Page 27 of His Little Angel

“If you don’t want me,” I hiss, “there are men who do. You don’t get to stop me. Goodbye, Mr. Morelli.”

The doors slide shut.

“Don’t come back,” I whisper.

Goodbye, Enzo Morelli.

Chapter Twelve

Enzo

Jealousy wasn’t something I had ever experienced before. Not when my brothers got more of our father’s attention. Not when I saw other kids with mothers who actually loved them.

Jealousy was a stranger to me.

Now it’s the only damn thing I feel.

And today—today I finally understand the curse.

You don’t outrun it.

You don’t outsmart it.

The bastard just waits… and when you think you’re safe, it tears into you. I don’t think. I just drive straight to Lucian’s. I’m two seconds from detonating, and he’s the only one who’ll either talk me down or put a bullet in me—whichever is necessary. That’s what eldest brothers do, I guess. I pull right onto his lawn—he can beat me up later.

I hammer on his door.

He opens it with murder in his eyes.

“You’re lucky Aurora sleeps like she’s six feet under,” he growls. “If you woke her, I’d break your jaw.”

I push him aside and walk in. He already knows something’s wrong. I don’t need to say a word.

“Whiskey,” I mutter.

He pours two glasses. I empty mine in one swallow.

“There better be a reason you dragged your ass here,” he warns. “I was having a perfectly good night with my wife.”

“It’s the damn curse.”

His whole posture changes—like a man hearing a loaded gun cock behind his head.

“Finally?” he asks quietly.

I don’t answer. That’s all the answer he needs.

“Fuck.” His voice drops low. “You tried to fight it, didn’t you?”

I nod.

“And let me guess—it didn’t work?”

“It blew up in my face.”

Lucian exhales. “The more you push it away, the harder it sinks its teeth in. You should’ve known.”

“I thought I could keep her like this,” I mutter. “Orbiting me. Close enough to touch. Mine without the label. Mine without the risk.”