Dirty Little Secrets (Kings of Bolten 1)

“You didn’t fuck up, did you, wasp?” His green eyes flashed with something that sent chills down my spine.

Truth.

Dominic De Santis wasn’t messing with me. He was serious. He’d kill me and Fallon if he found out.

“I-I didn’t,” I whispered, trying to keep my voice even.

“Good,” he murmured. “I wouldn’t want to have to hurt anyone. Especially you. Never you.”

His words took me by surprise considering he’d let me know I’d answered wrong the night I’d confessed my love to him.

I reached for him and wrapped him in a hug. The move took him by surprise because he was stiff in my arms and didn’t hug me back right away. But once he did, his embrace was warm and tight, his cheek resting on the top of my head.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Bianca,” he whispered. “I’d do anything not to. You. . .matter to me.”

My heart fluttered at his words. I mattered.

But given the circumstances surrounding things with Fallon, I wondered how far those feelings of Dom’s would extend.

And what I’d do if they didn’t.

Forty-Two

Dominic

She had me fucked up in my head. Not that I hadn’t always been a headcase, but ever since she’d said she loved me, my brain had been frazzled. I knew some nasty shit was trickling down, and I was going to have to act one way or another.

There were two things I knew. One, I really didn’t want to hurt her—whatever the hell that meant since it wasn’t in my nature to feel anything for someone who wasn’t Levin or Vincent. And two, I’d kill her if she fucked Fallon Vasiliev.

Those two facts warred inside my head. It wasn’t pleasant. I was pretty sure I was going to go insane.

But the burst of butterflies I felt in my chest were even more concerning as I watched her smile up at Vincent, him holding her lunch tray for her as she reached for an apple juice.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to answer it.

“De Santis,” I grunted, my gaze still on Vincent and Bianca.

He tweaked her nose, making her laugh. They looked like a damn ad for how much fun could be had at Bolten.

“We need to talk,” my father’s deep voice greeted my ears in our native tongue.

The last thing I felt like doing was going to see him. My guts clenched at the possibility of what he might want.

Someone was going to die. Whenever we needed to talk, it meant he needed someone to be dealt with.

I sent up a silent prayer it wasn’t what I thought it was.

“I’ll be there shortly,” I said.

He hung up without a goodbye. I didn’t get up right away. Instead, I sat on the tabletop in the courtyard and watched as Vincent dipped his head and pressed his lips to Bianca’s. She curled into him like a kitten.

I exhaled loudly, knowing I needed to learn to control my anger and jealousy. I glanced across the courtyard to find Vasiliev watching them, a look of sadness sweeping over his face. He caught my eye, holding my stare without any fear.

“Play stupid games. Win stupid prizes,” I said softly.

Ivanov got Fallon’s attention, which broke off his staring contest with me.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Bianca’s sweet voice called out to me.