Page 47 of Vicious Addictions

If not for their blond hair, I’d swear I was dealing with my own kid brothers sometimes. But while Lucky and Enzo are all about harmless mischief, the Crane twins have required a taste for something darker. If their little games don’t end in bloodshed, then it’s been a dull night for them.

“Isn’t it well past your bedtime?” I ask, growing tired of Remus eyeing me head to toe.

“Fuck you. We’re not the ones who have to go toschoolin the morning.” Rolo laughs, ordering two gin and tonics.

“Ah, I see. So getting a degree is funny to you, is it?” I retort instead of telling the idiot that school is out for the summer.

“Who needs a diploma when we’ve got these?” Rolo opens his coat to flash his holstered gun.

“Right. Why use words when bullets work just fine?” I mutter sarcastically, taking another sip of my beer.

“Exactly,” Remus piles on with an intimidating tone.

My jaw ticks at how they slowly start to sandwich me between them.

“Though I am curious,” Remus all but whispers. “Why would someone even want a degree if they’re supposed to take over asCapo dei Capiof the Outfit? Maybe you can do my brother and me theweefavor of enlightening us.”

“I don’t do favors. I do business. Big difference.”

“Oh, I’m sure we could persuade you to tell us the truth if we wanted to. Though I doubt it would take much effort on our part,” Remus threatens by pulling out his knife and placing it on the bar not so discreetly.

“What’s a little blood between friends?” I smile widely with a grin just as menacing as his.

“Is that an invitation?” Rolo interjects, his blue eyes smiling back at me, far too eager for me to put my money where my mouth is.

“Do you want it to be one?” I quip back.

Rolo doesn’t think twice and swiftly grabs his brother’s knife from the bar.

“It’s been one hell of a boring night so far,” Rolo explains, tapping the blunt part of the blade against his skull, looking absolutely giddy with the prospect of cutting me open. “I’m game if you are.”

“I don’t need a knife. I’ll gut you with my bare teeth if I have to,” I say, snapping my teeth together to emphasize my point.

“Stop being anarseand put the fucking knife away, Rolo,” Remus interrupts, his annoyance clear with the realization that his little intimidation tactic didn’t work on me.

“Maybe next time.” I wink before going back to my beer.

Remus has had a hard-on for me since the day I showed up at his uncle’s door, especially because he can’t wrap his head around why the Outfit’s heir felt the need to come all this way to the UK to learn the trade instead of staying back in Chicago.

Thankfully, neither Victor nor Mina ever told the twins the real reason I left home, and being left in the dark is what’s eating at Remus the most.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he thought I was a spy or some shit like that.

Let him believe what he wants.

It’s better than him finding out that my own father doesn’t believe I have what it takes to lead his empire.

Lately, these have been the troubling thoughts rummaging in my head.

Maybe the true reason why my father refused to teach me was because he thought I was too soft and used my mother’s reluctance of me taking theomertàas an excuse to deny me my birthright.

My thoughts are still on my father when Felix reappears from the back room, his face tight with irritation.

“What’s up?” I ask, standing up.

“We have a problem,” he grumbles before looking at the bar counter, grabbing one of the twins’ drinks and downing it in one gulp.

“What kind of problem?”

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