Page 16 of His Deadly Devotion
I’m so confused about this wholestay away from my sisterbutwhy would you break up with herthing. “I was dumb,” I admit. Because the real reason is between us.
“I killed his cousin, so he had every reason to be mad,” Aurora says.
“Yeah, I heard about that too. Don’t think we’re not discussing that further, Aurora,” Lorenzo tells her.
“Good thing you’re not Papa.” Aurora pokes out her tongue—actually pokes out her tongue—at her brother.
Who the hell is this girl? She’s so insanely different with her siblings. It’s a side of her I never got to see before. And I love it. Then again, I love everything about Aurora Valentino.
8
Ihate that Connor is feeling anxious about being here. I get it. He’s literally walked right into enemy territory and my brother’s being an ass. Not that I expected any different from Lorenzo. He’s always been an overprotective grouch.
I just wish Connor wasn’t the one being made uncomfortable. There’s also a small part of me that worries he’llchange his mind and leave if everything that comes with being with me gets too much for him to handle.
I’d never let him go. I don’t care what lengths I have to go to. I am keeping him. And I won’t let my overbearing family scare him off.
Lorenzo drives through a set of iron gates that look like they’re right off Buckingham Palace. I guess it doesn’t hurt when you marry an heiress. Kyla told me her father bought this house for them as a wedding gift. I’ve seen pictures, but they do not do it justice.
“Nice castle,” I murmur.
“It’s just a house,” Kyla says.
“It’s nice, though,” I tell her.
“I forgot to mention we have other guests in town for the weekend,” Lorenzo says a little too cheerily.
“Who?” I ask.
“Bray and Levi,” he replies.
A groan leaves my lips. “Seriously? Did you tell them both to come? As if one of you wasn’t enough.”
“They don’t know about you. I didn’t tell a soul,” Lorenzo says. “They’re here on business with another family, not us.”
“What? They can’t afford a hotel?” I huff, knowing full well Bray and Levi Mancini have the means to afford a castle of their own if they wanted one.
“They like me. What can I say?” Lorenzo shrugs.
The car stops and Connor gets out. He then reaches in and offers me a hand. I don’t take it, only because it’s the arm that’s linked to his injured shoulder. Connor doesn’t move.
He’s literally caging me against the car as he leans in and whispers, “Who are Bray and Levi?”
“Cousins,” I reply.
Appearing satisfied with my answer, he nods his head and takes a step back. “After you.” He smirks.
“You just want to look at my ass.” I laugh. I glance over a shoulder and catch him staring.
Connor comes up behind me, his fingers hook into the bottom of my shorts, and he drags the fabric down. “No, I wanted to make sure everyone else couldn’t see it,” he tells me.
I swat his hands away from my ass. Usually I love having them anywhere on me. But when he’s trying to cover my body up just so other people can’t see it, it’s ridiculous. “Stop. No one is looking at my ass.”
“Not if they know what’s good for them, they’re not,” Lorenzo throws at me.
“Hey, Lorenzo, did Mom ever find out who broke her vase five years ago? You know the pink-and-white one she loved almost more than us? The one that her father gave her for a birthday gift when we were little?” I ask him.
My brother’s eyes widen. “You wouldn’t,” he says.