Page 93 of Lies like Rubies, Part One

“Hard limits, Sofia,” Nick continued, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. I hated the comfort I took from the small gesture and that Dante had complicated my relationship with Nick, like everything else in my goddamned life.

“Nick, I’m not going to give you a list of shit I don’t like so Dante can torment me with it the moment you walk out the door,” I snapped, fear snaking down my spine.

Nick squeezed my hand, holding me when I wanted to push away. “All right, Sofia. How about this? Tell me what you need from me.”

I scoffed. One more man in my life who couldn’t take a fucking hint. I liked Nick so damn much. I liked how my heart took flight when we were together, how I could be genuine with him, and how I wanted to show him sides of me no one else saw. But I couldn’t bear another complication in my life.

“I told you already, Nick. I need you to be uncomplicated.”

The air rushed out of the room, leaving silence in its wake. Dante laughed. To my shock, his amusement was genuine, lighting up his face. A woman could fall in love with that smile.

“Sofia, you might as well wish to stand on the moon,” he said, taking my other hand with surprising gentleness.

Nick frowned, staring at our hands, entwining our fingers together as he thought. For the first time since we met, he didn’t wear his emotions on his face, and I hated it.

“Sofia, I like you, and I want you, and I—” He cut himself off and laughed softly. “It doesn’t matter how far I run, I can’t outrun my blood. I want you in my life.” He gestured at Dante and me. “If this is what it takes, then this is what it takes.”

My lungs were collapsing, a weight crushing my sternum. I couldn’t breathe.

Could it be so simple? We decided to be happy, so we were?

Dante’s face was a mask of impassivity, but he hadn’t let go of my hand.

“Okay,” I whispered. “But I’m still going to need some rules because I’m not going to let you two blister my ass for the hell of it.”

Dante yanked on my hand until I stumbled out of my chair. He arranged me in his lap until I perched on his thigh, one of his hands on my back, the other on my thigh, heat suddenly pouring through us like lava. “I’ll blister your ass whenever the fuck I want, pet. In fact, why don’t you get on your knees and thank me for insisting that Nick join us last night?”

Fury blazed through me, cauterizing the wound from his cruel words. Before I could spit out an answer I’d regret, vulnerability flashed in Dante’s eyes, swiftly covered by cynicism. This was a test.

I set my coffee on the table and slid off his lap to kneel at his feet. I leaned my head on his knee and laced my fingers with his, bringing them to my lips to kiss his knuckles. “Thank you, sir.”

He didn’t respond, and fear tap danced over my nerves as I waited for the next cruelty to fall from his lips. With aching slowness, he tangled his other hand in my hair and stroked the strands between his fingers. “You’re welcome, kitten.”

35

DANTE

“You’re reapingwhat you sow, boss,” José said under his breath as we watched another casino burn.

This couldn’t be anyone but Sergio, likely with the aid of the Costas. Goddammit. This trip was supposed to be simple. In, get my money back, murder Accardi, and out. And now I was caught up in a fucking American war over a woman I’d only intended to use as my toy. Why thefuckcouldn’t we find that asshole and put an end to him already?

I thumbed open my phone and texted Adam Zhang.

Dante

Cut off the Costas.

Zhang

No.

Fuck.

Dante

What do I need to offer Adam Zhang to get him to cut off one of the Yorkfield families?

Sofia

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