Page 43 of Stolen Hearts

“Cool. Well, I’ll say it again, anyway. There are two of them, Castle.”

“Something you’re trying to tell me here, pal?”

“Sure is,pal,” he growls, stepping closer to me and narrowing his fierce gaze at me. “You’d better use one that isnotthe same one that Callie uses. Because if you lay a fucking finger on my sister, I’ll castrate you with a meat hook and toss your dick in that fucking waterfall.”

Brad gulps loudly, his face paling.

I just sigh, patting Hades on the shoulder in a friendly manner as I walk past him. “Not gonna be an issue, Hades.”

It’s not.

It can’t be.

Itwon’tbe.

I repeat all three of those again in my head like a mantra.

Twice.

At my core, I understand that there’s currently nothing and will neverbeanything between Callie Drakos and myself. Her family are our closest allies. Her brothers are my business associates. Her best friends are effectively my little sisters.

She’s twelve years younger than me.

We’re simply marrying to avoid a catastrophe after we together killed one of the most powerful Italian mafia Dons in the country.

I could go on.

There’s a small problem, though. The thing is, much as Iwantto see Callie as all of those things: sister to my business associates. Best friend to my sisters. Untouchable. Unnoticeable. As completelynotan object of desire to me, like Neve and Eilish aren’t an object of desire to me…

…we’ve already crossed a line.

Well,shecrossed it.

And she dragged me right over it with her when she seared those lips to mine. When she slid her robe off and pressed her body against me, and let me nibble that sweet, forbidden fruit.

I’m having adamnhard time forgetting that taste.

Una sighs. “Brad, give us a second, if you would.”

“Of course, Mrs. Kildare. And again, if this isn’t exactly what we’re looking for, there’s thisfantasticloft space in Soho, very special. I truly think you should take a look—”

“Thank you, Brad,” Una smiles sweetly.

Brad takes the hint, smiles, and scurries away noiselessly. Una arches a brow at me. “Castle, it’s a gorgeous spot.”

I shrug. “I mean, aside from that fucking waterfall…yeah, it’s nice.”

“It’s a twenty-million-dollar apartment, numb nuts,” Hades mutters. “Damn straight it’snice.”

I glare at him. Una looks at me piercingly and shakes her head.

“Nice…but?”

“Look, I don’t want you or Cillian to think I don’t appreciate this. It’s just…” I shake my head. “Una, I don’t belong in this place. I don’t belong in thislife.”

She cocks her head to the side. “Well, itisyour life now, Castle. So learn to fit in. Trust me,” she grins. “If I can, you can.”

“I know. I will. But a place like this?” I make a face as I gaze helplessly around at all the splendor. “The role I can fit into. You and Cillian both know that. I can sit on the throne, and I can lead this family.”

---