Page 45 of Thorns of Silence

I tapped on the counter, drawing Isla’s attention. “What is she saying?”

Isla smiled. “I think she’s in love.”

I frowned, my eyes darting to her, catching Raven rolling her eyes. “I have a feeling she’s been refreshing her phone every hour of the day and night, waiting for a message from her gorgeous man.”

Amon Leone.

Goddammit.I didn’t like it.

It was wrong to judge Amon by his brother’s sins, but I knew Reina’s romantic soul as if it were my own. I didn’t want her to experience the same pain I’d gone through.

Reina’s attention was entirely on the phone while the rest of us talked. Athena gave up on her cooking and the pot boiled over. Isla scolded her, turned off the stove, and demanded she stop cooking. Of course Athena wouldn’t, but we all knew she was better at writing smut than cooking and it would probably always be that way.

I tapped Reina on her shoulder as she zoned out.“It’s not healthy to keep checking your phone.”

She gave me an awkward smile. “I know. I just like him a lot.”

My sister had no qualms about admitting her feelings for Amon. I had never told a soul about Dante, keeping him a secret close to my heart. Reina was different though. She would shout about her love from the top of the Eiffel Tower if she could. Thankfully, she wasn’t allowed to go to the top.

I shot to my feet.“Okay, let’s get going or we’ll miss the train.”

Maybe I could run away from my ghosts and creepy stalkers.

EIGHTEEN

PHOENIX

The birthday celebration went askew—fast.

We’d been locked up because some asshole grabbed my ass and Reina went nuts on him. I’d told her a million times I was capable of handling myself, but she was so fiercely protective. She’d always been like that, and it was partially the reason I had never introduced her to Dante back when we dated.

Well, that, and the fact that I selfishly wanted to enjoy him all by my lonesome self. I wasn’t jealous of my sister or our friends, but admittedly, sometimes I felt lacking with my deafness. I worked hard to ignore it, but the feeling was still there.

Reina saved me. Amon, her knight in shining armor, came to save her. It turned out that maybe Amon Leone would come through for my little sister.

Click. Click. Click.

That familiar ache in my chest throbbed, remembering how it felt to be abandoned by him, left all alone. After he promised he would be there for me and our baby.

I shook my head, chasing the memories away. I sat on the side of Amon’s yacht. It was well past midnight and everyone was asleep. Hot summer air, silver moonlight, and soothing waves were my only company as I watched the reflection of the moon glimmer over the dark water.

We were docked in Saint-Tropez.

I wouldn’t have minded the yacht and Amon, but I minded Dante. Every time I turned around, he was there, watching me in a calculated way one second and unhinged the next. Almost as if he was weighing his options when it came to me.

Admittedly, the fact that I pepper-sprayed him might have had something to do with my discomfort. I was waiting for his revenge. Except, it had been a week, and it had yet to come.

Aside from his clear disregard for my privacy and invading my property by sneaking into my room what seemed like every night.

A soft commotion drifted through the air. The vibrations of firm footsteps. I sat up straight, pressing my back against the cabin but unable to stop myself from looking.

The familiar dark shadow appeared with another one in tow. I’d recognize the Leone brothers anywhere.

I held my breath, staring at the man who’d once been everything I wanted and needed. The familiarity that I thought would be my home. He fooled me once. He wouldn’t fool me twice.

They snuck onto the yacht like two thieves in the night. I stared as the moonlight followed his shadow. Even the moon loved him. He was beautiful in a raw kind of way. He was breathtaking in a dangerous kind of way.

As they moved over the deck, Dante was caught by the dim light. My breath caught in my lungs. He was covered in blood, and he looked every bit the savage monster I’d feared he’d become. My stomach roiled at this version of him that had always lurked behind the facade.