Page 37 of Sworn to Revenge
“Pedro, I think you’ll have to get used to your new set of eyes,” she suddenly adds, out of breath. “You’re a merman now, that and your mark won’t disappear in your human form.”
Shit.I got used to this ‘super’ sight that I didn’t even think about it.
“You better find a solution fast, Alin. I am not part of your world, nor wish to be,” I reluctantly tear my gaze away from Bay and turn to my dear sister-in-law frustrated, only to meet her naked body again.For god’s sake. Get that covered already! I do not want my brother to kill me today.
“And what are you planning to wear?” I turn my gaze away. “Luca will bury me alive if he finds out I let you walk around naked,” I mutter, trying to look anywhere but at her body.
“Coward,” she throws back at me, holding up the white button-up shirt I’d worn when I first got here.
“Here, covers everything,” she announces, buttoning it up all the way, leaving only the collar open. “For me, it’s like a dress.”
Well, she’s got a point. I resist the urge to imagine Bay wearing my shirts. Shit. Smelling my scent on her, marking her as mine…
A heavy, raspy laugh interrupts my thoughts, and I quickly turn to meet Abert.
“You went on a trip to the beach and came back as a girl with pigtails,” he teases, his voice still hoarse from years of smoking, but he regains his composure quickly. “Shame you didn’t tell me. I would have gotten you a matching pink gun,” he adds, handing me my gun, knowing as well as I do, that we don’t have the luxury of being caught unarmed out here.
I snatch it from his hand and flip him off. “Let’s go. The capo is waiting for an update,” I push forward this time, my voice thick with annoyance.
Bay runs up behind me and wraps her arms around mine again with a grin. I tense. What she is up to now?
“Looks like now we can both start learning how to paint our nails together with Cora,” she says playfully, scrunching her nose at me, and everyone bursts out laughing. How I’d love to shut her up right now… in ways I can’t afford to think about—yet.
“Trust me, if you and I are practicing anything together, it won’t be nail polish,” I whisper back, a mischievous grin spreading across my face as she looks at me with that familiar curiosity, I can’t help but—well, let’s say I enjoy.
I’m in way too deep.
Pedro
I don’t even get a chance to open the car door after Abert parks by our building, and Alin is already leaping out with excitement. I glance out the passenger window, and it quickly becomes clear why.
“Oh, for God’s sake. It’s barely been a day since we left. You’d think they hadn’t seen each other in months,” I mutter in frustration as I open the door. It only gets worse with time.
Bay’s soft laugh dances through the air beside me as she steps out of the car, her eyes lighting up with that irresistible smile that always leaves me breathless. “A bit jealous, are we?” she whispers teasingly, leaning closer to my chest. The warmth of her presence is magnetic, and for a second, I forget everything else—until her gaze shifts to the overly affectionate couple in front of us, breaking the spell.
My body tenses as my brother’s eyes lock onto mine. The last thing I need is for him to start reading too much into me and Bay before we even make it to his office. Especially not with Abert standing right there—stillsuspicious after questioning my freaky new eyes on the way here. Shit.
Before I can muster up any excuse, my brother’s deep laughter booms through the parking lot, shattering the tension I didn’t realize had settled between us. I blink, caught off guard, and then it hits me—it’s not Bay. It’s the damn dress. Another thing he’ll mock me about for the next decade. I flip him off without hesitation, the motion sharp and automatic.
“I’d like to see you survive what I went through,” I mutter, annoyance lacing my tone as I quickly try to steer the conversation. “We’ve got important updates. Where’s Mariano?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t take you seriously when you’re dressed like this,” his voice is thick with laughter as Alin buries her face in his chest, trying to stifle her laugh after all the threats I made on the way here. But, of course, Bay has no sense and breaks into laughter right away.
“I’m sorry,” she says, struggling to suppress her laugh, “it’s just, this is the first time I’ve ever seen Luca really laugh like this. The sight of you even cracked the capo.”
Now Abert’s snorting with laughter behind us, and I throw my hands up in defeat. After everything we went through underwater, this damn dress is the least of my problems.
I make my way toward the elevator, muttering curses under my breath, not waiting for them. I press the button for the fourth floor—dress or no dress, Luca’s office is where we need to be right now.
“Wait for me!” Bay calls, catching up just before the elevator doors close, cutting us off from their wave of laughter. That’ll die down soon enough anyway.
“Are you planning on telling Luca and Mariano about their mom?” she brings up the one topic I’m dreading the most.
“I’m not hiding it from them. They need to know,” I say honestly, my eyes fixed on the elevator buttons, avoiding her gaze.
“We don’t have all the answers yet. Do you really think it’s smart to bring it up now?” she presses, asking questions I hadn’t even considered. Regardless, I’m not hiding anything from the capo.
I finally turn to face her before answering, and immediately regret it when I meet those amethyst eyes, sparkling with curiosity. Fuck. I keep forgetting how much she still has to learn about our world. Why do I take so much pleasure in knowing that?
