Page 79 of Pretty Pink Poison

“I think the amount of people on the app speaks for itself.” She rolled her eyes like she didn’t care. It was true, mostly. The event wouldn’t have that much impact other than to confirm what side everyone’s alliances fell on. Showing support for a multibillion dollar company under our Italian family name meant respect, influence, and consequences you didn’t want to test. Cross us, and it wasn’t just business—it was personal.

“Anyway, I feel like you need to tell people when they come in here, this is what will happen to their heads if they don’t listen or something. Make it really formidable-like. Maybe one day you’ll get a movie likeThe Godfather.” She smiled at her brilliant idea. Then she picked up another skull. “Who is this?”

“Jesus, I don’t remember, Bianca.” I swear I sounded like a whiny kid, but the woman did not read the room at all when she was bored. She took astronomical amounts of time to do anything just because her mind was idle, and I didn’t have time for it today when my brothers were about to be here.

“It’s a small skull. It wasn’t a child, was it?”

“I don’t harm children.”

“Sure?”

“Yes, what the fuck?”

She hummed and grabbed another one. This one I knew. This one I remember like it was yesterday. Her eyes met mine as she held it between her forefinger and thumb. “A snake?”

I smirked at her, “It bit a girl I cared about when she was only thirteen. So I took care of it.”

She tsked but smiled back shyly. “You didn’t have to kill it for me.”

“I didn’t have to, no. But I had to kill it for myself. It was the first kill I felt good about. One I’ve never regretted.”

“Bane,” she whispered and bit her lip before she set it back down and then leaned against the shelves to point to the skull next to that one. “Who’s this?”

“Krawson.”

“Gross.” She wrinkled her nose but now her eyes were scanning the shelf. “And this?”

I cleared my throat and decided now was a good time to change the subject. She didn’t need to know everyone on that shelf was for her and the empty space next to them was for anyone she wanted or who wronged her later in life. It was at the center with people who wronged my brothers below and above.

“Don’t you have something else to be doing right now? Anyone have a show tonight?”

“Kee’s married and gone, and I haven’t wanted to do anyone else’s makeup ever since.” She pouted and sat down in my chair, throwing her combat boots on my desk.

“Pink,” I warned.

“What? I am freaking bored. Olive wants me there and Kee wants me in Tennessee, but you want me here twiddling my thumbs.”

“We can take a trip soon.”

“Olive is about to have Dimitri’s child any day now.”

“And…” I had an idea where this was going, and I didn’t like it.

“Don’t you want kids one day?”

“Not particularly.”

She frowned. “What? Why?”

“You just pointed to men’s skulls I’ve gutted on my shelves, Bianca. Why do you think?”

“That’s just you taking care of your family and those you care about. That’s being protective.”

“That’s being a serial killer.”

“For good reason,” she argued and winked at me.

“What’s your point? A made man shouldn’t have kids.”