Page 61 of Twisted Kings

No doubt Kyril would havea lotto say about my change of heart.

The fucker.

Cassian withdrew his fingers and licked them hungrily. “Delicious.” His eyes glittered in the light from the fire, the glow highlighting the sharp angles of his cheekbones and cut jaw. The man was beautiful. Aristocratic with a strong nose and arched eyebrows.

I felt dowdy in comparison.

With the edge gone from my arousal, tiredness hit me hard. I sank against his chest, yawning.

“Time for bed, baby.”

“Um.” It was warm and cozy here, next to the fire. I’d move in a moment.

Cassian laughed lightly, the tension gone. He was still hard but didn’t seem bothered. I felt a teeny bit bad for leaving him unsatisfied, but since he’d refused to take things further, I figured it was his own fault.

28

Dario

The sight of Thea lost in pleasure took me back to our teenage years. We’d spent many hours in the old chapel, hidden from her father’s prying eyes. What had begun as a friendship between two kids caught up in a world they had no business being in eventually morphed into something more.

I’d known from the beginning Thea would become my everything. Her inner light lit up the room, and when she blessed me with a smile, I felt like the luckiest boy in the world.

Her life was toxic in the worst possible way. She rarely spoke much about the shit her father expected her to do, but I knew. As we grew closer, Dad warned me to be careful around her.

He’d told me Francesco was grooming her as his weapon. At first, I’d had no clue what he meant. Dad had always shielded me from the realities of his job working for Francesco, a feared mob boss. I was aware, of course, that Dad did questionable things for his equally questionable boss, but like most kids, I was too wrapped up in my own selfish existence to pay much attention.

It wasn’t until Dad caught me kissing her that he sat me down for a chat.

“You gotta be careful with the girl, son, she’s dangerous.”

“Thea? Dangerous?” I’d snorted in derision. My Thea was the sweetest girl I’d ever met. All sunshine and playful teasing when we were together.

“Yes, dangerous.” Dad grimaced. “Francesco has begun training her. Torrance has her doing all kinds of things a girl her age shouldn’t understand.”

My brow furrowed. “What kinds of things? Like shooting? She told me she’s been doing target practice.”

Dad turned pale. “Look, Dario, I know you care for her, but it would be better for all of us if you cooled things. Why not take that cute girl, Alessia Romano, on a date? I know she likes you.” He passed me the onion so I could chop it while he crushed some garlic. “She’s a pretty girl.”

I shrugged, uneasy at the direction this conversation had taken. Sure, Alessia was sweet, but I didn’t like her in the same way. And besides, she had a really annoying laugh that grated on my nerves, sort of like a braying donkey.

“She’s OK, I guess,” I hedged. My eyes streamed as I thought about kissing Thea.

My feelings for her had changed now we were both teenagers. I no longer saw her as a friend.

“The way you feel about her is just hormones, son. It’s perfectly normal, which is why it’s a good idea if you spend some time with other girls like Alessia or that blond from the bakery. Lana? She’s pretty.”

I laughed with embarrassment. God, why were we having this awkward conversation? Dad rarely cared who I hung out with. He was mostly too busy working in his little office or meeting with Francesco.

“I’m not interested in other girls, Dad,” I said through gritted teeth as he passed me some peppers to slice.

He sighed. “Look, I get it. Really I do. Thea is a lovely girl. The spitting image of her mother, God rest her soul. But she’s Francesco di Luca’s daughter and this…” He waved his knife in the air. “…whatever it is you think you have with her, will end in tears, mark my words!”

I knew the pepper at him, hitting him squarely between the eyes. “Fuck you, I’m not giving her up!”

“Don’t you cuss me, Dario!” he yelled. I gave him a one-fingered salute and stormed outside. The screen door slammed in my wake as I stood in the shadow of the plane tree in our backyard.

It was too hot to be outside, but I needed a moment to cool off before I punched something. Or someone.

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