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“You do know, you’re setting the bar for her fiancé, incredibly high. Right?”

Madeline huffed, “Why is it when I say it? People want to argue. But when you say it, they listen?”

“Probably so we can keep breathing.” Rome muttered, looking for his lighter. “Have you heard from Nikolai tonight?”

“Yeah. He’s fine.” I couldn’t say the same would be said for me if he didn’t take this social shit back over.

“I better go back to Noah.” She pushed herself away from the balcony. “Sorry about your shirt, Rome. I’m sure Hazel didn’t mean it.” Her eyes flickered to mine. “Night Vince.”

That smile.

“Night Madeline.” I watched her walk away.

“You two are so fucking dysfunctional.” Rome muttered. “We’ve got bets on when you start a fight to take her back. Can you wait until next month?”

I didn’t even warrant his question with a reply.

CHAPTER 10

Vince

“What?” I yelled at Rome. “You’ve got an opinion, huh? Not clean enough for you?”

I slammed the car door. I’ve sheltered them too much.

When human flesh becomes nauseating, that’s when I know I’ve been too hands on. Walking through the lobby, leaving him and the entourage of soldiers behind.

Since fucking when did we eat at this restaurant?

“Bad night?” Nik asked as I pulled up a seat to his right.

“We’ve been too easy on them.” I looked at the food. Great. “Fucking Luca, can’t you put something else on the menu other than steak? Every restaurant, same fucking menu.”

“This was a bad idea,” Bastion muttered under his breath.

Pushing the green leaf off the top of it. Why does every chef feel the need to dish up a fatty steak and chips, then pretend to hide how unhealthy it is under a leaf?

“Is Rome alright?” Luca looked over my shoulder.

I turned to look at him. “Physically yes. Morally no. What type of man passes out after seeing human tissue?” I scoffed, turning back around. “Oh, I know. One I’ve raised.” Cutting my steak, “Couldn’t handle it when I cut him open, let alone when I started peeling the skin back,” Swallowing my food, watching asRome took a seat on the other side of the table. “Vomiting in the corner when I started on the second one.”

No surprise, Rome pushed the food away from him.

Nik called the waiter over, ordering a soda for him. Which just infuriated me more. This is what he always did. Babied them.

“Well, did you get answers?” Nik asked, picking his knife and fork back up.

“Did I get answers?” I leaned back in my seat. “One lasted five minutes, the other though,” I raised my eyebrows, “twenty.”

The waitress placed the soda in front of Rome.

“Forty,” Rome corrected me.

I pointed my fork at him. “True. But I broke him within twenty. By that time, I’d committed. So he could wait until I was ready to stop.”

Nikolai chewed his food, staring at me.

Did I get answers? What a stupid question. He was lucky I was too angry with mister pale to get into a fight with him about it.