Page 38 of Weaponized

My girlfriend turns on her heel so fast to glare at me, it makes my head spin. “So I don’t have to go?” Her tone is irate. “Your dad wants me there butyoudon’t? Whatbeautiful womando you plan on taking then, Luca?” She pushes a finger into the middle of my chest. “I’d love to know, so enlighten me on what you’ll doif I don’t have to go.”

“No, wait—”

“I’m not pretty enough? You don’t want me to meet your father? You have another date in mind? You can just say it.” Her voice is rising, eyes flashing.

Matteo and I stare at her in amazement. We chance a look at each other. A pissed-off Gráinne O’Toole is not someone you want to cross paths with. This escalated fast. I want to go back to the classroom where she professed her love.

“I’m sure Pop can find us dates for the night if you don’t want to take Gráinne,” my brother offers with a devious grin. Motherfucker! I will get him back for this if it’s the last thing I do.

Gráinne’s teeth grind. She’s back to poking me in the chest. “Don’t you even think for a second that another girl—”

“Angel.” I gently grab her finger. Kiss it. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world. There are no words to describe how much I love you. No one will ever compare to you. You are the only girl I want. I absolutely want my father and everyone else in my family to meet you.” I’m groveling now, throwing everything out there that I can think of. Matteo smirks. Jackass.

“So, I just need to look pretty and stay quiet since they are Russian, right?”

The fact that she knows this speaks to her knowledge of our world. And then it hits me.

“There is one more thing.” She looks at me with interest. “Pop also mentioned that Matteo would also need a beautiful date. He thought you might have a friend. Anyone you can dress up for the night?”

“Hold on—” My brother tries to cut me off when my girl comes through.

“Absolutely! I’ll talk to Elizabeth. She’d be perfect.”

“That is anoutstandingidea.” I smile at my brother who looks shell-shocked. “You don’t have a problem with Lizzie, do you, Matt?”

He doesn’t answer. Gráinne puts her hands on her hips. “Seriously? You have an issue with her? You’d beluckyif she agrees to go.”

Matteo shakes his head, still a bit pale. “Lizzie is—yeah. I’d be lucky.” He is so quiet now that I almost regret the stunt. “She won’t want to come, though.” It’s almost a whisper.

“I’ll take care of it,” Gráinne promises smugly.

I have no idea why Matteo broke up with Lizzie after our kidnapping five years ago. She was his whole world at one time. But I do know he hasn’t recovered from our abduction—or from losing her. Maybe this will be what he needs to face it.

Gráinne

I stare at Elizabeth’s reflection in my full-length mirror and smile. I had asked, threatened, and eventually begged to get her to come tonight. I’d also made her go dress shopping, get our nails and hair done, and we’ve spent considerable time on her makeup. She looks gorgeous. Her natural beauty has been enhanced in the best possible way.

Her chestnut hair is shiny, half up, half down, showing off her slender neck. The emerald dress fits her perfectly, highlighting those big boobs and skimming her generous curves. Her hazel eyes look brilliant green. She is a bombshell, and I can’t wait to show her off.

“Matteo isn’t going to want me there,” she says for the millionth time today. “Are you sure he’s okay with it?”

I roll my eyes. Again. “Why wouldn’t he be okay with having a beautiful woman on his arm?”

“Well, when he broke up with me, he made it pretty clear he didn’t want my fat self around him anymore,” she says bitterly as she smooths the dress over her stomach.

“I’m sorry. It sounded like you said something about Matteo breaking up with you.Andsomething about being fat.I’m certain I misunderstood because none of those words make sense.” I am about to come out of my skin. No way has she kept this from me.

Elizabeth gives a long sigh. “You know my dad is a senator, right?” When I nod, she continues. “He does business with Victor Larozzi. Has for a long time. Even back when he was governor.”

My eyes are huge and I motion for her to continue.

“I’ve known Matteo, Luca, and Michael since I was in grade school. Matt was my best friend. He was my first kiss, my first love. We officially became a couple my freshman year of high school. We were always together. Like, always. I was so in love with him.”

She stops, collects herself. I remain silent. I’m in shock.

“I gave him my virginity our sophomore year, the night of his sixteenth birthday. We’d been leading up to it for a long time. I thought it was magical.Heacted like it was magical. Then, a couple weeks later, he ghosted me. When I finally tracked him down and forced him to talk to me, he told me we were done. Told me I wasn’t his type. Said he needed someone more ‘fit.’”

I am outraged. I want to throat punch that son of a bitch. How dare he treat her that way? She is the kindest person I know.

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