Page 72 of Remy

“Will he kill me?”

“Only if he finds out about you.”

Remy slams my front door, stealing my attention, his gaze lethal as he mouths, “Don’t panic,” behind his brother’s back. “Go get ready for work, Olivia.” He exudes violence as he strides forward, yet the anger seems different from when it’s directed at me. There’s a temperamental edge to it. A deep-seated volatility. “I’ll come get you in a minute.”

I don’t know what’s more terrifying—his abnormal use of my proper name or how Salvatore stares at me like I’m his next meal, and not of the pleasurable variety.

The fear I’ve battled all weekend transforms, no longer tingling kinetic energy. It’s now bone-chilling. Bile-producing.

I retreat another step, my palms sweating.

“No. Stay.” Salvatore increases his grin, flashing perfectly predatory teeth. “I’d like a proper introduction.”

“Don’t play games.” Remy rounds his brother to stand between us. “Why the fuck are you here?”

“Why the hell are you?” Salvatore’s expression transforms from fraudulent kindness to ominous anger in the blink of dark eyes. “And why the fuck have you been lying to me?”

This is bad. Super-dooper, I’ve-just-started-an-underworld-family-rivalry bad.

I take another retreating step.

“I said stay.” Salvatore jabs an enraged finger in my direction while his hate-filled glare remains on his brother.

They face off as I stand frozen. Unblinking. Barely breathing.

“That’s enough,” Remy snarls.

“Not until I get answers. Why the hell have you been lying to me?”

“Because you’re a hot-headed fucking moron.” Remy leans to the left as if deliberately cutting off my line of sight to his brother. Or vice versa. “There was a complication Friday night. I’m taking care of it.”

“Does she know?” Salvatore sneers.

I hold my breath, every fiber of my being a brittle thread. I should run while I can. Escape out the laundry door.

“Does she fucking know?” he repeats.

“She knows enough.”

Salvatore curses under his breath, the oath burrowing beneath my skin. “Big mistake, baby brother.”

“It was out of my control.”

“But extinguishing the liability wasn’t? You should’ve dealt with this already.”

Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God.

Remy stands taller, seeming to grow an inch. “I’ve got it under control.”

“That’s not what I’ve heard.”

“From who?” Remy gets in his brother’s face. Right in his face.

A chuckle huffs from Salvatore. Vindictive. Terrifying.

“Don’t push me.” Remy clenches a fist. “You may be older, but you’ve sat behind a desk for a year while I was out breaking bones and spilling blood. Who do you think would win this fight?”

“You want to fight me, brother?”

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