Page 113 of Sinful Kingdom

“She’s mean.”

“You’re a baby, Alexander. If this were Daemon, he wouldn’t have made a sound.”

“You’re nicer to him.”

Gianna rolls her eyes.

Alex smiles at me before looking at the wound Gianna is focusing on. My eyes follow and I swallow roughly at the sight of the angry marks littering his arms. They’re better, so much better than the last time I saw them.

They might be angry and a permanent reminder of what he went through, but they’re not ugly. The only thing I see when I look at them is his strength. I remember the way he looked at me, the fire that burned so bright in his eyes with his need to rescue me, to protect me. If I ever doubted how he felt about me, it was clear as day in those moments. He’d have destroyed the entire world for me if it was what was necessary to keep me safe. He still would. All we can hope is that there won’t be another reason for him to even think it.

“Changing your mind yet?” he asks me anxiously.

“Wash your mouth out with soap, Alexander Stefanos Deimos. It’s going to take more than the evidence of your strength to turn me away,” I say fiercely.

“Listen to your girl. Scars are hot. Right, Evie?”

“For the love of God, do not start telling me about any Dad has that you traced with your tongue or some shit.”

Gianna shakes her head. “You’re not fun.”

“And you need a new bloke. You spend too long reminiscing about your youth. Anyone would think you no longer have any fun.”

“Oh, I have plenty of fun. In fact, I had a date about a month ago, and he—”

Behind me, the front door slams closed, footsteps moving closer.

“Thank fuck for that,” Alex mutters before Daemon and Calli appear in the living room.

“D, get your arse down here. If I have to listen to tales about Mum’s love life then so do you,” Alex calls.

The way Daemon’s face screws up makes me bark out a laugh.

“Oh, Gianna, give us all the dirty details,” Calli giggles.

“Angel, she doesn’t need any kind of encouragement. I’m still trying to forget the story she told us about sex positions while pregnant.”

“She’s a nurse. It was purely factual information.” The second Calli’s eyes meet mine, she winks.

“Whatever you say,” Daemon mutters, striding toward me. “Where is the ugly motherfucker, anyway?”

“Bit rich, seeing as we look even more alike than ever before these days,” Alex says as Daemon walks into the bedroom, assessing his arms closely.

“Speak for yourself. Fuck man, they did a number on your ink,” he says, resting his arse back against the chest of drawers.

Alex’s eyes drop to his forearm, and he frowns.

“Shit.”

“You can get it fixed,” Gianna says softly. “Just wait until your scars are healed first, unlike someone else.” She shoots a glare at her other son, who immediately pushes the sleeve of his t-shirt up to reveal a matching tattoo to the one currently being discussed.

“Looks perfectly fine to me,” he argues.

“Do you have to look so smug about it?” Alex scoffs, making Daemon’s smirk widen.

Calli comes to a stop beside me in the doorway, watching them with a soft smile playing on her lips.

“Once I get the approval from my tyrant of a nurse, I might go for full sleeves. Get something bad-arse.”

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