Page 83 of Brutal Devil
“Maybe if we can’t find her a suit, we’ll just have to go skinny-dipping.”
I see red again. “Rocco would help me to get rid of your body. He’s loyal like that.”
My brother just grins. “You’re falling in love with her.”
His words take all the anger out of me. All the air out of my lungs. For a second, I can’t even think.
“I don’t do love,” I snap, stalking away from him to pace the room.
What’s he thinking? Saint knows as well as I do that softness doesn’t exist in our world. Our father didn’t love us. He used us to build his empire. We were pawns in the game he played to grow his power. Our mother sure as fuck didn’t love us. She left us when we were kids, when we needed her most. Abandoned us to our heartless father’s idea of what men should be.
And when we didn’t agree with him, he beat it into us until we changed our minds.
Thinking about the past has me on edge. I need to get out some energy. Blow off some steam. Maybe I’ll head to the gym and pound the punching bag for an hour. Pretend it’s my brother’s face.
“Then how do you explain all this?” Saint asks, following me.
I turn back to glare at him. “All what?”
“The possessiveness where she’s concerned. You’ve been with women before, but I don’t recall you threatening to clip me over any of them.”
I blow out a breath. “And? None of them were my wife either.”
“And that makes it different, how?”
“Because we’re tied together for life now. Because she’s bound to me forever.”
“And because you have feelings for her.”
“I barely even know her. It’s been a little over a week.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Saint shakes his head, inspecting me like I’m a fucking insect pinned to a board. “You’ve been different with her. I’ve never seen you this way.”
I’m not in the mood to be examined. Or to think about why Luna affects me like she does. It’s not love. I barely know her. It’s that she’s mine. Protecting what’s mine is in my blood.
“Just drop it,” I bite out.
Saint gives me a careless shrug that notches up my urge to punch him in the mouth. “Suit yourself.”
“Go the fuck to bed,” I tell him. “Tomorrow is going to be a long day. I’ll need you on the outside with me.”
Actually, I don’t need that, but I’ve just decided that leaving him here with my wife for another day isn’t going to happen.
He’s instantly all business. “What’s up?”
“We’re meeting with Squeaky and Amedeo to talk about what happens with Club Venere and some of Tomasso’s other holdings.”
That much is true, but I don’t technically need Saint there for it. Couldn’t hurt to have my consigliere accompany me to this, though. I still don’t trust Amedeo the Animal, and having my sharp-eyed brother at my back will send a message.
“Fine. The club should be ours.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “You’re the don now, and the club belonged to Luna’s father. The Animal can fuck right off if he thinks he’s going to get his grubby hands on it.”
I nod. “We’re on the same page. Get some rest. I’ll see you at seven.”
But he doesn’t go yet. “Who’s staying with Luna?” He wants to know.
“What are you, her keeper now?”
He raises a brow, the cheeky fucker. “Technically, yes.”
