Page 151 of Madness & Mercy

“Is it done?” she asks Nico.

“Silvio’s corpse is rotting as we speak,” he says. “Enzo’s handling cleanup.”

“Good.” She steps closer to him. “I’ll be out of town for a few days. Keep things in order.”

“Of course,” Nico says. “Safe travels.”

She nods once, then sweeps outside with two guards in tow.

The second she’s gone, Nico turns to us.

“Follow me,” he says, wearing that smug expression that makes me want to kill him—or kiss him—depending on the minute.

He leads us into one of the dining rooms, and heat creeps up my neck the moment I see the table.

The same one he pinned me against not too long ago.

“Have a seat,” he says.

Its table’s been set, wine already poured. Nico pages the chef, who appears shortly after, carrying a platter of steaming pasta, roasted vegetables, and a smaller plate stacked with fresh bread still warm from the oven. The scent hits me first—garlic, herbs,something sharp and citrusy—but I can’t fully appreciate it with Nico lowering himself into the chair across from me like a man about to conduct an interrogation.

Cassian slides into the seat beside me, the corner of his mouth lifting. “Nice place. You always eat like royalty?”

“Depends who’s at my table,” Nico says. His gaze cuts to me. “Some people don’t deserve the best.”

My fork stills halfway to my plate. “Glad to know where I stand.”

“Oh, you knowexactlywhere you stand,cucciolo,” he says. “But I’d like to know why you thought it was agood ideato keep your brother from me.”

“It’s complicated.”

Nico leans back, wineglass in hand, swirling the dark red lazily. “Everything with you is complicated. Tell me, was this about loyalty? Or are you justaddictedto lying to me?”

I feel the heat creep up my neck. “You think I lied to you forfun?”

“I think you lie because it’s in your nature,” he shoots back, “And the only reason we’re both breathing right now is because I had five million to wave in your brother’s face.”

Cassian clears his throat. “If you two are gonna start flirting with knives, maybe wait ‘til after dessert.”

I glare at him, but Nico’s mouth twitches in a way that tells me he’s enjoying this too much. “You got something to add, Cassian?” Nico asks.

“Only that you’rewrong,”Cassian says, leaning back like he owns the damn place. “That’s not why I killed Silvio instead of you.”

Nico tilts his head, amused but watchful. “No? Then enlighten me.”

Cassian’s gaze slides to mine. “Because I realized my dickhead brother was in love with someone. And I couldn’t bring myself to take that from him.”

The air goes razor-thin. Nico’s eyes snap to mine, the weight of them sinking straight into my skin.

I look down, tearing a piece of bread I don’t want, pretending my chest isn’t caving in on itself.

Nico’s voice dips low, dangerous and indulgent all at once.“Interesting,”he murmurs, and I know he’s not talking to Cassian anymore.

“What happened between you two?” Nico asks Cassian after a pause, his tone deceptively casual.

Cassian takes a slow drink of wine, like he’s considering how much to give away. “You want the full story?”

They’re both acting like I’m not even in the room. I drain my glass in two swigs. “Fine. You wanna know what happened? Cass and I were close as kids, even if he was a giant pain in the ass.”