Page 78 of Devious Madness

A pink tint blooms on her cheeks as she reads the message. After she replies and puts it back down, she lets out a little sigh.

“Oh, man. She’s got it bad, huh?” I elbow Megan.

“She does.”

“No. I don’t,” Elana argues, looking over her shoulder to be sure we’re alone.

Kaz is somewhere in this massive brownstone, but I haven’t seen him since I arrived an hour ago. Not that I want to see him. Never seeing him again would rank really high up on my bucket list.

“You still won’t tell them?” Megan keeps her voice hushed.

“Mira, you need to bid.” Elana sidesteps the question.

“Won’t tell who?” I survey my cards, still unsure of what to do. “I think six?”

“Okay, that means I get the talon.” Elana picks up the two cards. “The trump suit will be hearts.”

After shuffling her cards around, she picks two cards and puts them face down. “Megan, you’re up. Put down a card.”

“I think you should give them credit; your brothers really love you.” Megan flips through her cards before plucking one.

Seven of diamonds. I survey my hand.

“You’ve seen how overprotective they are.” Elana argues. “I mean, it basically took an armed guard of five men to get Alexander to let you out of the house today.”

“That’s true.” Megan frowns. “Now that he’s openly declared war on the DeAngelos, he’s been more protective.”

I slide my card, an eight of diamonds, onto the table.

“What would it take for the war to be cancelled?” I ask.

“Marco’s head on a pike,” Elana says, pulling out a card and dropping it on top of mine. “Nine of diamonds. I win this trick.”

“There has to be something else? Maybe Marco could do something that would turn the heat down?” It’s a selfish question.

My own guilt gets in the way of seeing the reality. Marco messed with Alexander’s family. He hasn’t done anything to make amends for it, and until Alexander is appeased, it will only get bloodier.

“Megan, your turn.” Elana looks up from her cards.

“Mira, you have to stop feeling guilty.” Megan drops an eight of spades. “I know you feel responsible because Nico was your boyfriend, but things have gone past what he did.”

My stomach sinks even lower.What Nico did.

“Mira, play a card.” Elana urges, her card already poised in her hand.

“I mean swearing off men for the rest of your life is a little dramatic. Even for you,” Megan says.

I toss my seven of spades on the table with a sigh. “Look at my history with them. It’s better for everyone if I just stay away.”

“You had one bad boyfriend, and now you’re swearing offlove? That’s harsh.” Elana puts her winning card, the ten of spades, on top of mine and scoops up the cards. “I win again.”

“Not one boyfriend. All of them.” I shuffle my cards in my hand, waiting, as Elana looks through hers. “As soon as a guy even hints he might like me, I have our wedding planned, our children named. It’s a whole pathetic thing.”

“You want to get married and have a family, there’s nothing wrong with that.” Elana smiles softly. “At first it was just me and my mom, but then my brothers brought me into the family.”

“She shares a father with them,” Megan explains.

“Wanting a family is one thing, jumping into it with the first guy that sticks around for a second date is something entirely different. I’m pretty sure there’s a diagnosis out there waiting for me.”

---