Page 167 of Madness & Mercy

He lingers by the doorway like he’s debating bolting. His arms are crossed, chin tilted up in that way he always does when he wants to look tougher than he feels.

“Don’t look so nervous,” I murmur. “I don’t bite.”

He scowls, but he walks in, shutting the door behind him.

I let him sweat a little before I finally speak.

“Twenty thousand dollars,” I say slowly, savoring each syllable. “You care to explain to me what the fuck you bought?”

His jaw tightens. “Didn’t realize I had to run every little thing by you.”

“Little thing?” My laugh is low and sharp. “You think twenty grand is alittle thing?”I lean back, watching him fidget even as he tries not to. “You’ve got balls,piccolino. I’ll give you that.”

He shrugs, feigning indifference, which only fans the flames. And yet, there’s a tug in my gut too… because he’s standing here in my office, staring me down,daring meto punish him for it.

“I should cut you off completely,” I say, my voice softer now. “Freeze the card. Take away your toys until you learn some respect.”

Julian’s mouth twitches into a half smirk, half grimace. “Go ahead. Doesn’t scare me.”

The reckless bastard. My hand tightens into a fist, but what I feel isn’t just anger. It’sheat.A dark, slow burn spreading through me.

“Careful,” I murmur, keeping my eyes locked on his. “Keep pushing me, and you’ll find out just howcreativeI can get with the consequences.”

He steps closer, leaning over my desk with that cocky glint in his eye—like I didn’t just fuck him over it a couple hours ago.

“You tell me yours,” he murmurs, “and I’ll tell you mine.”

Goddamn him.I should be pissed—hell, Iampissed—but the anger tangles with heat, winding tighter in my gut. I can already feel my cock hardening, and judging by the way his gaze flicks downward, he knows it. He’s baiting me, pushing, wanting to see how far he can twist the knife before I snap.

I lean back in my chair. “My secrets aren’t yours to bargain with,caro mio. And as of this moment, consider your card frozen. No more twenty-thousand-dollar stunts this month.”

His jaw tightens, but his voice is steady, sharp enough to cut.

“You can freeze whatever the hell you want. Doesn’t change the fact that you can’t control me.”

My jaw flexes. “I’m not trying to control you.”

He laughs without humor. “Then what? This some twisted way of protecting me? Spare me the bullshit.”

My voice drops low. “I’m taking care of you.”

He shakes his head, scoffing. “Keep telling yourself that, Vitale.”

He pushes off my desk like he’s dismissing me, striding toward the door. My pulse spikes.

“Where the hell are you going?”

His hand rests on the knob, but his eyes cut back, sharp as glass. “I’m going for a drive. Need some air.Don’tfollow me.”

The door slams, rattling the frame, and I pinch the bridge of my nose, dragging in a sharp breath. My hand finds the ashtray, then the lighter, and I take a long pull from a cigarette, smoke burning down my throat like it might smother the fire in my chest.

That fucking brat…

I should go after him. Drag him back here and remind him who the fuck he belongs to, but instead, I settle for compromise. I shoot a quick text to Enzo.

NICO:Tail him, don’t let him out of your sight.If anyone so much as looks at him wrong, I want them gone.

ENZO:On it.