“Do you Webtoon?” Carina leans forward.
“Mmm-hmm. I can’t live withoutLore Olympus.” Angelica polishes off her pancakes.
“I love that whole series. I’m collecting the hardbacks.”
“I want those.” Angelica sighs. “My mom would’ve lost her shit if I’d come home with any physical books like that. That’s why I have to read online, but I don’t mind it. There’s so much good stuff out there. I wasn’t deprived.”
“I’d let you borrow them, butsomeonedragged me home before the spring semester was even finished.” Carina glares at me.
I let out an exasperated sigh. “You just said you hated being at school, and now you’re mad at me for bringing you back home?”
Carina’s gaze slides back to Angelica, her eyes narrowing in the same way our mother’s used to when she was about to involve us in a bit of mischievous behavior. “What are you doing for the rest of the day?”
“Um.” Angelica glances at me. “I’m not sure.”
“You can do whatever you like.” I finish my coffee. “After the events of last night, I’ve got a full slate of meetings.”
“We’re late for one already.” Gilly checks his watch.
I pull Angelica to me and kiss her. She makes a surprised sound then melts against me, her mouth opening as I slide my tongue against hers. I almost took her this morning. I was so close, my cock spilling inside her though I’d barely entered her. She’s my undoing, my cock behaving like I’m a 15-year-old with his most fervent crush. But I suppose that’s what she is to me–I’ve been smitten since the moment she turned to me in that church, ire in her eyes as she asked me what the fuck I was looking at. Even now, it makes me smile.
She opens her eyes as I pull back with the smile still on my lips. The one she’s given me.
Carina clasps her hands together and sighs. “Love!”
Angelica’s cheeks heat. “Let’s not get carried away. I’m only here for the inheritance,” she mumbles.
Maybe, for once, my bratty sister is right. Maybe, despite all odds, thisislove.
12
ANGELICA
“So.” Carina chews her gum, blowing a giant bubble until it pops and she sucks it back into her mouth. “How do you plan on killing my brother?”
“I haven’t thought that far ahead. But I’m working on it,” I admit as we lie by the pool. Diablo is stretched out in his own chair, enjoying the sun.
“I mean, maybe you should keep him for protection. Your own family is trying to murder you. I’m not trying to be rude, but those are the facts.”
I puff out a breath. “So messed up,” I mutter more to myself than her. I did everything I was supposed to. But I should’ve known it would never be enough for my father. “Maybe they were only going to kill Antonio?” I throw that suggestion out there, even though I know that’s likely not the case.
“I don’t know. I hear the Larones are terrible people.” She rolls over to her side, propping her head up with her hand. “Again. No offense.”
“Well, I hear you Palermos are psychopaths,” I counter. Carina isn’t wrong, though. My family is terrible, even to our own. There is no loyalty even if you’re blood. I’ve gotten the message loud and clear.
“Is this because of the eyes in the microwave story?” she asks.
“What?” I sit up from the lounge chair. Eyes in a microwave?
“Oh, so it’s not that one.” She looks up like she’s thinking. “Was it the heads on the metal spikes of the fence thing?”
“What are you talking about?” I gape at her, my mouth hanging open that she’s being so nonchalant about their craziness.
“You sure you can kill my brother? Cause this seems to be freaking you out.” She blows another bubble.
“I just heard that you guys are known for some crazy torture.” I lean forward. “You were messing with me, right?” I whisper.
“Nah, that’s Butcher. He can be a bit…”—she smirks—“psycho.” I’ve heard whispers of the Butcher, but honestly I thought it was just a bunch of people making up stories. That they said those things because the Palermo family was known to butcher bodies. Never had I considered it was actually a person.