Page 17 of Heir of Darkness

Of course she couldn’t. She didn’t believe in harming others just to get what she wanted.

He knew it. She knew it.

She pushed the gun back into his hand. “Fuck you,” she hissed, turning around and walking out the front door. She marched over to the car, slamming the car door closed once she was in.

Her skin burned, making her squirm in her seat. She hated how he got under her skin, how she fell for it. Suddenly, he knew her better than she even knew herself. How the hell did that happen?

And why did she like it?

SEVEN

VALERIO

Valerio begrudgingly droppedLuna off at her apartment. If she was trying to act more stubborn than usual, then she was succeeding. She refused to talk or even look at him, slamming the car door when he wished her a good night.

She drove him over the fucking edge, and yet, he couldn’t get her out of his mind for even a second. It was like he was wired while around her, and then as soon as she was gone, he just crumbled into himself. Not healthy, but that was his life now.

The exhaustion hit him as soon as he walked into the house. He didn’t think his night would include crashing a party and nearly killing some boy his fiancée was trying to kiss, but that was his life now. He should have shoved a bullet through that boy’s head for even touching Luna in the first place. Valerio shook his head. He needed to talk himself out of killing, not pushing himself to do it.

“Finally, you’re home,” Dante called out from the living room just as Valerio was closing the front door.

“Why are you still awake?” he asked with furrowed brows.

“Wasn’t sure what your plan was tonight,” Allister admitted, sitting up on the couch. He rubbed his eyes. “If you were coming back to finish the job.”

“Where is that boy now?” Valerio asked. He slumped down onto the couch beside Dante, letting his body sink into the soft cushion.

“Dropped him off at the hospital,” Dante said. “You’re paying for the detailing on my car by the way.”

“Get over it. The asshole had it coming for touching Luna like that,” Valerio muttered. “I should have just finished the job.”

“You’ve been back on campus for a couple weeks. Give it a little longer until the university is forced to kick you out.” Allister shook his head.

“I’d like to see them try.” Valerio snorted.

“How was your night with the Mrs.?” Dante asked. “Hopefully it wasn’t all screaming and crying.”

Valerio let out a deep breath. “Gave her a gun to shoot me.”

“And she didn’t? Wow, that is progress.” Dante shook his head. “I see a hopeful future for the two of you.”

Valerio grabbed the small couch pillow, throwing it against Dante’s chest with a thud. He loved his brother, but he always talked too much at the worst times.

“Why are you torturing yourself with all of this?” Allister asked. “You could have anyone, anything.”

They were right, of course. He could have anyone. But there was only one person he wanted. Luna had always been his, just like he had always been hers. Valerio didn’t understand how it worked or what fucking laws of the universe made their paths cross, but they were destined for each other, no matter how cruel it seemed now.

“She’s mine,” Valerio told him, shutting him up in a moment. And because of that, he would go through this hell a million times over again if it meant one day she would fall in love with him the way she was before. Valerio leaned back on the couch. “Just talk to me about what is going on for initiation weekend.”

“Glad you asked. While you’ve been out and about, frolicking with your future wife, I decided I could use a good fight,” Dante said. He took out a cigarette, lighting it as if it was muscle memory.

Valerio watched him in confusion. “Since when do you want a fight?”

“Since I feel like causing some chaos,” Dante told him. “I think the Kingsleys can use it.”

“Not to be the voice of reason around here, but I think it might be a good idea if you didn’t choose chaos for once. Your brother is marrying a Kingsley. Maybe you could try to build better bonds with them,” Allister said to Dante.

“But Augustus isn’t a Kingsley,” Dante pointed out.

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