Page 82 of Savage Empire

“Even a family as powerful as mine has limits,” he says carefully. “We could go in guns blazing and risk lives, but given the fact that Sienna doesn’t want her family slaughtered, my hands are essentially tied here.”

I blow out a puff of air, and lean back into the couch. “I understand. I’m not trying to sound ungrateful. It’s just so unfair.”

“Which is why Elio is so angry,” he says, voice soft. “Sometimes there are things in life, awful things, that we can’t prevent or control. And when it happens to people that we care about, it’s all the more frustrating.”

Tell me about it.

“You’d think there would be more perks to being engaged to The Outfit’s heir,” I drawl sarcastically.

Apollo lifts a brow, slow and smooth. “If you’d like to ask a favor as my fiancée, you’ll need to actually be wearing my ring. Care to legitimize ourlittle farceas you so lovingly called it?”

“I—” I choke. “What?”

“Kidding, Rayna,” he explains, looking amused. “You’re so easy to rile up. You should work on that. You wouldn’t even need to break in an interrogation, your face would give away everything in minutes.”

“Stick to mentoring Yordan.” I huff. “I can handle myself.”

“I heard my name.” Bursting into the living room with a full plate of cookies, Yordan drops down on the couch, filling the space between Apollo and me. “Hope you don’t mind, sis, I saw these on the cooling racks and I couldn’t resist.”

“Of course you did,” I tell him, pretending to be upset. He grins, holding the plate out to Apollo. “You have to try the double chocolate, they’re like crack.”

“You don’t have to have one,” I interrupt, nudging Yordan. “You have to stop forcing my baked goods on everyone. Does Apollo look like the kind of man who often snacks on cookies?”

Yordan makes apshhhsound. “Shows how well you know him, Apollo’s sweet tooth is worse than mine. Martha bakes almost exclusively for him, Matteo, and Jade.”

My lips part, shocked at Yordan’s casual confession.

“Don’t look so shocked, Rayna.” Apollo extends a hand, stealing two chocolate cookies from the plate. “I’m perfectly secure being the kind of man who often snacks on cookies.”

“Yeah,” Yordan tacks on. “Manly men like sweets, Rayna.”

“My bad.” I huff, holding my hands up in mock defense. “I didn’t mean to imply that men can’t like sweets. Apollo seems more like a black coffee and bacon kind of man than a cinnamon roll for breakfast kind of guy.”

“Cinnamon rolls go great with black coffee,” Apollo replies, punctuating his claim by taking a large bite of one of his cookies.

“And bacon,” Yordan adds, smiling cheekily. “Now I want cinnamon rolls. Let me know when you make those next.”

I hide a smile, rolling my eyes. “You two are too much.”

“These are good,” Apollo says roughly, taking another large bite.

His comment makes my face heat, but I hide it with humor.

“Call the press,” I chuckle. “Apollo Moretti compliments Rayna Todorov. Pigs must be flying, demons must be ice skating in Hell.”

“He compliments you,” Yordan argues, face scrunching. “He tells me all the time that I’m lucky you did a good job with me.”

A shockwave hits me right in the stomach. Eyes going wide, my gaze swings from Apollo to Yordan. “He does?”

“Duh.” My brother chuckles. “Just because you’re mean to him, doesn’t mean he’s insulting you behind your back.”

“I’m notmeanto him?—”

My brother doesn’t let me finish. “Rayna, I’ve heard you call him names you would try and ground me for saying.”

Apollo grins. “That’s just how she shows her affection.”

Cracking up, Yordan tips his head back and laughs. “I can’t wait for like a year from now when you two actually get along and I get to remind you about all this bickering.”