Page 91 of The Silencer

“That must have been fun. I’m sure you have a lot of stories.”

“I do,” he says with a chuckle. “Where is Angel anyway? I know Diablo is out of town.”

Anthony nods, his hand moving up to my nipple and plucking at it absently. It’s making me positively drool.

Suddenly, a secret door opens at the far end of the room, and Bane bursts through. Blood is spattered across his shirt, but of course, he most likely hasn’t noticed it as he makes his way quickly across the room.

Anthony sighs at the intrusion, and Kingston stands up, chuckling once more.

“I was wondering if I’d see you,” Kingston says, pulling Bane into a hug and clapping him on his back.

“Anthony tried to hide it from me, but news makes its way to me. I have my ways,” Bane says with a grin, pulling something out of his pocket and setting it into Kingston’s palm. “A gift. For my friend.”

Kingston glances down at it and then shakes his head, a smile pulling his lips up.

“Always so thoughtful,” he says, and Bane beams before turning to me.

“I didn’t forget about you, my little snack,” Bane says as he moves toward me, pulling something from his pocket.

Anthony grumbles again, but Bane just takes my hand and places something in it.

I peer down and see what it is. Another small bone.

“What is this?” I ask, turning it in my fingers.

“It’s a distal phalanx.”

My eyebrows rise, not sure what that means. Bane points at it and then beams once more, puffing up like a peacock. “It’s part of a thumb.”

I close my fingers around it. “Oh. Thank you. I love it.”

Bane blushes and then turns to Kingston. “Show them. I want them to see.”

Kingston holds up a chain with an eyeball dangling on the end of it, some kind of ornate piece that I’m sure Bane spent far too long on. And to be honest, besides the creepy eyeball in the middle, it’s quite nice. Bane has a talent for jewelry.

“You should put it on,” Anthony says, and Kingston’s eyes slam into his.

“I should.”

“I can help,” Bane offers and takes the chain, placing it around Kingston’s neck. It dangles against his nicely pressed shirt, and I bite back a laugh.

I can’t believe this is my life. That I’m entangled with a mafia man and his family, where there are torture basements, secret doors, and men who give me thumb bones as a sign of affection. And yet, the way Anthony is still touching me, the way he possesses me makes me never want to leave.

I never want to leave.

Anthony’s nose drifts up my neck, his lips at my ear. I can hear him breathe. It’s steady and sure, so calming.

“It looks nice,” Bane says and then reaches out and touches the small dangling eye. “Don’t you think so, Boss?”

Anthony doesn’t move his face from my neck. “Yes. It does.”

“Would you like some cakes, Bane? Ms. Agatha outdid herself.”

“She did,” I say. “And Teddy. Apparently, he’s a master baker.” I turn slightly and glance at Anthony. “Did you know this?”

“I didn’t.”

“Hm, well, you should compliment him. I think he’d be very happy with that.”

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