Page 57 of Ruthless Reign

But I didn’t say that. Our whatever-this-was didn’t feel solid yet, and until it did, I couldn’t admit how much he’d come to mean to me, especially not to him. If I lost him, if he ended up dying in my arms like Hugo, I didn’t know if I could handle it. Despite being technically a Montgomery, I hadn’t escaped the curse of my Caputi bloodline, not yet. And I may never fully.

He inhaled and let out a deep sigh, wrapping his arms tighter around me. “I won’t let anyone touch you, I swear.”

I swallowed my angst and changed the subject, confirming he’d set up my babysitters for my cousins’ visit the following day. He narrowed his eyes but allowed the conversation to move on, and that was the last we talked about it.

The next morning, Roman and Leo had already left by the time Della and Chesco arrived, which was good because I wanted some alone time with them. As Roman had requested, there were six Roses posted sentry outside, three more than usual given he couldn’t be here to guard me when two Caputis he didn’t know invaded Rose territory.

“I have to ask you to leave your guns here at the door,” Wheels said, raising an eyebrow at Chesco.

My cousin stood six-six with tattoos covering his body and snaking up his neck. He even had one over his eyebrow that said ‘Evil Boy’ in decorative script. Chesco’s dark gaze shifted to me before back to the Rose.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” He crossed his arms and sucked in air through his teeth. “I’m not gonna hurt my little cousin, even if she is a brat who doesn’t text her favorite family member for months at a time.”

“Chesco, c’mon,” Della said, wringing her delicate hands. Despite being cousins, we looked like sisters. She had long dark hair that cascaded down her back and wide cedar eyes that made her seem innocent and docile.

“Don’t be a dick. You’d do the same thing if the tables were reversed.” I grimaced as Chesco rolled his eyes and unbuckled the harness around his chest, sliding the leather straps down his arms before handing two Glocks to Wheels. He grabbed the pistol from his waistband and shoved it at the Rose before going for the smaller handgun around his ankle. And honestly, I couldn’t be sure that was all he’d brought. Chesco was always loaded, no matter the occasion.

Della, likewise, handed over a small nine millimeter from her purse and stepped inside, pulling me into a big hug.

“Gosh, it’s so good to see you,” she said. “I don’t think the three of us have ever gone this long without talking.”

“I missed you.” I blinked back tears as I looked to Chesco, who pursed his lips and put his hands on his hips.

He’d always been a precious peacock, and standing in his black Versace three-piece on a random Tuesday morning, he looked every bit the arrogant man I had left behind in DC.

“This place is a shit-hole,” he said. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Shut up,” I said, wrapping my arms around him, too. The three of us were born within months of each other, Chesco being the oldest, followed by me and then Della. We were best friends, confidants, and I would not have survived my childhood without them. Having them here after so long nearly broke my heart. “It’s temporary.”

“Temporary?” Chesco muttered to himself in Italian. “Leo should have moved you to a condo in Miami rather than let you live like this.”

“This is actually Leo’s house,” I said. “My house, Roman’s house, recently got shot up by Roses.”

Chesco blinked and rubbed a hand over his dark brown hair. “I should have gotten you out before you signed your life away. What the fuck, Julia?”

I laughed and gestured to the living room, letting them walk ahead so I could grab coffee for everyone. I put the mugs on the table between us and sat next to Della, grinning like an idiot from having my two favorite people here in person.

“Tell me,” Della said. “Is being married to a Rose absolutely horrible?”

“Not at all,” I said. “He’s been kind and understanding. We get along surprisingly well.”

“Kind?” Chesco whistled in disbelief. “And here I thought I was going to have to cut his balls off for touching you.”

I laughed. “No, I’m okay, truly.”

“And what about the rest of them?” Della asked. “Are they as vicious and disgusting as I’ve heard?”

“No, they…they remind me a lot of our family,” I said. “If we’re like cats, they’re like dogs. We’ve been drawing lines between us for no good reason.”

“Christ, she’s drinking the poison fruit juice,” Chesco whined. “Quick, Dell, get the van. I’ll knock her out and throw her in the back.”

I laughed despite his playful threats.Oh, how I had missed them.

“What about you two?” I looked between them. “Take my mind off wedding planning. Tell me about home. Are you still seeing that guy from the coffee shop?”

“No,” Della said. “Chesco scared him away.”

“If he can’t handle me, he can’t handle our family,” he said, refusing to feel ashamed of his behavior. Ever the proverbial older brother, he took great pride in swiping his vicious claws at anyone who sniffed too close to his cousins. If they didn’t cut back harder, he rushed them off with their tails between their legs.

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