Page 76 of Where the Wicked Reign

Thatsentiment was almost as worrying as everything else I was up against.

But it was also clear that walking away from it, or shutting down, really wouldn’t do me any favors.

I just had to make damn sure that I treaded carefully.

14

~Emilio~

I’d been proven right.

Well, at least to an extent.

The dirty shit that had gone down last night had definitely taken the edge off for Nico.

He was out on Julian’s balcony now, smoking and sipping at his espresso as he lounged back on one of the heavily cushioned wicker lounge chairs.

The part I hadn’t been right about was that fucking her like he’d been craving hadn’t exactly worked to get her out of his system, or to curb his obsession with Caterina Leone. The fact that he’d invited her to spend the day with us actually seemed to indicate that what had happened had cemented it.

Hell,he clearly thought he’d claimed her.

But I’d been listening in on their conversation through the door—managing to take off just before Julian had arrived with his care package—and what I’d heard from her made it clear she didn’t see it the same way. She wasn’t just hesitant about drawing closer to him; she was worried.

Rightfully so.

It could only lead to a shitshow of epic proportions.

Nico wasn’t equipped to build, nor sustain, a relationship with anyone.

Letting emotion lead the way for him was a no-go with his pivotal role as Capo, all the people counting on him, the businesses he needed to run, the complicated moves and decisions he needed to make—and now this added complication of Marco becoming unhinged and Leo coming down on his nephew and trying to leash him. Nico needed to be at the top of his game, remaining completely rational and his usual cold and calculated self. And, this woman, she impacted that; she weakened that, weakened him. She fucking softened him. I mean, he’d invited her to breakfast with us, he’d made Julian’s personal shopper bring in clothes and hell knew what else for her, he’d insisted on spending time with her. He should’ve just sent her home the moment they’d woken up. Andifhe had been keeping it unemotional, he would have.

But I’d already warned him, and he’d ignored it.

Julian had also been right about what he’d said last night. Continuing to push it with Nico and read him the riot act when it came to this would only serve to create a divide between me and him. Not only didn’t I want that, but we couldn’t afford it right now.

Clearly, the way to go was not through him, but throughherinstead.

Now I knew she was concerned about this development just like I was, I could capitalize on that, try to control things from her end, try to push her back from Nico and keep her at a distance, making it safer for all of us.

“Here,” Julian said, walking up to me and handing me a cup of coffee. “It’s got your favored brandy in too. Hopefully, it’ll take the edge off.”

“What edge?” I asked him, finally looking away from Nico and watching Julian slump down on the couch and kick his feet up on his coffee table.

“Your nostrils are flaring. You were doing that intense staring thing at Nico as I walked on in.”

“I’m fine.”

“Lies. You’ve been avoiding me all morning. I mean, I know my penthouse is big, but it’s still quite a feat to pull that off on one floor for a couple of hours straight. Just admit that you’re still pissed about last night.”

I took a gulp of my coffee, choking a little because he’d put in so much brandy instead of the few drops I usually added for a tough day, or when Nico and I had a lot of shit ahead of us with the unsavory aspects of Marchetti business.

I thumped my chest, narrowing my eyes when I saw him grinning and looking pleased with himself. “You mean, when you didn’t justsuperviseNico, but actually participated, then you came back into your office when you’d ordered me to get ready for you only to tell me you were no longer up for it? Quite fucking literally.”

“Yeah. That.” He shrugged. “I didn’t see it coming, but it happened, and I got what I needed from their dirty little scene.”

“You didn’t even get off.”

“Physically, no, but it turned out to be enough for me.”

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