Page 91 of Ruin Me With Lies

Fucking Lorenzo.

He’s standing between us now in just his boxers, Glock in hand, bleary-eyed and annoyed.Having clearly sprinted down thinking we were under attack.“Okay, which one of you broke the pact?”

“Hedid,” Gio croaks, rubbing his throat.“Lunatic just tried to fucking kill me.”

Lorenzo turns to me and throws his arms out, silently demanding an explanation.

When we were kids, we fought overeverything—food, sports, the TV remote.Fists first, apologies later.Until Nonna got sick of the blood and bruises and made us swear a pact to never assault each other with malicious intent.To always settle our differences with non-violent methods.

After she died, that pact quickly went to shit.

But after a particularly brutal brawl between Gio and Lorenzo, one that left Gio with a broken arm and a concussion, I reinstated the pact, with a new clause: break the pact, pay a hundred-thousand-dollar fine.No excuses.No exceptions.

None of us have broken it since.

Until now.

Unapologetic, I throw my arms out.“Fuck it.Fine me.”

Lorenzo sighs and sets his gun aside.“Care to share what pissed you off bad enough to make you break your own damn rule?”he asks.“You’re the stingiest, most money-grubbing bastard I know, so it must be serious for you to be willing to cough up a hundred large.”

When I say nothing, he turns to Gio and kicks his leg.“What did you do?”

“Hell if I know,” Gio rasps, still rubbing his neck.“But that miserable asshole better pay up.”

“Assuming you’ll be alive to spend it?”I snip.

Gio laughs and sprawls back on the floor, legs stretched out, smug as hell.“Even if I have to be buried with it, youwillpay up, you piece of shit.I’ll die knowing it kills you more to pay me than to bury me.”

Lorenzo glances between us, sharp and assessing.“Wait...”His expression shifts, concern threading through the furrow in his brow.“Pleasetell me this isn’t about Raya.”

“Raya?”Gio echoes, confused.“Why the hell would it be about Raya?”

Lorenzo turns and stares at me dead on.Waiting for the denial.

I give him nothing.

Tense silence hangs for a long moment.

Until Gio jumps to his feet.“Son of a bitch!I knew it.Iknewyou were cock-blocking me on purpose!”

“Damn right I was.”

“So what, you like her now and think you’re entitled to her?”Gio tucks his hands under his chin like angel wings, grinning like the devil.“You’re mad she prefers my charming angel face over that scummy mean mug of yours?”

“You little—”

Lorenzo intercepts as I lunge, shoving me back with a grunt.“Enough!”He drags a hand down his face like this is the last thing he wants to deal with.“Both of you.Living room.Now.”

~

FIVE MINUTES LATER,Gio and I are sitting at opposite ends of the couch like feuding kids on time-out.

Lorenzo returns after leaving to put on pants and throws himself into the armchair across from us.Bet he’s feeling superior that he’s not the one involved this time.

He clicks his tongue and shakes his head.“I’ve seen you two go at it over a lot of dumb shit, but a girl?This is a first.You don’t even have the same tastes in women.So what gives?”

Gio snorts.“Taste?Please.What’shistaste?Does he even like women?”