Page 13 of His Cursed Heart

I need to gather myself up and be the Boss everybody thinks I’ll be.

I exit the bedroom and head toward the big hall that looks like a room in gold.

It feels so wrong that a week ago I was at Keres’s funeral and now I’m celebrating my new engagement.

It feels like I’m betraying Keres.

People bow their heads in respect when I’m walking by them, and when I arrive next to Orion he looks at me like he couldn’t care more who I am.

“We should be more careful around Hanibal.” His rough voice catches me off guard. He’s not talking that much, but when he does, he makes sure to sound like a demon.

“What are you talking about?”

“I caught him with his hand around Althea’s neck. And he was definitely not putting a necklace around it.” A weird cold shiver electrocutes my spine.

He did what?

“He touched her?” My voice is harsh. I don’t know why I feel so possessive over Althea, but I don’t like someone touching what will be mine.

“He said something in Italian too, but Althea just smirked at him like a crazy person. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen her show any kind of smile.”

The day Althea smiles, is the day I’ll die.

“Are you gossiping without me?” I hear Allan’s offended voice behind me, and then I remember something.

“Aren’t you half Italian?” I ask curious.

“I am.” He answers while drinking two margaritas.

“Do you know Italian?”

“No.” He crushes all my hopes.

“How the fuck?” Asks Orion confused. “You always say that your Italian ass is the sweetest in the world.”

“Well, I’m flattered that you think that too…” He giggles like a teenager.

Giggles.

“…but I grew up in London as you well know. My parents just wanted me to know that I’m half Italian.”

My heart almost softened at the thought of his parents.

“Find someone who knows Italian without being part of the Famiglia. Hanibal will make me a bloody groom with a smile on his face.” Just like his daughter would. Orion nods, walking outside.

He is not a party person, but I still appreciate that he came here today.

I know Orion for ten years now. We met when I was seventeen and he twenty, when we almost killed each other because we thought we were the person we both were hunting.

I don’t trust people easily, but Orion showed me loyalty since beginning. We are very much alike, but his way of killing is way darker than mine.

Looking at Allan, who is trying to jingle the two now empty glasses, I realize that the loyalty he has giving me since kids, is different.

I know Allan, and I know that he feels guilty for what happened when his parents died. Guilty that my family took an orphan into their home and made him like their second son.

Like my brother.

That’s why I chose him as my right hand. Because there is no one I trust more on this earth than Allan Carrington.

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