Page 42 of Matteo
Gabriel grinned at my sister.
“See, that’s where you’re wrong, sweet, innocent Francesca.” My sister actually blushed as Gabriel patted her head affectionately. She made a face at him and he grinned wider. “My princess wants my attention. She just hasn’t come to terms with it yet.”
“Your funeral.” She pinned us both with a look. “But don’t expect any of us to attend.”
Then she whirled around and left us both in the dust.
“I guess she got wind of your infatuation with the wrong twin,” Gabriel stated coolly once she was out of earshot.
“How many times do I have to say that Ari is the right twin?” I gritted, suddenly annoyed.
He shrugged. “Tomayto, tomahto.”
My gaze fixated on the group of girls we grew up around, but I didn’t see any of them except Arianna. She pretended to sip on a drink, listening to whatever Hannah was going on about. She smiled discretely when she caught Penelope, Anya, and Amara rolling their eyes, but she said nothing.
“Man, I thought I had it bad, but you take the cake,” Gabriel interrupted.
“I don’t have it bad,” I stated, grabbing a bottle of beer from a cooler. “I’m just tired of waiting. Speaking of, how is it going with Amara?”
“It would be going somewhere if it wasn’t for her family. Ah, speaking of—” He forced a smile and waved his hand, his eyes focused on the DiLustro bunch. They were a breed of their own, the assholes in line to inherit their status as kingpins.
“I mean, why are they even here?” Gabriel continued, the eldest one of us. “It’s fucking summer, and suddenly everyone wants to be on campus during this break.”
I shrugged. “We’re here too.”
“I’m wrapping up my doctorate’s thesis,” he pointed out.
I snickered. “And stalking Amara.”
“Exactamente,I’m multitasking. And all these schmucks…” He waved his hand in the general direction of all our friends. “What in the world are they doing here?”
“Some are taking summer classes,” I reminded him. Most of us in this group took online classes, but there were a few who attended the major in-person classes that St. Jean D’Arc exclusively offered.
A laugh rang in the air, and I turned to find the woman who occupied my every thought tipping her head back at whatever Nikola was saying. He was pointing at a tattoo on his bare chest, and Ari’s furrowed gaze locked on it.
My eyes narrowed on my friend, going through the list of all the tortuous ways I could make him pay. If only he wasn’t one of my best friends.
Gabriel chuckled next to me. “Easy, Matteo. They’re just talking.”
“I don’t want him talking to her, especially half naked. Tell him to start wearing goddamn shirts around women.”
The need to murder my friend clawed at my chest.
She should only be interested in me and my tattoos.
Jesus, Matteo. Are you listening to yourself?I dragged a hand down my face and chuckled, ignoring Gabriel’s odd look. I’d always had a dominant streak… craved control… but even I had to admit this obsession was starting to fray me at the edges.
“In his defense, he didn’t know any girls would be around.” He tilted his head pensively, then added, “Well, Hannah being the exception.”
I gave my head a subtle shake. “I’m still not sure allowing Hannah to run with the Legacies was a good idea. I know she wants to help with human trafficking, but she’s too impulsive.”
That was where my baby sister and I agreed.
“There’s no stopping her,” he drawled. “This way we can at least keep an eye on her.”
I heard another peal of laughter, and I saw red. “The fucking audacity…”
“Why don’t you just go over there, scoop her up, and kiss her senseless?” Gabriel, the ever-smooth Colombian, suggested.
