Page 75

Story: Master of Pain

He eyes me. “With how dangerous this all is, as you pointed out to me, you could be.”

My face falls. “I’m just talking to my father. He’s got a burr up his ass, probably about the Greivans. Not that I blame him after what they’ve done to you. But right now, it’s just the wrath of the old man. I can handle it.”

“You didn’t answer my question, though,” Ethan says, a small smile tugging at his lips.

I’ve pulled on my boxers, jeans, and shirt by now, and have to sit down to get my socks on. “When do you wanna see me?” I smirk as I finish getting dressed beside him.

“As soon as possible.” He reaches over and fixes the cuff of one of my sleeves. “After class and…studying. Unless you’ll study with me.” He raises a brow.

I put my feet on the floor and slide my arm behind his back. “Do we have to actually study?”

He rolls his eyes and shoves me away gently. “Yes. Exams are soon.”

I shrug. “Can’t blame me for trying.” I grunt as I stand up and stretch my arms above my head. I’m sore for multiple reasons, but I regret none of them.

“You need help getting to class?” I ask.

Ethan shakes his head. “No, Nathan is going to drive me today.” I ignore the twinge of jealousy in my chest.

“What’s that look?” he asks.

“I feel incredibly fucking protective of you,” I tell him, and lean down toward him. I place my fingers under his jaw and tilt his head up. “Even your best friend makes me a little…” I trail off.

“Jealous?” Ethan smirks at me. “You don’t need to be. Nathan isn’t interested in me, and he’s very aware of us now. Not about everything, but he knows we’re together.”

I kiss his lips hard once before pulling away. “Good. You’ll let me know if absolutely anythin’ seems off.” It’s not a request; it’s a demand.

“I will,” Ethan agrees.

If only I could leave with full confidence that nothing will go wrong.

“Is that boy really worth it?” my father asks me. He’s confronting me in the living room of the mansion along with Marco, Aunt Tania, Contessa, Yvette, and Uncle Barry.

I stand on the opposite end of the room from all of them, though Contessa is inching closer to my side with every second.

“‘That boy’ is Ethan, and yeah, he is,” I insist. My arms are folded, and I attempt to ignore the urge to simply walk out of here before the family meeting that’s clearly just about me is over.

“We all know what it’s like with our first loves,” Tania tells me. “But thisEthanis hardly the right fit for our family. Your attachment to him is putting all of us in danger.”

I scoff. “How the fuck would you know that?” I ask. “Not to mention, the Greivans have been on our asses since before I even met Ethan.”

My father sighs and lights a cigar, as if this entire thing is just one big annoyance to him. “Nevertheless, your aunt is right. They have something they can use against you now, which means they have something they can use against us. What reason do they have to concede to our demands if they can threaten us instead?” He waves his hand around, smoke from the cigar getting into Tessa’s face, so she steps even farther away from him.

I laugh. “Please. Yvette was a flight risk too, you just didn’t give a damn because it happened to go along with what you already had planned.”

“What exactly do you suggest we do about the Greivans then, Dante?” Yvette asks. “I have no objection to your relationship with Ethan, but I would like to know what the plan is.”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t give a fuck if you have an objection or not. It’s not my responsibility to figure the plan out.” I motion to my father. “Nicholas is the one who started this war.”

“It’s hardly a war,” Marco butts in. “It’s two old men fighting for control.”

“Shut your fucking mouth, Mark,” Barry snaps at him.

Marco glares at him, and then turns that glare back to me.

“How do you feel about this, Tess?” I ask my cousin.

She looks incredibly uncomfortable. Her arms are wrapped around herself, and she sways slightly side to side. “I don’t think Dante’s relationship should be any of our business.” Her voice is quiet.