Page 8 of Blood Moon

Alas, I wasn’t about to start a fight under my brother’s penthouse roof, so I turned to walk away.

“Leo,” I heard Gabriel call out and inwardly cursed. The last thing I wanted to do was have a little group chat with my brother, his wife, the pixie, and her date. It left me feeling irrationally angry. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Schooling my features, I sighed, then slowly spun back around.

Trying my damnedest to appear pleasant when I inexplicably wanted to wrap my hands around the neck of the man touching her, I approached the group.

“Hey, you,” Alia greeted as she gave me a side hug and a reassuring smile. My brothers’ wives almost made me feel guilty for being so sour all the time.

I returned the gesture, then straightened my jacket as I waited for introductions.

“Leo, I’d like you to meet Peter Romanov. Peter and his—” Gabriel introduced, but I interrupted.

“Neverland Acquisitions,” I inserted. Though I’d never met him, I knew exactly who he was by name. “I was there today, as a matter of fact. I spoke with one of your agents today about a painting I’m hoping to acquire—a certain Richard Dadd painting.”

“Is that right?” Peter asked with a cunning smile and an interested tilt of his head. In a way, he reminded me of a shark. If he was running in the same circles as my family, he likely was.

Good thing I’d learned from the best.

“It is,” I smoothly replied.

A small throat clearing followed my statement. “And I’m Tinsley. My brother and Ibothown Neverland Acquisitions,” the soft but incredibly sensual voice announced. My eyes immediately went to the diminutive woman at Peter’s side. She was holding out her hand as if I would shake it as well.

That’s when what she said sunk in. “Brother.”

Instead of shaking her proffered hand, I gently took her fingers in mine and leaned forward as I lifted it to my lips. At the moment of contact, something jolted through me as if I’d been shocked by a defibrillator. It momentarily took my breath away.

When I looked up, it was to find her staring at me with wide blue eyes full of surprise. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Tinsley.”

Those becoming pink cheeks darkened to a rosy hue, and I had a feeling the insane attraction might actually be mutual. As I continued to stare into her eyes, I realized I was still holding her hand a hairsbreadth from my lips. As calmly and casually as I could, I released her hand.

“Leo is my youngest brother,” Gabe announced, and the reminder that it should’ve been announced that Francesco and I were his youngest brothers stabbed through my head.

Suddenly, I was ready to go. The evening had barely started, but already I was done. Alessio and I had shared one of the condos below until he moved in with his new wife. Maybe if I searched again, I’d find some alcohol or pills stashed somewhere I’d missed. I just needed enough to settle my nerves so I could sleep.

“Well, it was nice meeting you,” I assured them. “But I think I’m going to call it a night. I’ll be waiting to see what your agent can procure for me.”

“Leo, wait,” Gabriel said as he followed me.

“Gabe, I can’t, okay? You’ve all made sure the condo was scoured clean. I’m not drinking, I’m not popping pills; just leave me alone for one fucking night.” At least I wasn’t at that given moment.

“I wanted you to meet Peter’s sister. She seems like a nice girl, and I thought maybe you two might hit it off,” he continued. He seemed sincere, but I didn’t trust myself with her. My needs were… demanding. She was tiny, and I was emotional and hanging on by a thread.

Bad idea.

“I’m sure she is, which is exactly why she should stay away from me,” I shot back with a self-deprecating laugh.

He stepped closer. “Leo… I need your help with this.”

I had no idea what he was talking about, but there was nothing I could do for him. “I’m not the one you need if you need help. Talk to Vittorio. Or Alessio.”

Before he could say anything else, I walked away. Thankfully, he didn’t follow. Though as I pushed the button for my floor, someone else did because they stopped the doors from closing. Glancing up, I was shocked to see it was Tinsley.

“You’re leaving?”

“No,” she replied as the door slid shut and she spun to face me. There was a wildness in her eyes as she shoved me against the wall with a strength that I wasn’t prepared for. Heat blazed between us as she reached up and pulled my head down.

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