Page 27 of Savage Empire

“Why do you know her?”

Elio chuckles, leaning back against the passenger seat. “You couldn’t make it even a second longer without asking, could you?”

He’s mocking me, amused that I started questioning him as soon as we left Rayna and Yordan. He can laugh all he likes, I don’t care to pretend around Elio. He’s my little brother, and if he borders the line of disrespecting me, he knows I’ll correct him.

“Why, Elio?”

I don’t put the vehicle in drive or make any move to indicate that I’m leaving this parking lot without answers.

Sighing, he almost rolls his eyes. Like I’m irritating him. I hope I am, because he’s been irritating me since he sat next to Rayna on the plane. Hours now I’ve been waiting to chew him out and get some information, but I can’t simply hit my brother for keeping whatever secrets he seems to have. There’s acomplicated line between being his superior and being his older brother.

I’d die for him, but I’d also punch him in the face for fucking with me.

“We have a mutual friend,” he eventually replies.

Cryptic asshole.

My fists flex around the steering wheel. “Who?”

Eyes narrowing just slightly, he shakes his head with a slow tick. “That’s absolutely none of your business, brother.”

“Everythingis my business.”

“Not this.”

His voice is so sure, sofinal.

Unless I force this further, he won’t be answering me. Maybe even if I force it, he would keep his lips sealed. Whoever this mutual friend is, Elio considers them important. At least important enough to keep them hidden from me. Part of me respects how firm he is in his stance, the other part of me wants to throw him into the sparring ring and pull the information straight out of him.

I need to know things to operate The Outfit, and to keep our family in order. He knows this, and he’s still not spilling. I can only think of a few reasons why he might refuse to tell me, and none of them are especially good.

“Did you father a bastard?”

Elio flinches, face contorting in utter disbelief. “Where the fuck did that come from?”

“If you did, Father will be more upset that you kept the child from us than the fact that you aren’t married,” I say sternly, ignoring his shock. “You saw how he was with Jade, you know he isn’t entirely traditional. If you have a bastard running around in Chicago that Rayna happened to meet, you need to tell me.”

Elio’s face shifts from surprise to anger. “If I had a secret child, I would have punched you the moment you called them a bastard—twice.”

I have to resist a smirk. I used the word intentionally, of course. I know my brothers better than they know themselves. I know what makes them tick, and the things that make them quick to anger. Any of my siblings would hate any sort of negativity directed toward their children—fictional or otherwise.

“Is this connection a threat to The Outfit?”

Elio huffs. “Not even close.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Yeah? No shit.” He tosses his hands up in exacerbation. “I can’t tell if you want to know because you’re a nosy, controlling prick or because you’re pissy that I know her better than you do.”

Goddamnit.

I could push and push, and maybe I would pull the information out of him, but he’s clearly not keen to share. And if I continue to pry, he’ll read far too much into my interest. The last thing I need is my brotherandmy father assuming there’s something between me and Rayna. Elio is smart, if his secrets were going to put our family at risk, he wouldn’t keep them.

“I’m going to find out,” I say instead of relenting.

“I’m sure you are,” he mutters. “But not yet, and not from me.”

Whatever the fuck that’s supposed to mean.