Page 91 of Juliet & Her Romeos

Except, I won’t let him do that out of hate.

Unless it’s hate sex because I have a sense that these two men may find that hot.

And I’d find it hot to watch.

My cheeks flush.

“What gave me away?” Vito switches the music off on his phone. Then he turns the cooker off as well. “I feel like I’m dying inside, if I don’t listen to rock at least once a day. Amby tells me that he feels likeI’mkillinghimby blasting it through the house. So, what kind of music do you like, Jules?”

I open to my mouth, then close it again.

No one’s asked me that before. Who cares what music an Omega listens to?

Vito frowns, when he sees me struggling. “Don’t worry. I borrowed some of my awesome brother-in-law’s vinyl collection. We can listen to them later, and you can see what you like. Well, when I sayborrowed…”

For the first time, Swan smiles. “A fellow thief. We should do the secret handshake.”

“There’s a handshake…? Shit, I must have missed that class.”

Vito slides the last of the pancakes on top of the haphazard pile, before lifting the plate with a proud grin. “I present your pancakes as ordered.”

I lick my lips, wrinkling my nose at the sweet, sugary scent. “They look delicious, Viper.”

“I hope they taste it.” Vito strolls over to join us at the counter. “I’m not normally organized like this. Sir…I mean, Amby…he’s the one who does the pack stuff. He’s incredible at it. I struggle to know what a family should look like really, but Amby seems to know. That man could scare a schedule into order by growling at it. He has this whole icy Alphahole thing down, but underneath that man’s a beast.”

Sir…?

I exchange a glance with Swan, who looks troubled.

Is Ambrose so Traditional that he insists his Second Alpha calls himsir?

Or is Vito his sub?

Vito does appear to talk about Ambrose like he worships him.

Swan gives Vito an assessing look, but Vito doesn’t appear aware of it, placing the pancake plate between us.

“Look at me, being responsible and remembering to put out extra plates and knives and forks…” Vito catches himself. “Whoops, I didn’t. Hold on a minute. I’m trying here. I’ve spentmost of my adult life eating out of pizza boxes or buying early morning bagels from my favorite stall in town. But I’m learning.”

He drags open a cabinet and rummages around. Then he drags out a pile of smaller plates, which he places in front of Swan and then me.

Swan is staring at the pancakes, which lie in front of him temptingly, as if he can’t believe that they’re real.

It breaks my heart that he’s never seen them before. There’s so much that he hasn’t experienced.

I hope that Swan will finally get to live a proper life. But there are still secrets and mysteries that worry me.

I can’t risk either Swan or me being hurt…not again.

Vito drags open the closest drawer and pulls out a handful of silver cutlery. “Success.”

“Where’s Bec?” Swan forces himself to look away from the food at Vito. “Why’s he not allowed to share this breakfast with us? Is he on punishment starvation rations because he didn’t cope with watching the contest? I’ll save half of mine for him, if he is. Or you’ll have to starve me as well because I can’t eat, while he suffers.”

Vito twists back to the counter, shocked.

He dumps the cutlery in front of Swan with a loud clatter.

I wince.

---