Page 64 of Bones

I exhale a deep breath. “You have a brother that is snooping around and asking questions, because he’s pissed his father is dead.”

She gasps. “A brother? I don’t have a brother, Luca.”

“He had a child with another woman before your mother left. He’s two years older than you are.”

“What does he want from me?”

I hate the look of fear on her face, which is why I didn’t want to tell her.

“It doesn’t matter. Reaper is on him. He will take care of it. He will not live long enough to hurt you.”

Instead of the response I expect, she gets up and climbs onto my lap, ignoring the people in the restaurant, and wraps her arms around my neck. “Thank you.”

Winding her hair around my fist, I pull her closer and taste her lips. I lick them before pushing my tongue into her mouth. The waitress brings our food, but we don’t stop, so she sets the colorfulplates down and walks away. Athena runs her fingers into the back of my hair and I groan in frustration, because I’m tempted to fuck her right here. She pulls back with a giggle. “Sorry. I was feeling grateful.”

I nod to her chair. “You better sit down and eat, before you’re feeling something entirely different.”

“Animal,” she says quietly.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

ATHENA

Five days later…

I’m just saying goodbye to my tutor, Ashley, when Luca walks in and the anger running through him is visible. After she leaves, I ask him, “What’s wrong?”

“Do you think you can manage to go back to the basement?”

I back away slowly. “Luca, please.”

“Jesus, Butterfly, no. I have someone down there to deal with. It’s not like that.”

I try to calm my racing heart, that feels like it’s in my throat, as he approaches me and pulls me into his arms. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I promised you, never again. I never break my promises.”

Hugging him back, I let him calm me. His touch, his scent. All of my husband soothes me like a magical ointment for my soul.

“It’s William,” he says.

I let go of him. “I can’t. Don’t make me face him.”

He wraps his hand around my chin and tilts my head back. “Look at me, Butterfly.”

I do and he says, “Don’t you get it? You have nothing to fear. You are the most powerful mafia wife. We will go down there, and you will instruct me on how you want his pain delivered. He holds no power over you. You are about to become the queen of the Bonetti empire. Don’t shy away from it, fucking own it. Everything you want is within your grasp. Take it.”

I straighten my shoulders and try to do as he says, but I’m not an idiot, so I ask, “Is he restrained?”

He smirks at me. “As if I’d let him be in the same room with my wife if he weren’t.”

Luca takes my hand in his. “Come, Mrs. Bonetti. Let’s go play my favorite game. Revenge.”

We walk across the house, and as we get to the door to the basement, I take a deep breath.

“You good, wife?”

I nod with a smile. “I’m good, husband.”

He starts whistling as we walk down the stairs and I giggle. “Why do you do that?”

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