Page 61 of Beautiful Torment (Empire of Kings #1)

ABELLA

“ R IP ovaries.” Serafina fans herself.

“I’ll take one of those for Christmas,” Chantel says. “In case anyone’s wondering what to get me.”

“Okay, could you not?” Mariella grumbles. “Those are my brothers.”

The girls barely acknowledge her comment, and they definitely don’t drag their attention away from the Vitale men pumping iron in the outdoor gym. The backyard pergola is a fair distance from the table where we’re all currently having brunch, but not far enough away, apparently.

With our chaotic schedules, I haven’t had a chance to see the girls in person since I returned from my honeymoon.

Our last meeting for The Fifth House had to be done virtually, and that was strictly business because we were short on time.

This part of the year is always hectic for all of us, so it’s nice when the stars finally align and we can get together.

I thought an island brunch would be a good idea, but now I’m second-guessing my choices. All their eyes are on my shirtless husband as he busts out pull-ups from the reinforced steel beam. With each rep, his abs flex and his muscles ripple as a light sheen of sweat coats his body.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t staring too—especially with the current distance between us. When I do see him, he’s mostly brooding. He’s thrown himself into work, overlording his Mafia empire and managing the wealth of businesses under the Vitale name.

At night, he comes to bed when I’m already asleep.

After what felt like the longest stretch of abstinence, he finally caved.

Now he wakes me with his cock pressed against me and fucks me facedown on the bed so I can’t look at him.

Regardless, I can still hear him—every hitch of his breath, every groan he bites back as he takes his pleasure from my body.

When we both come, he cleans me silently and then goes to sleep, denying me what I need most. His warmth.

A heavy ache settles in my chest as I watch him exert himself. His masculinity is laid bare, every dominant inch of his body on display as he powers through another rep. I would sell an entire limb just to have him lie on top of me right now.

“How does it feel to be God’s favorite?” Lucia nudges me with her elbow.

“Yeah,” Gabi says. “You never told us about the honeymoon. What was it like?”

I throw them a bone, knowing they’ll never relent if I don’t. “We spent two weeks cruising the French Riviera while he rearranged my insides.”

“Ugh, put those words back into your mouth,” Mariella groans. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“You don’t even want to know what happened after I took your advice.” I pin her with a look.

“Nope.” She shakes her head emphatically. “I’m good.”

“All hail King Angelo.” Chantel raises her brows as she takes a sip of her mimosa. “I bet his love language is orgasms.”

“Is it?” Gabi asks me pointedly.

I fight back a shiver as I think of how many times he made me come that night at the Cat House. But it certainly wasn’t out of love.

“Something like that.”

“I love this for you.” Chantel smirks.

“What was it like?” Gabi asks, a wistful note in her voice.

Of course, that’s the moment Romeo chooses to make an appearance, startling all of us when he rounds the corner of the house and pins Gabi with a dark look.

“Wondering what Angelo’s cock is like?”

He says it loud enough for all the men to hear, and Gabi blushes furiously as she glares back at him.

“No. Go away. Nobody asked you.”

“They didn’t need to. I could smell your desperation.”

“Asshole,” Gabi mutters under her breath as he walks away.

“What was that about?” Chantel asks.

Everyone at the table goes silent for a minute before Mariella answers.

“They used to be best friends before the accident. Now things are…tense.”

“What accident?” Chantel frowns.

I forget sometimes that she hasn’t been a part of this world for as long as the rest of us. This is probably her first time ever seeing Romeo in person.

“He was struck by lightning when we were teenagers,” Gabi explains, her voice softening at the edges. “It was my fault. And now, he hates me.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Mariella corrects her. “And he doesn’t hate you, even when he’s being a jerk.”

Gabi shrugs, but I know it doesn’t matter what we tell her. She blames herself, and it doesn’t help that Romeo has been outwardly hostile to her since his return. But I think Mariella’s right. It’s not because he hates her. It’s because he’s trying to protect her from himself.

“Can we talk about something else now?” Gabi asks.

“Sure.” Mariella doesn’t miss a beat, her eyes darting toward her brothers quickly before she speaks. “I think we’ll need to postpone our book club meetings for a while. Things are too busy.”

The girls nod quietly, understanding this is about Aegis. With all the extra security on us right now, it will make doing what we do a lot harder. But we’ll have to find a way around it regardless.

“Let’s circle back to it,” I agree.

“Speaking of busy…” Chantel twirls a piece of hair around her finger, shooting me a pleading glance. “I need to get on your schedule.”

“What’s the occasion?”

She hesitates for a second. “Marco invited me to the masquerade ball.”

“Not Lord Dickhead,” Valentina groans. “I thought you were done with him.”

“It’s just a ball.” Chantel shrugs, trying to play it off like he hasn’t hurt her enough already.

“It’s a gateway drug, is what it is,” Lucia tells her. “Don’t let him jerk you around. You’re better than that.”

“If he does, I’ll send my brothers after him,” Mariella tells her.

Chantel laughs. “Cristian is his best friend.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Mariella says. “I have five others.”

“Duly noted.” Chantel looks at me. “So can you help a girl out? I know it’s short notice.”

“I’ll send you my availability.”

“You’re a godsend,” she breathes. “Do you want cash or chocolate?”

I smile. “Like you even have to ask.”