Page 69 of Filthy Savage

What he means is before we find another reason to start a fight between us. A marriage would stop that from happening.

Emily pops into my head. For the fifth time today. The thought of spending the rest of my life with someone who isn’t her is like a bullet to my heart. No fucking way.

I’d rather die alone.

Irritation shoots through my bloodstream, mad as hell at her for leaving. Almost five years wasted.

Then it hits. She’s around twenty-four now. She could be married already.

My chest rattles with tight breaths. Though there’s always a way to take care of that little problem. A robbery gone wrong. Quick and easy. I’d make sure he didn’t suffer. Too much. Only as a favor to her, of course.

Why can’t I get this fucking woman out of my head? I swear I can still smell her shampoo. Feel her skin on mine when I fucked her. Hear the way she called my name when I made her come.

“I already have someone,” I say before I think better of it.

All eyes go to me. My brothers know I mean Emily. They know how consumed I’ve been with finding her. It’s like I see her and hear her everywhere I go. Like she poisoned me and I have no antidote. Not until I find her.

And Iwillfind her. I’ll get her back, no matter how long it takes. No matter how many men I have to kill to do it. Boyfriend. Husband. The fucking Pope. I don’t give a shit. Anyone who gets in my way is already dead.

“Well, then that leaves you, Cillian.” Konstantin’s voice has me snapping out of my delirium.

“I have someone too.” My brother would say anything to get out of this.

A small, dry chuckle escapes from deep in my throat, and that has him glaring at me.

“So you and my cousin…” Konstantin crosses his arms over his chest. “Not interested anymore?” Amusement plays in his tone. “I know you carry a heavy burden with what happened to your mother. But I’m sure with time you can move past it, yes?”

His jaw clenches. “We’re just friends. There’s nothing between us anymore.”

Right. Friends. Pretty sure most people don’t fuck their friends. Though I really wouldn’t call them that. They both pretty much pretend to hate each other.

Or maybe it’s not pretend. I don’t even know anymore. All I do know is my brother finds any excuse to go to the club, sometimes dragging me with him and disappearing as soon as he finds her, while I wait until he’s done.

He can’t help himself. When you want someone that badly, no matter how much you deny it, it’s not easy to let them go.

“Okay.” Konstantin flips his palms in the air. “Then I will find someone else in your family who will be much better suited for her than you, my friend.”

He starts to rise, while Cillian’s eyes flash with ire.

“What the fuck do you mean someone else in the family?” His chest rises with a quick inhale. “Like who?”

Someone’s mad.I laugh to myself.

Konstantin’s mouth quirks up, and Kirill chuckles. “Why do you care? She’s not your problem anymore.”

“Like hell she isn’t,” Cillian mutters, expression growing murderous.

Like I said, the fucker can’t help himself.

Anton shakes his head with a scoff. “You don’t even know what the hell you want, do you?”

“I do know what I want, and it’s not this marriage.”

“Eh.” Konstantin shrugs. “Maybe you’ll change your mind, then.” He casually drops his glass onto the bar top, each brother following suit. “It would be such a shame to miss out on this great opportunity for both of our families, all due to past family bickering.”

“Bickering?” Cillian slowly rises to his feet, nearing him. “That’s what you call what your father did to our mother? Fuckingbickering?”

Anton and Kirill immediately take a threatening step toward Cillian until Tynan and I are on guard, coming to surround our brother.

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