Page 65 of The Butcher

She could push me away all she wanted, but I would just pull tighter—like a fucking viper.

“Did you hear what I said?—”

“What do you want from me, Luca?” I turned back to him. “I don’t care that she’s married. I don’t care that she’s getting divorced. I don’t care if she says she’s not ready for a relationship. She’s my woman—period. You better get fucking used to it.”

“You’ve never been with the same woman twice, and all of that changes for her? I get she’s fucking hot with nice tits, but?—”

“What the fuck did you just say?”

He raised his hand slightly then brought it down, like that would somehow decrease my ire. “I just don’t want you to get fucked over, man. That’s all. It’s obvious this means more to you than it does to her because you’re just a rebound.”

I gave a quiet chuckle. “I’m not the rebound, Luca. I’m the gold fucking stallion.”

“I can read people damn well. That’s why no one will deal me in to poker anymore. And I see distance and restraint from her.”

“You met her one time when she was ambushed by you idiots, and you think you know her?” I asked incredulously. “I know you’re my boy and you’re just looking out for me, but you need to step the fuck off, Luca.”

He turned quiet and didn’t continue to hound me with his ill opinion. He sat there and drank from his glass and let the tension start as a simmer and turn to a boil. It turned to steam and made the air humid.

He changed the subject. “I’ve asked my contacts about Godric. He doesn’t sit still very long.”

“I know.”

“The longer he runs his game, the more he corrupts his order?—”

“I know, Luca.” My fingers rested around my glass.

“There’s gotta be something.”

I inhaled a slow breath. “I asked my mother.” There was a separation of church and state, and I’d always honored it. Godric and I had very different interpretations of business and the law, and my mother refused to choose sides and favorites. She raised us to be this way, so she accepted our beliefs equally. But now, I needed her help if I was ever going to resolve it.

Luca stared at me for a long time, his hand on the glass without lifting it for a drink. “What did she say?”

“She’ll think about it…”

He gave a slow nod. “You think that will work?”

“I don’t fucking know, man. It’s been a long time since I talked to him.”

“Even if she agrees, he probably won’t.”

“Right.” I took a drink from my glass, and now, there was nothing but ice cubes left behind.

He faced the bar and the mirror and drank in silence.

We sat there together, both of us thinking about the thorn in our sides, the man I called my brother.

Then my phone vibrated with a text. It could be anyone because my phone went off all hours of the night, but there was only one person I hoped it would be. I’d just seen her this morning, but I wouldn’t mind coming home to her in my bed, her legs wrapped around my waist while she whispered my name.

But it was my mother.I’ll do it.

It was ten in the evening when my driver pulled up to the gates.

My heart was still, my pulse steady. I was on the precipice of what I wanted, but I knew just because it was close didn’t mean it was within my grasp. This meeting could have the opposite effect I desired—and just make things worse.

I checked in with her security and was led into the house.

She warned me that the element of surprise would only last a minute because his security would inform him of my arrival before I reached the dining room. Instead of being a polite guest and waiting for the butler to escort me, I walked myself through the house to the dining room located at the back.

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