Page 15 of Savage Empire

“I love you too, Rayna.”

A warm smile creeps onto my face despite my frustration.

“Thank you,milichko.”

Chapter Five

Apollo

Rayna Todorov is the most baffling, stubborn, audacious woman I have ever met. Our fight last night is still playing on a loop in my head as we board our private plane to go home. The way she confronted me, threw Leon’s shirt in my face like it was a fucking baseball, and the way she acted after feeling insulted.

I don’t understand her. Rather than being grateful for the things I’m offering her, she’s suspicious and angry. She’s like a feral cat, hissing and running away from everyone and everything, even someone trying to feed her. The only person she seems to care about is her little brother—a quality I can’t even fault her for.

She seems to be able to fault me for anything, though. In fact, I think Rayna Todorovmight despise me.

Yet here she is, still wearing my shirt. She changed out of Leon’s sweatpants too, putting on her black slacks from last night instead. Her choice in clothing holds very little ofmy attention, though. Instead, my eyes gravitate toward the bruising on her face.

The purplish hue to her under-eye fills me with disgust and rage that’s difficult to hide and ignore. I should have had Nico torture her husband instead of disposing of him so quickly in the ocean.

Avoiding being obvious about where I’m staring, I look around the group of familiar faces boarding the plane. I find my father grinning at me, and I know he’s caught me studying Rayna.

He’s going to meddle, I can feel it.

Ignoring my father, I sigh and tip my head back to the morning sun. It’s going to be a crowded flight with our big family, Jade and Dmitri included. The two of them decided not to do a traditional honeymoon any time soon. Their twins are too young for them to feel comfortable leaving behind, even if they’d be with family. And bringing two one-year-olds on a vacation essentially defeats the purpose of a vacation.

To my left, Armani groans and leans against our sister for stability.

“What’d you say? I’m too hungover to hear properly.”

Jade scoffs. “Didn’t you say you have too much appreciation for your body to get sloppy drunk?”

Armani pouts. “Colton was supposed to be minding me.”

Ana laughs, standing at Jade’s other side while her smile brightens. “Colton is as hungover as you are!”

The sleepy cowboy huffs, propping an elbow up on Ana’s shoulder. “He peer-pressured me, doll. I’m a victim.”

“You’re a weakling,” she counters. “You could have told him no.”

“Who could say no to this face?” Armani smirks, winking slowly.

Armani and Colton sandwiching Jade and Ana between them isn’t surprising. Dmitri and Cassio are helping load the baggage, and of course they wouldn’t leave their wives alone.

“What are you feeding these children?” Matteo asks, dramatically stomping over to the group. He’s holding Cesar on one hip, and Isobella on the other while pretending to struggle under their weights. “They’re getting to be hefty little gremlins, aren’t they?”

Cesar giggles and blows a raspberry like he can understand Matteo’s nonsense. Isobella just yawns and snuggles into his arm.

“Maybe you’re just losing muscle mass with all the lounging around you’re doing lately,” Jade snarks, reaching out to take her daughter. “Uncle Matteo is a frail little goober now, isn’t he?”

Our brother gasps, clutching Cesar close. “Do you hear the way she treats me? Oh, thecruelty.”

Cesar sticks out his hand to grab the back of his uncle’s hair, pulling hard. “Jesus,” Matteo grunts, wincing. “All right, all right, I didn’t mean to call you heavy. I was saying how big and strong you’re growing, you menace.”

Ana and Jade both laugh.

I’m beginning to grow impatient with waiting when the boarding process finally picks up. Within the next ten minutes, the last of us have made it onto the plane.

Most of the family with young children have migrated toward the back while everyone else has sprinkled in wherever they feel most comfortable.