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On my right, Eli flicks a discreet glance towards the hand she still has on my arm, and amusement tugs at his lips. I consider sliding out a knife and stabbing it into my troublesome older brother’s thigh, but decide against it. It would leave red bloodstains on the white napkins that our mother has placed beside our plates, and she would not like that.
From the ornate wooden chair opposite Eli, Rico shoots me a warning look as if he could tell what I had been about to do. Eli just grins wider, which means that he knew as well.
Fucking hell.
My parents might buy my fake smiles and pretend politeness, but my brothers know the real me.
“Excellent,” our mother says as she sits back in her chair as well and pushes her wavy black hair back behind her shoulders. “Then it’s settled. No arguing.” She turns to Rico. “You said that there was something you wanted to tell us. Do you want to do that now while we wait for dessert or should we talk about that after we have finished eating?”
The moment that Sofia’s eyes are focused on Rico, our father snaps his commanding gaze back to Jace. Unspoken threats pulse through the air as he stares my younger brother down. The meaning is clear. Get your fucking shit together or I will beat your ass like I did Eli’s when I found out that he was skipping class his first year at Blackwater.
Jace quickly drops his gaze.
I watch the silent exchange, feeling strange emotions stir in my chest.
Our parents never do things like that to me. They never give me ultimatums. Never threaten me. Instead, both of them, but especially Sofia, treat me like I’m one wrong word away from becoming a serial killer.
Though to be fair, I wouldn’t actually mind becoming a serial killer. Seeing the fear and pain in people’s eyes right before I kill them would fuel me. But people don’t pay you to be a serial killer. They pay you to be a hitman. And the end result is basically the same. So my parents really don’t have to worry that I will drop out of Blackwater to take up the unpaid mantle of a serial killer instead.
“No, we can do it now,” Rico replies.
Silence falls over the elegant dining room. Candlelight dances over the cream-colored wallpaper and the oil paintings depicting landscape scenes from Italy as we all turn to face Rico at the table.
Given everything that went down with Isabella and Mr. Morelli, I have a feeling that I know what’s coming. But I keep my mouth shut as Rico draws in a deep breath.
“On Monday, I will be reclaiming my position as heir to the Morelli empire.” Regret flickers briefly in his eyes as he glances between me and Jace. “Which means that I will be dropping out of Blackwater.”
“Yeah, I figured as much.” Jace flashes him a bright smile. “I’m happy for you. That it’s all finally over.”
Relief floods Rico’s features.
When his eyes slide back to me, I hold his gaze and give him a slow nod, telling him that I agree and that I support his decision.
“Wouldn’t it be better to finish out the year?” our father says. “Having a complete education is—”
“Jonathan,” Sofia interrupts, and shakes her head at him from across the table.
He raises a hand in surrender, and then turns to Rico. “I suppose this means that you will be moving back to the Morelli compound too.”
“Yes,” he confirms.
Sadness blows across his features for a second before he smiles and gives Rico a firm nod. “Well, I’m happy for the six years we’ve had. And my sister would be happy to see you finally back where you belong.”
Elsa Hunter, Jonathan’s sister, was Rico’s mother. So technically Rico is our cousin, but he has always been our brother in every way that counts. Even before he moved in with us six years ago.
“Don’t say that,” our mother sniffles from the other side of the table. “You’re making it sound like we will never see him again.”
“Oh, you’re not getting rid of me that easily.” Rico winks at her. “In fact, I bet I’ll come over so much that you’ll start to get tired of me.”
“I could never get tired of you.”
I’m itching to slide out a knife and twirl it in my hand, but I suppress the impulse and instead just watch them banter back and forth like that. Rico acts more like their son than I ever have.
But I supposed the distance between me and our parents comes from both sides. I don’t care the way I should. And they… they see me as defective. They have never told me that, of course. And I know that they never will. But just like everyone else, they wear their emotions like colorful banners on their features. They think that there is something wrong with me. And they’re right.
The worst part is that I have no logical reason for it.
Eli’s sanity snapped years ago, making him a bit unhinged, but at least he has an actual reason for it. I was just born like this.
