Page 178 of Twisted Needs

He finishes off his scotch before reaching over and emptying mine too. “Ugh,” he mutters, making a face. Then he studies me. “The moment I saw that picture of you holding him on the ice, I wanted to fly to D.C. and beat the shit outta you.”

I laugh. “Would you feel better if I let you?”

“Yeah, but…” He thinks about it for a moment. “I’d settle for a broken nose.”

“In exchange for your blessing?”

“No,” he answers immediately. “But I’ll still give you a bloody nose to stroke my ego a little.”

CHAPTER 51

YOU DON’T HAVE TO EARN ME

ANDERS

“We’re home!” Luca’s voice carries through the lake house a second before the front door slams shut. The conversation that had been happening around me immediately dies. Emelie looks up first. Then Jen. Then Vince. Everybody has been waiting. Nobody has said it out loud, but everybody has been waiting.

The last hour has felt like a countdown to something. Either Luca was going to come back ready to tolerate this relationship, or he was going to come back ready to burn the entire house down around us. The fact that I haven’t heard sirens yet feels promising.

Luca rounds the corner first, looking entirely too pleased with himself. A knot immediately forms in my stomach.

“He killed him,” Emelie says flatly. The words are barely out of her mouth before Parker appears behind him.

The relief that floods through me lasts exactly half a second. “Jesus Christ.” Parker’s nose is bleeding. Just enough to leave a streak of red running down toward his mouth. One side of his face is already beginning to darken with what will undoubtedly become a black eye by tomorrow morning.

For a second, nobody says anything. Then Vince lets out a low whistle. “Damn.”

“You hit him?” I ask, already moving. The question is directed at Luca, but I don’t actually wait for an answer.

I’m across the room before anybody can stop me. Parker’s eyes find mine immediately. Whatever joke he was planning to make dies the second he looks at me. Something softens in his expression. My chest tightens with relief because suddenly I know that whatever happened out there, they’re okay. Maybe not perfect and maybe not completely healed, but okay.

“Oh my God, Pet’ka.” My hands find his face before I can stop myself. I tilt his head gently toward the nearest window, inspecting the damage while Parker watches me with an expression that makes my stomach flip. “You’re bleeding.”

“I’ve been bleeding professionally for twenty years.”

“Dude. That’s not funny.”

“I thought it was a little funny.” I shoot him a look. Parker smiles. The sight of it nearly makes my knees give out. “We settled it like men,” Parker says proudly.

Luca immediately snorts. “We absolutely did not.”

“I got punched.”

My brother grunts. “You deserved it.”

Parker turns to look at me. “It was worth it, baby.” I glance between them. The easy—easier—familiarity catches me off guard, and something settles inside me knowing this hasn’t completely torn the two of them apart. “He still hates this.”

Luca points at him immediately. “I do.”

Parker sighs happily. “But we’re okay.” He reaches up and cups my cheek with his bloodied hand. The gesture should probably disgust me, but instead I lean into it as his thumb brushes across my skin. His eyes drop to my mouth before he kisses me, and the taste of copper and scotch immediately fills my mouth.

Behind me, Emelie lets out a noise of pure outrage. I don’t even bother opening my eyes. My arms slide around Parker’s neck as I pull him closer.

The last few hours have been torture, especially the endless wondering about what Luca might say. Now that he’s here, and now that I know the world hasn’t ended, I don’t want space between us. I don’t want anything between us.

Parker makes a soft sound against my lips before wrapping an arm around my waist and lifting me off the floor.

The room immediately erupts. “Put him down!” Luca shouts.