“I didn’t expect my plan to backfire.”
“From now on, anticipate every scenario. Because that girl is more unpredictable than your mother.”
My mom was like Alex, a creative genius who was also a little off her rocker. The great Evangeline Franco had moments where she was a completely different person, kind of like Alex. Her moods would shift for weeks or even months at a time. I knew when I pushed Alex over the edge that it would be a difficult task to revive her from the depths of her mind. But my plan had worked. I just had to push her a little harder until the rest of her memories returned. She needed to remember her role with The Devil’s Knights and the legacy she chose before her brother’s disappearance.
“I can handle her,” I assured my dad. “Alex knows she tried to kill me.”
“Now she needs to remember how close you’d come with her and the Knights. Make her see the correct path to becoming queen.”
I stood there in silence, watching Alex fawn over my brother like he was a newborn baby. The same anger and rage I’d felt as a child toward him bubbled up, simmering right at the surface. Hands balled into fists at my sides, I gritted my teeth and pushed down my unwanted feelings. I could deal with hurtful emotions, but I could never process intimacy and love.
Alex often told me I needed to learn how to deal with my emotions, but it was easier to trap them inside a box and throw away the key. It was too painful to let people into my world. No matter how much I denied it, I felt physical pain when I saw Alex with Marcello. I’d felt it last year with the Knights, and as we drew closer to Legare, I was feeling it even more.
“You have one job to do,” my father said in a harsh tone. “Do you understand me?”
Alex held my brother’s hand on top of her knee with a smile that illuminated her face. He said something to her, and her laughter floated through the air. They had a natural ease in their interactions. Unlike Alex and me, they just clicked. She needed him in her life.
“I will fix this,” I promised. “Alex loves me. I know she does.”
He glanced over at Alex, who ran her fingers down Marcello’s arm, telling him a story. “Carl is calling a meeting to discuss the future of The Devil’s Knights and the marriage to Alexandrea.”
“That’s good.”
Dad shook his head. “I doubt it’s good news for you. Carl isn’t your biggest fan. Learn to respect the Elders. We need their support.”
“Don’t worry, Father. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
Alex
Luca carried me in his arms, kicking open my bedroom door with his foot. Half asleep, I laid my head on his warm chest, curled up against him. His delicious scent filled the air, and I drank him in as he bent over to lower me onto the mattress. He sank to the bed beside me and brushed the curls off my forehead. Like hot pokers branding my skin, his fingers trailed down my cheek, leaving a brush of fire in their wake.
I fell asleep in Marcello’s hospital bed after he passed out from the pain meds. My grandfather had assured me Marcello’s vitals looked good and that he would likely make a full recovery. But I was too afraid to leave his side until Luca swaddled me like a baby and took me upstairs.
“Luca,” I whispered as I laid my head on the pillows. “Will you stay with me?”
He brushed the hair off my forehead and sighed. Without a word, he moved to the other side of the bed. The mattress dipped from his weight as he stripped off his dress shoes and dropped them onto the floor with a thud. I turned to face him, and he shot up from the bed to strip off his pants.
Licking my lips, I watched my handsome Devil unzip his slacks and slide them down his toned thighs. “Mmm…”
“I thought you were tired,” he said with a mischievous look in his eyes.
“I’m too tired for sex,” I confirmed. “But I can look, can’t I?”
He smirked as he unbuttoned his shirt and slid it over his shoulders, revealing his scarred, muscled stomach. “Go ahead.”
My skin tingled with desire, and with one sexy smirk, I was wide awake. Heat flooded between my thighs, my skin dotting with tiny bumps of arousal. But my body and mind were not in agreement because I needed sleep more than an orgasm.
After Luca organized his clothes at the edge of the bed, he climbed in beside me. I scooted across the silky sheets, and he hooked his strong arm around me. I reached up and traced my thumb along his jaw, stopping at his lips.