Page 44 of Vicious Behaviors

If I had to guess, I’d say my brother’s the jealous type. He hates it when Frankie gives any kind of attention to anyone who isn’t him. The only time he doesn’t seem offended is when she dotes on her brother, Darius.

Not that I can blame him. Possessiveness is a Romano family trait, after all. And God knows mine isn’t exactly my most redeeming quality, either.

“Hi,” Frankie greets warmly.

I return her smile, while Lucky offers me nothing more than a curt nod. He’s been especially prickly with me lately since Kirill drove her home a few days ago and told him not to send me as his errand boy to pick up his girlfriend at his club. Not only was he pissed that Frankie went to Little Russia without telling him, but he basically threw a full-on tantrum over her calling me for a ride instead of him. Which she didn’t. She called Stella. Not that he gave me time to explain it to him.

I let him take his frustrations out on me, since I had bigger things to worry about than my brother’s jealous paranoia of stealing his girl one day. I had my own woman problems to sort out.

“Where’s Enzo?” I ask, noticing his absence.

“What’s it to you?” Lucky shoots back, still sour. But the attitude drops the second Frankie elbows him sharply in the ribs.

“Be nice.”

“Nice isn’t why you love me, baby. So why start now?” he says with a wicked grin.

Frankie’s cheeks turn pink, but she rolls her eyes to cover it up since she doesn’t want anyone to see how easily he melts her.

This is the second time this week Frankie’s had to step in and tell the men in her life to treat me with some respect. And honestly, despite the whole kidnapping-in-Russia situation, I like them together. Frankie is a good influence on Lucky. She makes him take a beat to think about his actions before he impulsively takes them. She also makes him care about things and people, beyond himself. And that’s a first, since Lucky has always been pretty self-involved.

On the other hand, Lucky brings out something lighter in Frankie. Like she doesn’t have to take life so seriously all the time. Sure, they bicker constantly and act like they’re always two seconds away from ripping each other’s heads off, but something tells me that’s just their version of foreplay.

And after the way Frankie stood up for Annamaria during the assault, she earned herself a permanent spot on my short list of people to protect.

She’s family now, even if her last name says otherwise. Though her bloodline makes her the Outfit’s enemy on paper, you can’t help who you love in real life. When someone matters, you fight to make it work, even if everything’s stacked against you.

At this moment, the image of Izzie’s pretty face—with her busted-up lip and stubborn eyes—emerges before my eyes, and I’m not sure why. But for some reason, the flashing image twists something deep within me that I’d rather leave alone.

“Enzo’s with Alejandro,” Frankie says, confusing the sudden tension in my shoulders for concern for my brother’s whereabouts. “He’s fine.”

“If I know Enzo, he’s more than fine,” Lucky adds with a smirk. “Anyway, nice to see you, bro, but Frankie and I have plans.”

In other words, he’s taking her back to Jude’s apartment again, before picking Darius up after his extracurriculars. I haveno idea why Lucky insists on using our brother’s penthouse apartment to make out with his girlfriend when thePakhanbought a penthouse of her own for Frankie and Darius.

Another reason why I should really start looking for my own place.

“Do you want us to wait with you for Anna?” Frankie offers sweetly, even as my brother scowls as if she just suggested canceling Christmas.

“No, that’s okay. You two have fun.”

Lucky grins, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Good man. See ya.”

He doesn’t give Frankie the chance to say anything else before tugging her away toward his car, afraid I might change my mind.

I chuckle under my breath, watching them go. Their chaotic energy is oddly comforting.

However, my smile fades when I glance back at the school steps and spot Annamaria. She’s standing there, grinning at her phone as she quickly types something. The second her eyes lift and land on me, her smile disappears. Just… gone. As if someone flicked a switch.

She walks toward me, slower than usual, while discreetly putting away her phone in her bag. There’s a frown on her face now, and I hate that I’m the one who put it there.

I tell myself not to take it personally. But I do. It stings a little, knowing my presence is the reason the light in her eyes went out.

“Hi, Mar,” she says softly when she reaches me, going up on her toes to press a chaste kiss on my cheek.

“Hi, angel,” I murmur, taking her school bag and slinging it over my shoulder. “Did you have a nice day?”

She shrugs noncommittally and heads toward my car without looking at me. “It was okay.”