pen?"

She tilts her chin to inspect my jacket. "Your guards are boring. One offered me a smoke. I told him to fix his life. You look grumpy. Did someone ruin your morning nap?"

I stop an arm's length away from her. "My morning was fine until you started talking."

She nods toward the balcony above. "Your brother seemed happy enough. He waved at me while you were busy scowling."

I fall into step as she turns toward the lemon grove. "Enzo has far too much free time."

She slows her steps to see if I follow. "Enzo actually has eyes, which makes him smarter than your guards. So why were you staring at me for two hours, or do you just like following people around?"

I match her pace along the path. "I'm checking the grounds."

She keeps her eyes forward, unimpressed. "The grounds? Sure. You look like you want to kill someone just for breathing near you. Can you ever relax?"