Page 13 of Kissing the Villain

Before we could ring the bell, the door swung open. A middle-aged man with dark hair and a black suit greeted us with pursed lips and an intense stare. He looked as intimidating and scary as the rest of the assholes who lived here.

As we stepped inside the house, the thought of seeing Luca made me feel slightly giddy and anxious, like a girl with a crush. I liked Luca, even though I spent most of the time hating how he made me feel.

Damn it.

My brother was right.

Aiden grabbed my hand and followed the man down the tiled hallway. I squeezed his fingers, seeking his warmth. He always seemed to know when I needed him.

It was our twin thing.

Loud voices floated into the hallway from the formal dining room, where all five Salvatore men sat around a dining table large enough to host The Last Supper. Arlo was at the head, Luca on his right, and Marcello on his left. Bastian and Damian took their usual spots at Luca’s side.

My heels clacked on the tiled floor as we entered the room. All conversation ceased, and they snapped their heads in our direction. Bastian and Damian gave me their usual bored stares, while Marcello didn’t even bother to glance up from his phone.

Arlo offered a quick welcome.

Luca rose from his chair and closed the distance between us, hooking his arm around my back to pull me into a firm hug. “How are you settling into your new house?”

“We love it. I’m lucky I got Aiden to stop playing video games long enough to shower and dress.”

“I haven’t seen old-school Pac-Man and Street Fighter since I was a kid,” Aiden said.

Luca glanced over my shoulder at my brother. “I thought you might like those.”

Aiden’s eyes widened. “You did that?”

“Just something we had in storage.” He took my hand, leading me to his side of the table, and pulled out my chair. “Glad you like them.”

Aiden sat at my side and glanced at Arlo. “Thanks for hooking us up with the house, Mr. Salvatore. The fully stocked bar in the game room was a nice touch.”

“No problem,” Arlo said. “Your sister is quite the commodity. I couldn’t have her living in squalor over in Beggar’s Bay.”

Commodity? Interesting choice of words.

The houses in Beacon Bay were like my childhood home. But compared to the Salvatores’ wealth, which paralleled that of a small country, anyone under a billion dollars in net worth was poor.

“The house is perfect for us.” I smiled. “Thank you.”

Arlo’s jaw flexed. “You refuse to spend the money in your trust accounts, which doesn’t leave you many choices.”

Aiden tensed at my side. “How do you know that?”

My stomach knotted as I digested Arlo’s words. We were way out of our depth with the Salvatores.

“I know a lot of things about you and your sister.”

An eerie chill rolled down my arms.

“We don’t want blood money,” Aiden shot back.

A creepy but interested expression crossed Arlo’s face. “Is that what you think of your grandfather?”

“We don’t need his money.”

“Street art must pay better than I thought,” Arlo said with a cocky attitude.

Bastian and Damian snickered. Marcello stared across the table at us, observing our reactions. Luca sat at my side, expressionless.

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