Page 16 of Lourdes & the Mafia
After a cursory glance at my brother, I note how he is unharmed. In fact, he’s gone out of his way to heal her and change her clothes and he lookshappy. My anger only spikes tenfold. He’s touched her and remained unscathed.
So why wasIaffected?
Why was it me she blasted back?
The thought that it’s simply me she doesn’t like makes something in me snap. My eyes flare and flames of The Pit ignite at my feet.
Beside me, Lorenzo sighs with exasperation. “Forgive him,” he directs towards the woman. “He has no manners and a flare for the dramatic. As you can clearly see.”
“I told you to handle her,” I snap.
The woman stares at me with fear before something clicks inside that brain of hers. She points a finger at me, the action in of itself disrespectful as fuck. “You!” she exclaims in accusation.
I frown at her and wonder if it will fuck me over if I reach out and snap her finger in half.
“Me,” I snarl back. “Me who brought you here and saved your fucking life after you passed out at our club.”
Me who tortured men to death from the inside out so they could not get to you.
She lowers her trembling finger but doesn’t appear as grateful as she should.
“Ididhandle it,” Lorenzo says. “I healed her and changed her bloody clothes.”
Her attention snaps to him. “Did you also wash my hair?”
Lorenzo beams. “I did, yes! I deep conditioned it as well. There was blood in it, you see, and everyone knows curls—or any textured hair, really—needs to be put in a silk bonnet while sleeping, or while unconscious, if you will.”
“That is…” Her breath hitches and her eyes go immediately wide. Moon eyes. She’s staring at my brother with moon eyes. Fuck. Is she enamored with him already? It should not surprise me as much as it does. Women flock to him like flies to shit. “That is surprisingly sweet…”
“I am at your service, Amore.”
“This isn’t a restaurant,” I express in annoyance. “We aren’t at your service, and I’d like to know how you ended up in our club in the first place.”
Sinful is neutral territory, and everyone knows better than to bring their shit to our doorstep. Evidently not her. Granted, not every supernatural creature of the Caribbean plays by the same dark and sinister rules, but we’ve made a name for ourselves. She should know who we are. And if she doesn’t, she’s a fucking fool.
She looks me up and down before turning her head back to Lorenzo. Easily dismissing me.
Dismissing.Me.
What thefuck?
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
I growl. “You don’t have a fucking choice.”
Her glare sears back through me. The wench. I step close on murderous instinct, lifting my hand to yank her towards me. But the moment I do, the moment I come in close enough contact to feel the heated graze of her skin, an invisible force shoves me away. Hard enough that I’m blasted back, landing against Lorenzo’s bed and the sheets that smell like her.
Fuckingfuck.
I’d meant to keep this a secret. And now they’ve both seen what she does to me.
And I fucking hate her for it. I hate her for making me look fucking weak. And I want to punish her for it. I want to kill her. Fuck her. Toss her into flames.
Dosomethingas an act of vengeance that would be well deserved.
I stand, dusting off my suit front.
Lorenzo chuckles, dark eyes gleaming. “Interesting…”
