Page 54 of Graves

I’ve been in my room all day. It’s a better alternative than sitting out there watching my brother touch my angel. We agreed to let the better man win, but I only agreed because I know that I’m the better man for her. Clearly, she needs some convincing, though.

A heavy knock comes from my door, and I plunge my knife into the wall just beside it before Dominic pushes inside. He glances at the knife and at me before he rolls his eyes, almost like he’s desensitized to me, beforehe speaks.

“I have to go. Jarod called. Someone tried to hack into the block’s surveillance cameras.”

I turn my head to the side at that.

“You think?—”

“Yes,” he finishes.

Shaking my head at that, I thumb the next knife beside me, running my fingers over the sharp edge of it, watching in fascination as that red line appears in its wake.

“We’re going to have to jump in front of this problem before it gets worse,” I mutter.

“No. Absolutely not. We are never going to let him anywhere near her, he’s not allowed to know she even exists. Stick to the plan. Keep her inside, do not let her leave for anything. I’m still working on something. I dug up a job he did for the Mariano family over in New York. Looks like he didn’t finish the job fully, and they’re looking for him. Maybe that could work to our advantage?”

My head whips up at that.

“You think the way out of this mess, all of us alive, is to sic the mob on him? If he’s evaded them for this long, what makes you think he can’t continue to do so, this time killing everyone in this apartment in retribution?” I scoff.

Dominic clenches his jaw as he shakes his head and turns to leave.

“It’s the best choice we have. We’re sticking with the plan.”

His back faces me, and he takes one step out the door as I call out to him.

“Feel good to be all patched up with her?”

He freezes mid-step as I go on.

“Nothing a good fuck on the kitchen island can’t fix, am I right?”

“About the same as a fuck against our family grave gate.”

His words make me smirk. I’m still shocked that I didn’t know he was there that night. Then again, he learned from the best, just like I did. Also to his advantage, when I’m with my angel, my awareness dulls, my attention completely snapped up by her. She consumes every ounce of me just the way I like it, though I’ll admit, if I’m going to keep her safe from Maxim, I need to be better. Allow my obsession to fill me within these four walls, as above all else, her safety is first priority.

Without another word, Dominic leaves, and a few minutes later, the front door opens and shuts. The blood on my hand has dried, and I move to the en suite bathroom in my room to clean it up before I make my way into the living room. When I do, I find my angel curled up in a ball on the couch, reading a book. I recognize the author’s name. Must be a favorite of hers.

Her eyes leave the page for only a moment before she’s fixating back on her story. I can’t deny that irritation flits through me at her disinterest in me. Last night was too perfect for her to act like it never happened. That was supposed to be all it took to confirm for her that we were destined to be together. The way her body responded to me, even when I showed my proclivities. The way she wanted more. She’s perfect, we’re perfect. She’ll see it soon enough.

I make quick work of a bacon and cheese omelet with some toast for her. It’s about dinnertime, but she really likes havingbreakfast for dinner. Though she’s pretty terrible at making omelets. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched her attempt them, only to get frustrated and turn it into a scramble. So many times I wanted to come out of her closet to help her, and now I can.

When I’m finished, I plate it and carry it over to the coffee table along with one of those flavored sparkling waters that she loves. I set it down in front of her, causing her to lower her book and inspect it. She frowns before looking up at me.

“What’s this for?”

“To eat,” I say flatly.

Her eyes squint at that. “You made me food?”

I nod as I move to take the seat directly across from the couch, leaning back as I gesture toward her.

“Enjoy your book, eat. Pretend I’m not here,” I say as my eyes greedily take in the sight of her beauty before me.

She scoffs at that as she sets her book down.

“Kinda hard to do when you’re just staring at me.”

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