Page 57 of Lourdes & the Mafia
My brother needs a good lay, that’s what he needs. I’m sure that’s what Lorenzo would say and has said before. I am inclined to agree with my brother. Of all of us, Kane is the one who has never dallied with humans before. Where he used to get his release, I do not know and have no desire to ask, either.
“Yes, well, before you lied to me,” she snaps back. “So I ran away. Kinda. Technically I was thrown into a portal against my will,butI’m not gonna do that anymore as long as you guys keep your end of the bargain and don’t lie to me anymore. I want to be involved in the process.”
She looks at me as she says it, like she knows that I’m the one in charge here. I am when it comes to certain decisions. For others, my brothers hold their equal share of opinions and power.
“That’s a reasonable enough request,” I say slowly.
She looses a breath. “Good, so we have a deal.”
“Of course we have a deal.” It is her life, after all, and she has every right to know who’s out to get her. Because she is mostly human, she doesn’t have the means to figure that out.
Good thing we do.
“Great.” Her voice pitches with excitement. “Where do we start?”
I chuckle at her eagerness. “Well, first things first,” I begin. “The human scum said that there’s a price on your head. We need to go to the criminal underbelly to discover what that price is, who’s trying to get you, and eliminate the threat.”
Lourdes slumps in her chair, her wet hair clinging to her shoulders. “Right. Easy peasy, I guess?”
“Don’t fear, Amore,” Lorenzo cuts in, leaning across the table to place a hand on her shoulder. She seems to warm to his touch. My eyes hone in on the movement. It looks familiar. Intimate. And the way her expression warms, the way they look at each other with complete devotion makes my lips twitch. “This will probably be the easiest part of the whole endeavor,” he assures her.
“It’s true,” I agree.
“But I’m not a part of the criminal underbelly. Do you know how to find all that information out?”
I spread my hands across the table and darkness flickers between my fingertips. “Well,weare,” I remind her, pushing myself to a stand. “Information we can procure easily, and we can teach you the workings of an entire criminal kingdom.”
She gapes as the words settle over her. I know the allure of a criminal empire is tempting. I can see it in the flare of her gaze, but she doesn’t seem like she wants to admit it just yet. I don’t blame her. It’s not something to be treated lightly.
“First things first, if there’s a whisper of a price on someone’s head, I’m sure we’ll hear about it at the club. That’s where we will go first. Second things second,becauseyou have a price on your head, you need someone to watch over you so that you don’t go wandering off again.”
She looks at me indignantly. “I promised I wouldn’t run away anymore.”
“Oh, and I trust you implicitly. This is more for my own peace of mind rather than to babysit you. Just in case anyone wants to try anything, we need someone to be guarding you at all times.” I make sure to look in her eye. “I trust you.” That seems to settle her, and when it does, I turn to Kane. “Kane, that will be your job.”
My brother jolts. “What do you meanmyjob?”
“I did not stutter, brother. You will look after her.”
He opens his mouth and I know he means to fight me on it, but he knows as much as I that it is a fair punishment for breaking his word. Most times, it is not a punishment so pleasant as to watch over a beautiful woman.
Though I know he dislikes her, and I cannot seem to figure out why.
It does not matter. Even if he doesn’t like her, I know he will do his duty. And he will do it well.
He doesn’t have a fucking choice.
“Okay,” he finally agrees, glaring daggers at Lourdes. She glares right back, though I’m not sure she can say anything without starting a fight with him. She just decides to keep her mouth shut instead.
“Alright. Now that that’s settled, suit up, brothers.” I smile. “It is time we take a visit to Sinful.”
Kane
Istumblethroughthebuttons along my suit shirt, feeling frustrated every time my fingers miss one. I growl, tearing at my shirt with angry hands and give up the task to look in the mirror instead. An angry reflection glares back at me. Dark shadows circle my eyes, and my hair is a wild mess of untamed curls. Even with the expensive suit on my body, I know I look fucking unhinged.
I look frightening.
I never go out to the clubs looking so fucking distraught. I blameherfor it; because of a promise broken, because of the hurt fucking look on her face as that human scum hurled insults in her direction. I don’t care about her, and yet I took those insults personally, and he fucking suffered for them.
