Page 69 of Gilded Princess

He tips his chin up with a sneer. “Though I suppose Dante feels the same.”

A chain snaps, the rage erupting up my throat like lava. “The fuck’s that supposed to mean?” My words come out as a snarl, but my brother doesn’t even flinch. If anything, his eyes sparkle with satisfaction.

“You should really ask your best friend, man. Or better yet, watch the camera feed.”

I shake my head, disbelief turning the motions slow. My stomach clenches, a running reel of all the times we spoke about Maddie flashing across my vision.

No, Dante wouldn’t make a move on her. He’s too loyal. He knows my feelings toward her, he’s said as much himself. And he knows the ramifications of getting involved with someone right now. It’s a perilous time, especially with the recent move by our instigator.

No, this must be some twisted power play by Leo. Dante doesn’t have the balls to go for Maddie, especially not under the roof we share.

I shake my head with a frown, staring at my brother and trying to find the crack in his lie.

He holds my gaze, expressionless. “Ask him, man.”

I wave a hand in the air as if to dissipate this conversation. “I don’t have time for this. We’re at war, Leo.”

He freezes, his eyes blinking rapidly. “What? With who?”

I stare at him, admissions on the tip of my tongue. It would be so easy to unload some of this on him. He’d be an asset, but maybe more importantly, he’d be informed. He would take my warnings more seriously.

And he’d help me keep Maddie safe.

I pace, a few steps to the right and a few to the left. After two rotations, I’ve made up my mind.

“All you need to know is that we’re at war with an unknown enemy, and the safest spot for you is here.”

“Is that why Madison’s here?”

Running my hand over my face, I sigh. “No. That’s unrelated and not my story to tell, so you’ll have to ask her about it.”

He nods like he expected that answer. “I still don’t understand how I never met her before if you two supposedly dated.”

“That’s a story for another time,” I say as I turn around and head for the door.

“Wait, that’s it? This is such bullshit, man! Why don’t you just tell me what’s really going on?”

“You know it doesn’t work like that. You’re not made yet,” I tell him over my shoulder.

“And who’s fucking fault is that?” He advances on me in three steps, his finger pointing at me in accusation. “You were already made by the time you were my age.”

I turn around and step in his face. “Don’t fucking push me, Leo. And you know why. I joined the family early so you didn’t fucking have to. So you could live a normal life.”

He laughs, the noise caustic and dripping with disdain. “Oh, you’ve got to be joking. You think living at some boarding school year-round and never seeing my family is a normal life?”

“It’s better than the alternative.”

He steps backward a few paces and scrubs his hand down his face. “Whatever you tell yourself to sleep at night. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels fucking abandoned—”

“Don’t bring him into this,” I interrupt with a growl, my shoulders bunching in anger. I take a half step backward and stretch my neck from side to side. “We’re getting off topic. Look, it’s going to get bad before it gets better. But it will get better, and then we can talk about you joining the family. I have . . . plans in place.”

I don’t know how I feel about my brother joining the family. A part of me, the older, protective brother part, doesn’t want him anywhere near it. But realistically, I understand that he can’t change his last name. And the Rossis have been in the five families since the beginning. It’s in his blood as much as mine. And I don’t have any right to take that from him, but at least I can protect him from the darkness of this life for a little longer.

He thinks this is what he wants, but if he knew how it really was, he’d run and never look back. In some ways, I envy his ignorance of the dark and depraved details of the families. It’s a luxury many of us didn’t have.

“And Madison?”

I pause in the doorway, my chest seizing at the mention of her name from his mouth so soon after I saw them together. “You know where I stand.”

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