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After Allura passes out in her bed, I cover her with a blanket and resist the urge to kiss her forehead, despite how much I want to. Kissing her while she’s asleep feels wrong since, if she was awake, she’d never allow that to happen. She loathes me way too much.
By the time I get her covered up, Blaise is slipping into the room. He was in the living room, at a meeting with the bosses, where I was before Reece texted me to give me a heads-up that Al was heading home drunk and I needed to intervene before her mother found her.
“Hey,” Blaise greets me as he shuts the door behind him. He’s loosened his tie and shoved up the sleeves of his shirt, probably due to the stress of the meeting. I couldn’t stand being there, either. I hate meeting with my father, let alone with all four of our fathers. It’s basically one big ego-fest.
His eyes immediately drift to Allura asleep on her bed. Her dark, wavy hair is a halo around her head, her eyes are shut, and her arm rests above her head.
She’s so damn beautiful, and while she’d kick my ass for thinking it, I’m so damn glad she’s ours.
Worry consumes Blaise’s features as he walks over to the bed and stares at her. “She’s okay, right?”
“Yeah, she’s just drunk. I want you to stay in here with her because her bitch of a mother knows she’s trashed, and you know how she can get with Allura.”
He bobs his head up and down as he lightly traces his fingers along her cheek. “I won’t let anyone touch her.”
I pat on the shoulder. “I know you won’t.”
Out of the three of us, Blaise has struggled the most with all of this. At first, he didn’t want to go forward with the plan, but when I informed him of what would happen if we didn’t, he agreed because he’d never let anything bad happen to Al, even if it meant he had to suffer.
I recall the day when Allura started talking about liking other guys. It damn near broke Blaise. Now he’s so close to getting what he wants. We all are.
“I’ll return to the meeting and make sure everything is in order.”
He sits down on the edge of the bed. “Did everything go okay with Reece tonight?”
“I think so.” I start toward the door. “Well, other than he found Al at a party she shouldn’t have been at. And someone from her father’s circle saw her there.”
Worry creases his features. “Fuck, who was it?”
“Some lackey, I think. I’ll check with Reece about it, and then we’ll make sure the fucker doesn’t run his mouth,” I tell him as I reach the door.
“Okay, good.” He relaxes as he starts to lie down, and I leave the room.
When I arrive at the living room, Justine is standing outside the doorway.
“Is she okay?” she asks, seeming twitchy as she glances over her shoulder at where the bosses and their entourage sit, smoking and pre-celebrating their win on the families’ merging.
“Do you care?” I question coldly.
“Of course, I care.” Justine dares to act appalled. “She’s my daughter.”
“She may be your daughter, but I think we both know you don’t give a shit about what happens to her,” I say, inching closer just to mess with her.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she snaps, glaring at me but stepping back.
“Remember who you’re talking to, Justine,” I warn in an icy tone. “I’m not the little boy you used to yell at. I’m the future boss of this goddamn city, which gives me a lot of power over you.”
Her nostrils flare, and I flash her a cold smile. Her fingers fold inward as she looks away from me, biting down so hard onto her bottom lip that I’m sure she draws blood.
It may make me sound cruel, but I love seeing her squirm. For as long as I can remember, she’s been awful to Allura, always yelling at her, criticizing her in every way possible, controlling her life, and even hitting her. And that’s just what I’ve seen. Who the fuck knows what goes on behind closed doors with Allura and her parents? Mafia bosses aren’t known for being loving, caring parents. No, they’re cruel, power-hungry, and will do anything to get what they want.
They think this fate ceremony will give them more power.
They think they’re going to rule the city because of this.
If Reece, Blaise, and I have our way, it’ll end with them burning.
NINE
