Page 110 of Dance of Ruin

“She’s upstairs on her mandated bed rest. Try not to give her a heart attack.”

My mouth opens. Then closes. I give him a weak nod and head for the stairs on shaky legs with a heart that won’t slow down.

I knock lightly on the door to Bianca and Kratos’ room as I step inside, feeling like I’ve done somethingwrong.

Which is stupid. We’re not in high school. I didn’t get caught sneaking in past curfew. I’m not sleeping with her boyfriend.

Just her brother.

Her dangerous, morally unstable, mafia prince brother.

Bianca’s propped up in bed, surrounded by vases of flowers, aninsanenumber of pillows, and an aggressive number of romance paperbacks. Her long dark hair is braided and hanging over one shoulder, and she’s reading one of said paperbacks with her mouth open in a shocked “O”.

She glances up when I walk in, her face turning red.

“Shit, you scared me.” She holds up the book with a guilty grin. “Fuckin’ Booktok got to me. Thespice…holy shit,” she giggles, tossing the book aside.

I smile weakly as she arches a brow.

“I saw the pictures,” she says, tilting her head. “You wanna start, or should I?”

Well, so much for easing into the conversation

“I didn’t mean for it to happen. It just—” I wave my hands uselessly. “It justdid.And I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want to make things weird, and?—”

“Naomi,” she cuts in gently. “I’m notmad.” She laughs lightly. “Why does everyone think I’d be mad if my friends dated my brothers?”

I make a face. “Because you’re not supposed to hook up with your friend’s brother. It’s a rule.”

She frowns. “I don’t think that’s a thing.”

“I’m pretty sure it is.”

She grins. “I think that’s just in romcoms, and it’s only guys. Like, you don’t bang your buddy’s sister. You know?”

I point to one of the books lying on her comforter. “You’re literally reading a book that has ‘best friend’s brother’ and ‘forbidden’ on the cover.”

She rolls her eyes. “Dude, it’sfiction. Welcome to the real world.” She shakes her head. “I’mnot mad, Naomi.”

I blink.

“You’re not?”

She exhales. “Well… I wasn’t thrilled to find out viathetabloids.But…no.”

I sink onto the edge of her bed, twisting my hands in my lap. “I just… I didn’t know how to tell you. And Nico and I aren’t even?—”

“Naomi?”

I pause, my lip pulling between my teeth as I look up at her.

“Without going into details that trust me, youdo notwant to hear…” She blushes. “Believe me when I say that I get unconventional when it comes to relationships.” Then she gives me a sharp look. “But I do want to know he’s treating you right.”

I open my mouth to answer, but nothing comes out.

How do I explain that this started with blackmail? That it stillis, technically?

I mean, he still has the footage.

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