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I stopped walking, just stood in the foyer, staring at him as voices rebounded from the classroom above. At least the Irish asshole had kept it down. I met his gaze, catching the mischievous glint in his eyes. He combed his fingers through his long blond hair and grinned. “You interested?”
“What makes you think that?” I didn’t fall for that shit, not anymore.
“Something’s not right with him, you know…not since his brother.” He lifted his hand, pointing a pretend gun at his temple.
The Bernardis didn’t like the Kilpatricks, that was easy to see. But to go after the bastard when his brother was still in a psych ward…that was a low blow, even for him. I held his gaze and saw that hunger, like a beast prowling just under the surface. They all wanted a piece of each other here, they all wanted to bring each other down…
Down into the mud and filth.
Where we all belonged.
The smug bastard just gave a shrug. “You’re interested. I can tell. We can talk about it over cards tonight?” He chuckled, then lifted a hand, and his thumb and pinkie became a phone. “Call me.”
“Fuck you, Bruno.” I gave a hint of a smirk and turned away.
Christ, now I was getting into bed with the Welsh? What more could go wrong? I left the grinning idiot behind and climbed the stairs two at a time as the other students crowded through the door. Shit, this was the second time I’d been to the Institute and it was two times too many.
The first time had been fun, until even the violence became boring. And this time? I glanced over my shoulder as Bernardi watched me leave. The Kilpatricks were first cousins to the Byrnes…my mother’s Irish kin. Like I needed a goddamn reminder she was gone.
Bruno lifted his head, catching my gaze. Those blue eyes glinted. But there was no smug smirk now. Just a connection, one I didn’t need or want. I turned away to scan every face. They all looked the same, cold eyes glinting. Anna was the only one who stood out. But she wasn’t here…not yet.
I lowered my gaze, shoved my hands into the pockets of my leather jacket, and made for the back of the classroom, sliding into an empty seat. But the moment I sat, I caught sight of the one goddamn person I mostdidn’twant to see.
He smiled. Healwaysfucking smiled. I wanted to wipe it off his face…with my goddamn fist.
“Salvatore,” Lazarus Rossi said, and slid into the seat two over from me.
I ignored him. Instead, I focused on those at the front of the room as the last few students slipped through the open door.
“Looking for anyone in particular?”
I clenched my jaw, my gaze cutting to Max and Pavlov standing just inside the door, along with all the other shadows.
“Oh, that’s right. Your little girlfriend from the party.”
“She’snotmy girlfriend,” I ground out the words, not bothering to even look toward him. “I barely know her.”
“Hmm,” the bastard clucked his tongue. “Didn’t look like that to me.”
“Who gives a shit what it looked like to you?”
Two more came through the door as the instructor, some fat old fuck, cleared his throat and called out, “Let’s get started.”
“Oh no,” Lazarus gasped in mock horror. “Looks like little girlfriend isn’t here. Don’t tell me she’s avoiding you?”
I clenched my fist so fucking hard my knuckles popped. A glance at Max and the stony bastard just held my stare.Don’t do it…those brown eyes warned. Don’t…fucking…do…it.
“The origins of the code date back to the nineteen-twenties…” the lecturer started, his voice booming.
He thought he sounded important, thought he gave the speechwith confidence.Instead, he was just loud and out-fucking-dated, reminding me of my father. I shifted in my seat, then unfurled my fist, leaving crescent marks in the palm of my hand as I grabbed the edge of the desk.
“Damn,” Rossi muttered. “That one’s got you all riled up, hasn’t she?”
I reacted in an instant, fear and desperation punching through, driving me from my seat until I had the bastard’s shirtfront clenched in my fist.
Movement came from the doorway as Max drove a path through the others to get to me.
“One more fucking comment, Rossi,” I snarled as I dragged him from his seat. “One…more…motherfucking…comment.”
