Page 57 of Chaos Kills

“Oh, it’s fucked. But, yeah”—he jerks his head at Oz—“mute boy over there is family.”

“Why didn’t you just…”Say that before?I’m back to looking at Ozzy, don’t know why, when I ask, “Who the fuckareyou?”

Honestly, what’s the point? This man is so void of words and answers that I’m wasting my time handing them off to him.

“My Uncle Vinny’s kid, Roger’s brother,” Levi explains. “Ellie and Ozzy have the same mother.” His green eyes meet mine. “So technically, she’s an orphan. Both of her parents are dead. Mae is Roger’s real kid with your stepmom.”

Dad is always taking in strays, myself included.

Which means Ozzy is just like us. Strung through this world without a real family.

“So, Emilio is?—”

“Not related to him,” Levi recites. “Thank fuck for him.”

I glimpse back at Ozzy, who still hasn’t opened his beer or moved from the wall. “You’re an Astor?”

“He’s a Ryland. When Uncle Vinny married Aunt Celine, he took her last name. She was the only girl and wanted to keep her name alive.”

“So…Ellie is a Ryland?”

“Mhm.” Levi takes another drink of his beer, and I can’t pry my hang-up off Ozzy to save my life.

I hate this.

Like the whole damn conversation.

“But he has Astor blood in him,” I deadpan.

Levi hesitates a second before confirming, “He does.”

Everyone does.

Levi. Mae. Ozzy—a man I’ve never met before. He gets to be blood-related to Dad, and I don’t.

I can’t help the jealousy coursing through me because, with everything in me,Iwant to be an Astor.

“What do you want with this family?” I practically snarl through clenched teeth because there’s something.

I know there is.

He’s not here for shits and giggles. He’s not here out of the kindness of his heart either.

He’s here to destroy.

He works for Emilio.

“Torin called him his cousin,” I tell Levi. “If you tell me that Pretty Boy is an Astor, too…I’m going to lose my shit.”

My best friend cups my elbow for a split second, coaxing me to calm down. “No. Torin’s a Morrison, technically. His father married Roger’s sister, Quinn—” I tear my arm so he can’t touch me again and round on him.

“That means he has Astor blood in him. He’s fucking South Shore?”

“No—well…shit, I don’t know where everyone is from, but?—”

“Roger’s sister. Dad is an Astor. That means that fucker has Astor blood in him.”

Levi’s features soften, but it has no effect on me.

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