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"Anytime," Marco replied, his eyes never leaving the two of them. "Angelo sent us when he heard about the chase. You can thank him later."
As they walked towards Marco's car, Julian couldn't help but feel exposed under the enforcer's watchful eye. He knew that their relationship had been discovered, and if it got back to Angelo, there would be consequences. His stomach clenched at the thought, but as he glanced over at Bear, he met his gaze with a reassuring nod.
And somehow, that was enough for Julian to keep moving forward.
10 1113
Bear stood in the Toscano mansion, his broad shoulders tensed as he examined the intricate patterns on the Persian rug beneath his feet. Angelo was off talking with Marco.
That didn't bode well. He shifted his weight, wincing at the pull of his stitches across his ribs.
"Bear!"
At the familiar voice, something in his chest felt warm. "Hey, kid. You holding up?"
The sight of Julian's smile opened something inside of him. It felt relaxing—but not the simple numbing relaxation of drinking or fighting.
It feltright.
"Sure." Julian, ever ready to play the brat, leaned casually against one of the gilded walls, a mischievous grin playing on his lips as he observed Bear's discomfort. "You nervous?" Julian teased, crossing his arms over his chest.
"No. Should I be?" Bear grumbled.
"Maybe," Julian replied. His tone was airy, but there was an edge to his body language. "You know my brother can be—"
The door to the room slammed open, revealing a visibly angry Angelo. His jaw clenched, and his hands were balled into fists at his sides.
"Explain yourself, Bear," Angelo demanded, his voice like ice.
Bear glowered. He'd done his best in a bad situation. His attempt to shake their tail hadn't worked, sure, but he'd done the finest moves that any Toscano could ask for, and Julian was safe because of him—
Oh.
He wasn't mad about the attack.
Bear looked past Angelo, to where Marco was standing in his office. One look at Marco's face—half sympathetic, half exasperated—confirmed it.
Bear felt his face flush crimson as he struggled to find the right words. He had never imagined having to explain his feelings for Julian to Angelo, especially not in such a heated confrontation. In his mind, he desperately searched for a way to convey the truth without betraying his loyalty to Angelo.
"Angelo... it's not what you think," Bear said. "I would never do anything to jeopardize your family."
"Then why did you think it was a good idea tofuck my younger brother?" Angelo growled, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.
The tension in the room was palpable, a taut wire stretched between Angelo's fury and Bear's defensiveness. Julian, sensing the need to intervene, stepped forward, his dark eyes alight with determination.
"Angelo, listen," he began, his voice steady despite the storm raging in the room. "Bear and I—it's not like that. This is something real."
At that, that warm feeling in Bear's chest only blazed hotter. "He's right."
Their words hung in the air, but Angelo seemed unconvinced. The lines on his forehead deepened as his gaze flitted between Bear and Julian. "Real or not, you have no idea what you're getting into," Angelo finally snapped, his focus landing on Bear like a laser.
"You," he hissed, pointing at his right-hand man. "You should know better than to take advantage of my brother in his vulnerable state. Sleeping with him—" He paused, a sneer curling his lips. "It's betrayal, Bear. A betrayal to this family."
The Toscanos had taken him in. They'd saved him from a life that wasn't worth living. The sting of Angelo's words cut deep. Bear's hands balled into fists at his sides, knuckles whitening. "That's fair."
"It's not!" Julian interjected, placing himself between Bear and the wrathful mafia boss. "Bear didn't take advantage of me. God, I wish hehad. You have no idea how hard I had to work to get him to—"
At the look on Angelo's face, he backpedaled. "Look, we both wanted this, and we knew the risks. You can't blame him for something I instigated."
