Page 167 of Handsome Devil

“I wantyou, Blackthorn, to promise me you won’t go after my throat. We start a blank page, right here, right now.”

“This’ll never be a blank page,” Achilles announced. “Too much blood has run through the streets of New York for peace. But I do have a contingency.”

“Of course you do.” Callaghan smiled. “What is it?”

“Your sister,” Achilles said. “I choose who she marries.”

“I’m never going to marr—” Tierney erupted like a volcano, writhing and pulling out of my headlock. I squeezed her neck, crushing her windpipe to shut her up.

“Quiet.” Tiernan raised his palm in annoyance, a deep frown engraved on his face.

I wasn’t particularly hot on the idea of linking this tit-for-tat deal to Achilles’s idiotic whim, but if he wanted to play with her, he damn fucking could. Tiernan made too many mistakes along the way, and it was time he paid for them.

“Tiernan,no,” Tierney growled heatedly, clawing me as she tried to pry my hands off. “Don’t you fucking dare.”

Tiernan turned to Achilles. “First, you tell me why.”

“I don’t owe you an explanation.” Achilles laughed metallically. “You burned too many bridges. Take it or leave it, but if you leave it, beware, because the entire Camorra is after you, and I’ll do what I please with this mouthy little thing anyway.”

Tiernan’s nostrils flared. “If you’re going to do with my sister as you please, why are you asking for my permission?”

“Oh, that’s simple. Because by saving your ass, you will have to betray her. You’ll never come back from that.”

Tierney let out a feral string of profanity. I laughed.

Tiernan turned to Achilles. “Whoever you choose to be her husband won’t be violent toward her.”

Achilles jerked his chin in a nod.

“And he won’t be beneath her in rank. You’re not handing her off to one of your errand boys.”

“Fine.”

“She’s an expensive habit.”

Achilles smiled calmly. “Her groom can handle it.”

“And another thing.” Tiernan’s nostrils flared. “It can’t beyou.”

Achilles grinned from ear to ear. “She’s not up to my standard. She definitely won’t do. I might take her as a mistress for those hard, long days I want it rough and dirty. But it won’t be me. Now, release Blackthorn’s missus.”

Tierney sounded like an injured animal, her tears flying in the wind, her fingernails desperately trying to claw away my hold. She broke a couple of them in the process. Gia, on the other hand, remained stoic and patient, stood tall, and managed not to cry.

I was going to save her.

To wrap her in something warm.

To lick the tears that’d come away.

And to make it all up to her.

“Tiernan,” Tierney cried. “I’ll never forgive you.”

He ignored her. “Promise me that no matter what, if I release Gia, no harm will come to my sister.”

“Promise,” I said, almost too eagerly.

“Promise,” Enzo said.