Page 32 of Scattered Glitter

Because I know what happens if control gets lost.

Everyone around me dies.

Mom. Rose. Uncle Oscar. All I have left of my blood-related family is my twin. And if I let go of my ironclad control, I’d probably turn into a paranoid wreck, wrapping all of my brothers in bubble wrap to make sure nothing could happen to them.

Which, according to Levi, is what I already do.

But fuck, he especially is his own worst enemy. Partying, drinking, he doesn’t give a fuck about himself or his health as long as he gets his high. If I didn’t constantly mother-hen him, the way he loves accusing me of doing, he’d probably starve. I don’t have to worry about him dying of thirst, though.

Champagne counts as liquid, right?

And then there are the fans, all the people who want a piece of us, or mostly him. The girl at the grave wouldn’t even be the first stalker Levi has had if that’s what she is. At least she didn’t seem dangerous.

“Oh my God.” Levi’s laugh, sharp and sudden, snaps me out of my thoughts. “The pretty Little Bird caught your attention, huh? I haven’t seen you look at someone like that in ages.”

“It was… strange.” I shoot him a glare. “You see that, too, right? Her hanging around Rosie’s grave… it doesn’t make sense. She couldn’t have been her friend. She looked younger than us, maybe mid-twenties. They wouldn’t have known each other before Rosie died.”

“Weird? Sure.” Levi chuckles, a mischievous glint lighting his eyes. “But also adelight,” he says, his voice slipping into that playful tone he uses when something, or someone, has piqued his interest. He makes a cooing sound, and Pebble flutters down from Rosie’s gravestone, landing on his shoulder and nestling in.

“Why would that be adelight?” I ask, more to distract myself from the growing unease settling in my stomach. “All we have now are questions and an empty wine bottle to dispose of. Avery expensivewine bottle,” I note, examining the label. It’s a good year, one I have in our wine cellar.

Levi grins, pulling his phone from his pocket with a flourish. “Yep, questions, one empty bottlemore, and…somethingless.”

“What are you talking about?”

I’m not in the mood for his games.

He grins wider, looking like the cat that got the cream. “You really didn’t notice, did you? It’s fucking perfect,she’sfucking perfect.” He taps on a screen and puts it on speaker. It rings once before Ezra picks up, his deep voice filling the air between us.

“Dove.”

“Hey, Ezy baby,” Levi coos into the phone as if he hasn’t seen him in ages, even though Ezra is sitting in his caroutside the graveyard waiting for us to get back. “Have you seen the glittery goddess who just stepped out?”

There’s a moment of silence, then Ezra replies. “She’s standing outside the gate, a few feet from me.”

I furrow my brows, trying to understand where Levi’s going with this. I open my mouth to ask, but Levi raises a finger, signaling me to wait. It’s killing me, but I bite my tongue.

“Amazing. Be a good boy and follow her, okay?” Levi demands, but then his voice drops to that honeyed, persuasive tone he’s perfected. “I’d like to know where she works or lives or where the hell she’s going right now. It’s important.”

“Can I ask why?” Ezra sounds as confused as I feel, which is a small comfort.

Levi’s grin stretches wider when he sees my frown. “Because that beauty just stole Koen’s watch right off his wrist, and he still hasn’t noticed.”

Ice floods my veins as I glance at my bare wrist.

“What the fuck?”

How did she…

Levi’s laughter rings out, echoing off the gravestones. “You’ve got to admit, she’s got skills. I haven’t seen anyone pull off a lift like that in years, and from you, of all people.” He shakes his head. “Honestly, if I hadn’t been watching her glittery fingernails because Ineedthose, I wouldn’t have noticed. It was that quick.”

I’m torn between fury at being robbed and a grudging respect for her audacity.

Who the hell is that girl?

“I’d rather not leave you here alone,” Ezra states firmly.

He’s even more overprotective than I am when it comes to Levi, and that’s saying something. Ezra is a detective, but he acts as Levi’s bodyguard whenever he goes out becauseLevi refuses to hire a new one. The last one we had didn’t end well. The guy tried to pin him against a wall because he misread Levi’s nature as flirting.

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