Page 136 of Kissing the Villain

“Just do this for me.” I gave him my best pouty face. “Please. And if you behave yourself, maybe I’ll consider that sponge bath later.”

“Go get changed,” he grunted.

As I walked away, Sonny and his brothers heckled Marcello. They were such lovable assholes. The Cormacs were all entitled pricks with sexy smiles and hefty bank accounts. And if the rumors were true, they were connected to the Irish Mob. Luca had mentioned once that Sonny’s uncle was Jimmy O’Shea, a scary as fuck mob boss who lived in Beacon Bay.

Kali met me at the end of the long table. We walked into the house and didn’t speak again until we climbed the stairs to the second floor.

She flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder and smiled. “I see you’re accepting your role as their queen.”

“Yeah, I guess.” I sighed. “Not like I have many choices.”

“It’s crazy how they move with you.”

“I’m not used to it,” I admitted.

“This must feel like second nature to you since you were always so close with them.”

I lifted an eyebrow at her. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, my bad. Bash said you got your memories back.”

“I have some of them. But there are black spots. It’s weird. When I’m with Drake and Sonny, I get this vibe as if I’ve known them for a long time. Like I know them intimately.”

She followed me down the second-floor hallway to my bedroom. “What do you remember about them?”

“Little things. It feels so familiar when Sonny brushes his fingers down my arms and thighs. I’m comfortable around him, which is weird because I’m usually not at ease with strangers. I feel the same thing with Drake. I felt this instant connection with him the night we danced at the Midsummer Night’s Dream party.”

“You’re making good progress in a short amount of time,” she said, which sounded strange coming from her mouth. “If your memories are already returning, the rest will follow.”

I forced a smile. “I hope so. It sucks forgetting shit everyone already knows. I hate feeling like the crazy girl.”

“You’re not crazy, Alex.”

She followed me into the walk-in closet, and I lifted the black and gold string bikini from the tiny hanger.

“Damn, girl,” she commented with laughter in her voice. “That thing doesn’t cover much. You’d have better luck wearing one of Luca’s ties around your monster boobs.”

I chuckled. “Luca enjoys showing me off to his friends.”

“Bash and Damian would have a stroke if I wore that. They hate when their friends stare at me.”

“I don’t think anyone would dare look at you with them around. They’re kinda scary.”

“Yeah.” She laughed. “That’s for sure.”

Kali walked out of the closet to give me some privacy. I stripped off my shorts and top and squeezed into a skimpy bathing suit. After I got changed, I fixed my curls, running myfingers through my wild mess. The summer heat and pool water would undoubtedly send my hair into frizzville.

Kali stripped off her dress and laid it on my bed with her purse. A navy blue bikini showed off her lithe body, which made me feel fat next to her. I was a skinny twig for most of my life, but gained thirty pounds during college.

“How are you feeling after the shooting?” Kali wrapped her long fingers around my wrist. “You seem okay, but that was a traumatic experience.”

“It was terrifying,” I confessed. “I was too worried about Marcello to process what happened to me. It seemed so insignificant compared to Marcello getting shot.”

“If you need to talk, I’m here for you. You can tell me anything.”

“My grandfather is giving me a choice between Luca and Marcello.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “Shut up. You’re joking, right?”

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