Page 10 of His Bride

He looks at me with hard eyes. “Are you serious?”

“Shouldn’t you be mother henning?”

Now he’s pissed at me. I know this because he stalks up, grabs me, and shoves me over on my back on the floor. Before I get a chance to put up a fight, he’s already sitting on my ribs like when we were kids.

He grabs my hair, knees on my arms. I could throw him. Probably. The man’s a beast when he’s mad.

“This is already one of the shittiest days of our goddamn lives,” he spits out. “For the love of God, pick a different day to wave your dick around and piss everyone off.”

“Fine. Now get off me.”

Muttering, he lets go and stands. I sit up, straighten my tie, then get to my feet. “God, I wish Alexius tore his spleen out through his throat,” I mutter. “Fucker.”

Nicoli stomps over to the bar, pours a drink, pulls out his cigarettes, and tosses the package to me. With a sigh, I light up and then go to him, lighting his.

I collapse on the sofa as he sets a fresh drink in front of me.

“It’s been a hard day for everyone, so just tone it the fuck down. And talk to your damned wife. You’re both moping like morons.” He sits across from me, inhales some smoke, and blows it out slowly. “You do know there’s another reason Alexius isn’t here, or has nothing we’ve been doing sunk in?”

“Damage control and all that shit. Got it.”

“Do you? Because from where I’m standing, I’m not sure you’re aware of what’s actually at stake here.”

“Hey,” I hold up my arms, “all I want is to see my brother.”

“We all do.”

“Then why the fuck can’t we see him? Why can’t he be here in his own damn house while he fights for his life?”

Nicoli leans back on the couch. “We agreed that no one can know his condition.”

“Yes.” I nod with a sarcastic flair.

“What if we have to start seeing people here at the estate? Business needs to continue as normal, as if nothing is wrong. He can’t be here, recuperating. We can explain his absence, but not with doctors and nurses coming and going daily. As far as the outside world is concerned, there was a stand-off, triggers pulled, and Alexius walked away with a mere graze of a bullet. Then our mother died, and he’s taking it really fucking badly, which explains his absence. If Aurelio knows he’s in a coma?—”

“Inducedcoma.”

“—and figures out where he is,like here,” he emphasizes, “he’ll throw everything he has and more into finding Alexius so he can finish the job. A dead crime lord killed by his hand is worth more than the pretty bird the crime lord’s brother stole, don’t you think?”

“God, I hate it when you make sense. Pisses me right off.” I touch my aching jaw then throw back my drink, swallowing it all in one gulp to take the edge off.

“What about Giana?” he asks.

“I told her,” I say, shrugging.

“I know things are shit between you two right now, but please tell me you can control her.”

I scoff. “There’s no controlling that crazy.”

“Her father can’t know.”

“Well, lucky for us, he pussied out of the funeral today where he would have noticed Alexius’ absence.” I tilt my glass toward him. “Mistake number one, expecting that coward to at least show his face.”

Nicoli taps a finger on the couch’s armrest. “Silver lining.”

“Black omen. Doom sprinkle. Misfortune muffin.”

“God, your optimism is contagious.”

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