Page 67 of Rubies and Revenge

“Hm?”

“Why do you want to be a don?” she asks.

I almost laugh. Can she read minds? Instead, I take a moment, figure out a way to answer that’s just enough of the truth. My knee twinges, unhappy with tonight’s activities. Another reminder of the goals I’ve spent years pursuing. I lay broken and bleeding in an alley a decade ago because of Gallo orders. Never again. If I have to buy up every piece of land in mine and the Southern districts to oust the Gallo Family and insert myself, I will.

And I’ll fuck their perfect princess while I do it.

I rest my chin on Zarina’s head, speaking as quietly as she did. “Me and my family, we’re excluded and exploited. We want more, better.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.” Zarina pushes out from under my chin, leaning back to meet my face. “Why doyouwant to be a don? Not your family, not Darius, you.”

Because I want to protect my people, myself, from ever feeling like I did in that alley.

But I don’t say that. I stare at Zarina, her brown eyes flicking between mine as if she can read my thoughts in them. She doesn’t know my origin story, the betrayal of her family against me. And why would she? She was a kid when it happened, thirteen years old and living in the lap of luxury with a golden spoon in her mouth.

But me? I didn’t have parents to care for me, not after they found out I was gay. All I had was Darius and the Gallo crew I worked with. And then they treated me worse than my family—hurled homophobic slurs at me as they beat me. I didn’t get the option to live in ignorance.

I hitch a breath to answer, but a knock cracks against the door. Zarina grumbles, and I press a kiss to her hair before I disentangle from her and stride across the room to open the door.

Angie stands outside, holding a large, fluffy blanket draped over her arms. Pat’s behind her, craning their neck to get a look past me. The club music grates against my ears as I step back to allow Angie entrance—and Pat the chance to see Zarina drinking water on the couch.

Angie shoves the blanket into my chest, and I catch it with a grunt, letting the door fall closed on Pat glaring at me with barely contained threat. I ignore them and Angie, beelining for Zarina and tucking the blanket around her.

“Do you need anything else?” I murmur.

She cuddles into the warmth. “Food.”

I pull my phone out of my back pocket to shoot a text to Darius to order pizza. Before I can press send, Angie tosses down a bag of shrimp chips onto the sofa beside Zarina, who claps in excitement.

“My favorite!”

I shoot Angie a bemused look.

She shrugs, black-painted lips twitching with the hint of a smile. “The one outside asked for those and the blanket.”

So many interesting things tonight. Angie doesn’t talk to outsiders, let alone almost smile about them. I settle down beside Zarina as she munches on the chips and wish I could drag her back into my orbit again. But I refrain. “And the reason you brought everything yourself?”

Angie’s gaze flicks to Zarina and back to me, brow arched as if to ask,You sure you want me to say in front of her?

Zarina snorts around a shrimp chip. “Go have your little covert meeting. I’m fine.”

I ignore her, pulling her feet onto my lap and rubbing them over the blanket. “I’m assuming this is about our guest?”

“Plural,” Angie says.

Plural? “Then Zarina already knows.”

“I do?” she asks, mouth full.

“Logan took the bait.” Angie tosses a flash drive at me, and I snatch it out of the air one-handed.

“That was hot,” Zarina mumbles.

Angie rolls her eyes.

I tamp down on a grin, shaking my head. “And our people?”

Angie doesn’t spare Zarina a glance, as if she’s not here. “They’re fine. Wendy says this better have paid off the rest of their top surgery.”

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