Slinging a towel around his own waist, we walk back into the bedroom together. I sit on the edge of the bed while Zane walks over to the dresser and starts rifling through it. I can’t help but stare as his well-defined muscles clench and flex as he moves.
Those perfectly sculpted abs and the bulge of his biceps cause a heat to coil low in my belly. I shouldn’t be staring. I really shouldn’t, but…
“Xander’s wife gave me some clothes for you to wear if you want to come and look through the drawers,” Zane says, his voice interrupting my thoughts. My cheeks heat, and I can’t imagine how I look right now.
“Oh, okay, yeah…” I mumble and walk over to the dresser. I find some clothes and pull them on, feeling a little less exposed now that I’m dressed. Drying my hair with the towel, Zane watches me curiously.
“You know what happens next, right?” he asks, as I drop the towel to the floor.
“Yes, now that Christian is dead, Matteo is next.”
“Are you okay with that?”
My brow furrows. “Why wouldn’t I be? I told you, I don’t care about him, Zane. I was only playing along to protect you. He told me he’d kill you if I didn’t make you disappear, and so I decided I’d rather have you angry with me than never have a chance to see you alive again. Who will protect me if you’re not here?” I whisper as I cross the space between us and cup his cheeks. I lean in and press my lips against his.
They’re warm and firm, and when I feel his tongue pressing against the seam of my lips, I open up to him. Our tongues duel for a short while, each stroke of his tongue, stoking the warm coil of pleasure inside my belly. I know Xander is waiting for us, but he can wait a few more minutes.
Zane’s hands circle my waist and he tugs me forward…I’m seconds away from ditching my clothes and climbing on top of him when a knock on the door interrupts us.
Of course, Zane pulls away with a groan, a tiny smug grin pulling at his lips.
“We should probably go. I think we’ve left your brothers waiting long enough.”
My brothers. It’s so strange to think that yesterday I had no siblings, and today I have two brothers. Giving my hips a gentle squeeze, Zane moves me out of the way so he can get to the door. Tugging it open, I’m shocked to see Xander standing on the other side.
“Sorry to interrupt your reunion, but we need to discuss Matteo as soon as possible. Now that Christian is dead, word will travel fast.”
“We’ll be down in a minute,” Zane confirms, and Xander nods.
Sticking to his word, we walk downstairs and into the massive dining room, where Xander, Damon, and Ivan are sitting. They’re talking casually like they aren’t plotting to murder someone tomorrow.
It’s hard not to outright gawk at all the fancy features, like the huge open kitchen off to the right of the dining room, or the chandelier with ten thousand shiny diamonds reflecting back at me. Zane takes a seat at the table, and I take the spot next to him. A maid pops her head out of the kitchen and meanders over to us with a kind smile.
“Can I get you anything?” she asks.
“No, I can get it…” I start, but Xander clears his throat, cutting me off.
“That’s not how this works, Dove. The help is here to help. That’s what we pay them for. If you want something to drink or eat, Matilda can get it for you.” His words are clipped and cold.
I feel like a small child who’s being scolded, and I’m reminded of my stay at Matteo’s mansion, and I dislike greatly that he called this lovely woman the help.
“I’ll just have a coffee. Cream and sugar, please,” I say through gritted teeth before taking a seat. Zane takes the one next to me and slides his hand over mine.
“The Sergio family is crumbling apart without Christian, and Castro is running around like a chicken with his head cut off, trying to take over whatever territory he can. Greedy bastard he is. Plus, Alberto being dead leaves him spread thin. Now is the perfect time to strike, to take him down once and for all,” Xander explains while Damon and Ivan nod in agreement.
“Matteo tried to marry me off and threatened to kill Zane if I didn’t do his bidding. I’m all for taking him down as fast as possible.”
“Good, because we might need your help—”
“Whoa, whoa,” Zane interjects. “You are not involving her in this! This was not part of the agreement. I told you I would help, but we never talked about her.”
“I won’t force her if she doesn’t want to. I’m simply offering her the chance to help.”
“She declines,” Zane growls without even asking for my opinion. “She doesn’t belong here in this world, and she’s definitely not going anywhere near Matteo again.”
“Let me ask you a question,” Xander says cunningly, a sinister smile spreading out across his face. “What exactly happened to Alberto? How did you escape Matteo?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Zane snaps, and I just now realize that he hasn’t asked yet and that I haven’t told anyone either. Does Zane know I killed him? Does Xander suspect it? He must, he wouldn’t have said anything, otherwise.
“You’ve been awfully quiet, Dove,” Damon says. Speaking for the first time, a hint of amusement in his voice now. He looks identical to Xander but maybe a bit younger, and just a tiny bit less scarry.
“I… I killed Alberto,” I blurt out. All eyes fall on me. Xander and Damon seem prideful, while Zane is shocked, his mouth hanging open.
“You killed him?” I watch his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows.
Something in my chest swells. “Yes. I found him in my room during the engagement party, he wanted sex, I didn’t. So, I slit his throat before stealing his car keys and making my escape to the apartment. I waited a little while, stole his keys, and escaped and went to my apartment.” A tinge of guilt echoes through me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you. You never asked, and well, we never got the chance to talk about it.”
“See, she’s not as weak as she seems.” Xander pins Zane with a glare, crossing his arms over his chest. “In fact, she’s more of a Rossi than I expected her to be.”
For some stupid reason, I smile.
“That doesn’t mean she is going to run headfirst into danger right after I get her out of the crossfires,” Zane yells. “You are not forcing her into this like Matteo did.”
Xander’s gaze turns murderous, and his hands curl into tight fists on the table. “Don’t compare me to him,” he says in a tone that has the small hairs on my neck standing on end. “I already told you, it’s her choice.” He turns to me. “If you want to leave, you are more than welcome to walk away right now. I won’t hold it against you, and if you ever need anything, I will be here for you. I am simply giving you the opportunity to help.”
“I’ll help; however, I can. If you need me to do something, I will. I’m not afraid.”
“The hell you will.” Zane slams his fist down on the table, making the glasses jump.
“If she wants to help, then she can. We wouldn’t let anything happen to her. I get your concern, but she escaped without you, she can handle this.” Damon says this time, and I know even without looking at Zane that he’s pissed, a vibrating wall of rage. I understand his fear, his anger, but I don’t want to be seen as a delicate little flower. I saved myself once, and I’ll do it again, except this time, I’ll have an army of men beside me.