Page 121 of Caught in the Crossfire
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OBI
Max Volpe had gotten everything he’d wanted with that meeting, and so had we. We were temporary allies. We knew we held the power in this dynamic. We had a much broader understanding of how to contest the Albanians.
Yet still, I barely controlled my emotions as we rode the elevator back to the penthouse and disarmed ourselves in the weapons room.
There was certainly no way I would expose any more weakness to Volpe while at his home. However, now that we were back at the penthouse, my anger was about to burst forth.
I tamped it down.
Leona joked with Ryuji and Ciel,flirtingin our kitchen. She’d made a poor choice this evening, and it needed to be addressed.
“Leona Vero.”
Laughing, she looked over her shoulder at me. When she noticed the look on my face, she lifted her chin defiantly. I almost smirked. She knew what she had done. Her defiant edge had always drawn me in…and now she was about to find out exactly what that did to me.
“What?” she asked.
I moved to the living room while all eyes watched. I sat on the couch and gestured to the floor in front of me. “Come here.”
She hesitated.
“I will not ask again. Come here.”
The air was thick with tension. I would allow my brothers to watch, but there would be no interference. This was between her and me.
Reluctantly, she did as I asked. My palms rested on my thighs. She shifted from foot to foot.
“What’s going on?” Caspian asked. While I had bitten back most of my anger, my displeasure was obvious. “Obi, what’s wrong?”
Leona’s cheeks bloomed with red, and she stared at her feet.
Ryu crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re punishing her? For what?”
Leona swallowed. I gestured for her to speak.
“Because I fucked Cas in Max’s bathroom.”
My hand tensed on my thighs. I’d given her five minutes to speak with Chiara, which she had disregarded. On top of that, she allowed herself to be vulnerable, unsafe, inside our enemy’s home.
I’d gone upstairs after Caspian. I’d heard them in the bathroom.
And I’d been hard ever since.
Ryu straightened, his eyes narrowing at the prominent marks on her neck. “Well. Can’t say you don’t deserve this, then.”
“Hey, I don’t?—”
“Sit down, Caspian,” I demanded. “You’ll get your punishment next.”
Avastlydifferent punishment, but he was not blameless in this, and he would take responsibility for his role in putting us at risk. Ryuji and I would take him down to the gym while Ciel and Wynn looked after Leona.
Leona’s lips pressed together, and she looked to each of my brothers in a silent plea to save her.
“Look at me.”
Her eyes snapped to mine. “Obi, it wasn’t?—”
