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“But if you told Nicu that he should drive her to school and back, they’ll be forced to spend time together and he’ll warm up to her. She really is a lovely girl.”
Oh, I could attest to that. And the idea of my brother in the car with Cat for several hours a week was making the hairs on my nape prick up in alarm. Which made no sense because soon they’d be married and spending a lot more time together. I shook my head.
“Mama, what did I just say? It could as easily backfire if you push,” chastised Alex.
“You got that right,” Nicu griped under his breath, eyes glued to his phone.
“Plus,” Alex continued, “there’s no way Nelu will allow them to be alone, traveling back and forth for weeks, just prior to the wedding. It’s not appropriate. If we don’t find someone to protect her from the upper echelons of our clan, he’ll insist that Cristo or Simu drive her.”
Simu?
I hated that bastard more than I hated Cristo, and that was saying something. The rivalry between Simu and me started with a woman. Of course, it did. Nothing could be more stereotypically mafie. I’d fucked one of his women. She’d come into our nightclub and hit on me hard. I simply took what she was offering. How was I to know she was his? Afterward, the girl went around comparing the two of us in bed. I came out on top.
Only in a small, insular world like ours could a woman’s big mouth start something. It triggered an insane rivalry that lasted for years. We stole each other’s loot and poached each other’s women. Truth be told, I didn’t really have women, but it didn’t stop Simu from trying to hook up with anyone I’d fucked.
It hit a high point when, one day, I mocked Simu. Told him that his father was laughing his ass off seeing how far down the gutter his son’s Cantacuzino ass had fallen. Granted, it wasn’t my finest moment, talking trash about a man’s dead father, but he was constantly provoking me, and I had put him in his place. Aristocratic family or not, he was as dirty as we were.
To my point, I’d caught the way he looked at Cat this weekend. He was half in love with her. No one else might have noticed how his beady little eyes constantly settled on Cat, but I sure as hell did, and I didn’t like it one bit. The idea that he lusted after her made me want to tear him apart with my bare hands. She was practically a married woman! I was legit losing my mind considering what a hypocritical thing that was for me, of all people, to say. Nonetheless, there was a crucial difference between him and me. I was, and always would be, a Lupu. I’d never hurt my brother or disgrace my family. I wouldn’t put it past Simu to go after Cat for the sole purpose of spitting on our name or trying to increase his clout with Nelu.
If he couldn’t curtail his base instincts in a room full of people, what would stop him if he was alone with her for hours? Oh, hell no. That was not happening. Not under my watch.
“Make Luca do it,” Nicu pronounced.
“What?” I huffed out, although my heart rate accelerated at the thought.
Alex’s head snapped to Nicu. He jabbed a thumb in my direction as he asked, “Him?”
Irritation flared. Granted, I rarely volunteered, especially for something as inconsequential as babysitting duty, but Alex didn’t have to act so stunned.
“Yes, him,” Nicu replied languidly.
“I don’t think so…” I said. As tempting as it was, it wasn’t a good idea.
Nicu’s gaze bored into me, a calculating expression on his face. My skin felt itchy under his scrutiny. As much as I wanted it, being around Cat would be torture.
“Seriously, I have better things to do,” I muttered.
Staring at me with a serious look, he demanded, “Step the fuck up, man.”
“Fuck you,” I snarled, glaring at him. We had a staring contest for a long minute.
“Are you going to let Simu do it?” he taunted. “Because that’s the alternative if you bail out, yet again.”
Fuck, that cinched it. I tapped out first, breaking our stare.
“Fine,” I bit out. “Just to be clear, I’m doing this to prove to Alex how flexible I can be.” Hopefully, being forced to undergo this test would help my case regarding Cali.
Nicu inclined his head in agreement.
“It’s not necessary,” Alex responded. “I have other less pointless jobs for you that won’t waste so much of your time. I can find a soldier who can easily do this.”
Over my fucking dead body. For some reason, I refused to explore, I didn’t like the idea of a soldier spending hours a day with her in my place. Anyway, a soldier wasn’t high up enough to replace Simu.
“She’s not pointless, she’s our responsibility and we take care of our responsibilities,” I ground out. “Family duty is nonnegotiable.” Heard the phrase enough times in my life that it was tattooed on my brain. “She’s engaged to a Lupu, and within a couple months, she’ll be one of us. Until then, I’ll personally make sure she’s protected. It’s our duty and we don’t skimp when it comes to duty.
“Anyway, the more time she spends with our family, the easier it will be for her. I’m sure they’ve filled her head with lies that we’re violent brutes. She probably grew up listening to horrific bedtime stories about us. This way, she’ll get to know us and we’ll become human to her,” I finished.
My forehead furrowed. I wasn’t bullshitting. It had dawned on me that it mattered what Cat thought of us. Earlier this morning, I’d sworn to stay as far away from her as possible. I’d holed up in the library with that express purpose in mind. Despite my best efforts, here I was, lost in her once again. What was it about this girl that reeled me in, time and time again?
