I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, no.”
Marcello’s nostrils flared. “Give me the fucking phone, Alex. I’m not in the mood for games.”
“Let me guess. Luca didn’t like the message I sent him. Tell him to grow up. The world doesn’t revolve around him.”
“You’ll get another,” he growled. “One that’s more secure.”
I clutched the iPhone in my hand. “You want it? Come take it from me.”
“It’s for your protection.” He wiggled his fingers. “Hand it over.”
“I don’t need your protection.”
“Just trust me. This is for your own good.”
I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. “Like I would ever trust a Salvatore. You’re all pathological liars and psychopaths.”
In one swift motion, he leaned over the table and ripped the phone from my hand, powering it off. “I’ll get you another one with a new number.”
“Why?”
He shoved my phone into the breast pocket of his suit jacket. “I already told you.”
“Who are you protecting me from? Your brother?”
“There are worse men in this world than Luca.” A shiver rolled down my arms as he held my gaze. “You better hope you never meet them.”
“Is that a threat?”
“A warning,” he snapped.
Was Marcello not the man who had been following me for weeks? I’d assumed it was someone from their family. Luca was overprotective and possessive, but he would never hurt me. At least not physically. My scars grew on the inside, and like Luca had told me years ago, those hurt much worse.
Once we were in the air, a pretty brunette appeared at our table. Dressed in a knee-length navy blue skirt and a tight white blouse with the top three buttons open, she beamed a smile at Marcello.
“Welcome back, Mr. Salvatore.” She bent down, her breasts spilling out from the near see-through blouse, giving him an excellent view. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”
Marcello’s heated gaze flicked to me. “What do you want to drink?”
“The most expensive alcohol on this plane,” I said with a shit-eating grin. “And make it a double.”
“I’ll check the liquor cabinet,” the flight attendant said. “Mr. Salvatore, the usual?”
He nodded, then she headed down the aisle.
“Luca has rules about fucking the staff. I guess they don’t pertain to you.”
Marcello’s eyebrows lifted.
“You had sex with her. Didn’t you? It’s so obvious.”
“You’re intentionally difficult,” he said with fire in his tone. “Stop asking questions when you don’t want the answers to them.”
“Little old me? I wouldn’t dream of being difficult. I’m as sweet as a Georgia peach.” Leaning forward, I lowered my voice. “Maybe I want to know your filthy secrets, Marcello.”
“It’s none of your business who I fuck.” He flashed an evil grin that made my skin sizzle. “But since you’re so interested in my personal life…”
A strange feeling swirled in my belly, spreading down to my thighs as our eyes locked. Desire, maybe. For Marcello, of all people? Sure, he was gorgeous and built like a pro boxer, but he was Luca’s younger brother. Well, he was twenty-eight, not much younger than Luca, who was turning thirty at the end of the summer.
“What did you do with her?” I asked, licking my lips.
He smirked. “You really want to know?”
“Every dirty detail.”
I didn’t care about Marcello’s sex life. But I needed to know all of his secrets, especially those about my brother. A year ago, he led Aiden down a dark path, and I had every intention of getting to the bottom of his family’s lies.
“It’s been that long, huh?” Marcello’s eyes fell to my breasts that were popping out of the purple tank top. His tongue slid across his lips, and my core clenched with desire. “Look at how fast your heart is racing.”
“One of the lovely side effects of my medicine,” I admitted with no shame. “I’m horny all the time.”
“The side effects include dry mouth, migraines, worsened delusions, sleep interruptions, and… increased sex drive.”
My mouth widened in shock, though I should have expected it. “Is there anything you don’t know about me?”
His eyes burned through me. “Doubt it.”
“Hmm… Do you know how many vibrators I’ve replaced in the last nine months? Is that in the reports you give to Luca?”
“Five,” he said without hesitation.
Yeah, don’t judge me. It’s been a rough nine months.
Annoyed by his intrusion into my life, I blew out a deep breath. “I guess you covered everything, huh?”
He nodded.
“I could use the real thing, Marcello.” I pushed out my tits so they were practically falling onto the table. “Wanna find out why Luca is so obsessed with me?”
One way or another, I was getting information about my brother from the Salvatores. I didn’t care if it came from Luca or Marcello. And I would have done anything to get it. Marcello was friendly with Aiden before his disappearance. If anyone would lead me to my brother, it was him.
Sex meant nothing to me. I could fuck Marcello and not feel bad about it. Luca had fucked whores when we were apart. Not like we were dating.