Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Had he read my mind? “You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
What was I doing? Mitch was out there potentially being tortured, and I was thinking about sex. “I… I know this isn’t the time. I’m sorry.”
Dante shook his head. “I want to put you on your knees, fuck your mouth, then tie you to the bed while I take your ass. If you think anything will take those ideas out of my mind, even knowing Ivanov is looking for you, you’re wrong, but I have enough self-control to wait.”
I swallowed hard. “Um, yeah. Me too, but hearing you say that doesn’t make it easier.”
He smiled. “I wouldn’t have lasted much longer, not seeing you.”
“Really? I thought you were invincible, always able to do whatever you decided.”
“I wish that was true.”
“You went up against a predator. You knew you could be killed, but that didn’t stop you.”
“I did, but as you can see”—he tilted his head toward his injured arm—“I’m not invincible.”
“I wish you were bulletproof.”
“Me too.”
I followed him into the kitchen, where he made a plate of snacks and pulled out a bottle of wine and one of whiskey, adding them and some glasses to another tray. “My brothers are always hungry, and they’re going to need a drink when I tell them what’s going on, or at least Lorenzo will.”
“How much is he going to hate me?”
Dante growled. “Not at all if he knows what’s good for him.”
“But he’ll be angry about us?”
“Yes, but he will also get over it. Nikolai isn’t just staying with him because it’s safe there. Lorenzo sleeping with him kicked off the trouble between our family and his.”
“Oh fuck.”
Dante smiled. “I think he fell for Niko as fast as I fell for you.”
I stared at him, head spinning. I couldn’t have heard right. “What?”
The doorbell rang. And Dante went to answer it without saying another word. Was he serious? Did he mean…
“I have someone you need to meet.” Dante walked into the room with Rafael and another man, who I’d have known was his brother even if he hadn’t told me.
Lorenzo gave me a scathing look, and I froze. “You said this was family business.”
Dante glared at him. “It is.”
“Then what is he doing here?”
“Lorenzo, this is Alex. Alex, this is my older brother.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” I managed to push the words out past the lump in my throat.
“Why are you here?”
And I thought Dante could be rude.
“He’s here because he’s under my protection.”
Lorenzo narrowed his eyes. “Dante, are you serious? He’s a student, isn’t he?”
“I am,” I answered. Dante gave me a look that told me to let him handle this.
“Alex is mine.”
“Are you seriously fucking a student after Remington called in a favor to get you a job at Dumonde?”
“I am, and you are fucking the son of our enemy.”
“Don’t. You told me to—”
Adenine picked that moment to saunter into the room, tail high in the air. We all watched as she jumped on the couch and then onto Alex’s lap.
“I forgot to tell you he finally let the cat come in,” Rafe said.
Lorenzo sighed.
I could feel Dante’s anger. “I did tell you to keep Nikolai, and now you can accept Alex and sit the fuck down and listen to the reason I called you here.”
“How much does he know?” Lorenzo gestured toward Alex.
“Stop talking about Alex like he’s not here. I won’t have you disrespecting him. I could go straight to Remington with what I need, but I thought you would want to know that Ivanov is still in town.”
“What?”
“I’m not one hundred percent certain, but my gut tells me it’s him.”
Lorenzo glanced at me and then back at Dante. “This is family business. Your student doesn’t need to be present.”
Dante looked ready to explode, and I was fucking tired of Lorenzo being such an ass. Did he always act like this? It seemed like Dante idolized him, and I couldn’t understand why.
“My roommate is missing, and someone—maybe Ivanov—is following me. I am involved in this, and I’m going to stay.”
Dante looked at me. I thought he would be angry at me for speaking up, but he smiled. So I kept going.
“I’m not trying to entrap your brother or anything. I have no intention of telling anyone what I’ve been doing with him. He’s shown more concern and care for me than anyone else in my life, and I don’t want him to get hurt again. I’m not after his money either. I have plenty of that myself.”
“You shouldn’t be involved with him at all.”
“Would you like for me to have said that to Nikolai?” Dante asked. “Would you like me to call him and talk about it now?”
Lorenzo sighed, and the anger seemed to drain out of him. He sank into a chair across from me. “What nightmare are we in now?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Dante said.