Page 95 of Deathless & Divided

“Hey.”

“Kissing my sister in my driveway is not a good way to keep me liking you, D.”

Damian smirked. “She’s not a little girl anymore, Dino.”

Dino scowled. “I’m aware.”

“And I’m keeping up my end of the deal here.”

“As long as she’s happy.”

“She is,” Damian said. “I didn’t expect it to be this easy.”

“Give her time. Her stubbornness never fails to amaze me when it shows.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

Dino crossed his arms, facing the driver’s window. “Oh?”

“She’s easy to care about, Dino. She makes me want to keep her happy and all that crazy nonsense. I know that’s what you wanted to begin with, and I planned on doing that to the best of my ability because I owe it to you, but it has nothing to do with you anymore.”

“I am not going to pretend like that bothers me,” Dino said.

“Right,” Damian muttered with a sneer. “Thanks.”

“Why should it bother me, D? For me, this is a good thing. For her, it’s still a damn good thing. I don’t see what you’ve got to complain about, either.”

“It’s a dangerous thing, Dino. I’ve lived the majority of my life with no ties and no one to concern myself over but me. This is … different.”

“Just keep doing what you’re already doing, D. I’m just setting her up so she has what she needs once I can’t give it to her anymore. You were a good choice. You cared about her when you were a kid and I figured that would bleed over again. So I was right, big deal. What is the problem?”

“I thought I would have to fake it.”

“And you’re not. Congrats, I thought of you, too. You two are a good match, D.”

“She told me earlier not to fuck with her head,” Damian said quietly.

“Sounds like Lily.”

“She doesn’t even realize she’s already fucking with mine.”

Dino laughed. “Well, as long as she’s still alive by the end of this whole thing, I don’t care what it takes. Even if that means the things she’s got going on inside your head keeps you focused.”

“Whatever it takes, right?”

“Right,” Dino echoed. “Speaking of which, hear anything interesting?”

“By the sounds of Lily’s spiel about Eve, Riley Conti is two steps away from going after the Lazarri family.”

“Huh.” Dino sucked air though his teeth, glancing back at the house. “I don’t think anyone needs to push him along in that, really. He’s already on the verge of a nervous breakdown as it is. Might as well let that dog lie until it wakes up all on its own. The Rossi family hasn’t taken a side yet, however. They’re still pretty neutral.”

“Terrance is already pissed off at Laurent as it is over Serena.”

Dino nodded his agreement. “The divide is widening. It won’t take much for it to get wider.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

“Holy shit,” Theo hissed, grabbing the remote from Dino. He hit the volume button several times to turn it up louder. “Look at that car, Dino.”