Page 82 of Wicked Mafia Sinner

"He's a little defrosted at best," I say. "Work in progress."

Rafael's mouth twitches. He glances at Rowan behind me, and the look that passes between them carries years of shared history compressed into a single beat of eye contact. "I can see why he's been hiding you."

The other brothers move in like a wave of warmth.

Drake steps forward first after Rafael, broad shoulders, dark skin, and a warm handshake. His eyes assess me with an intelligence built from the ground up. "Nice to finally have the privilege of meeting our brother’s woman."

"It’s nice to be part of the inner circle."

Drake's laugh is warm and heartwarmingly genuine. He casts a look at Rowan over my head with an expression that says I've been waiting years for someone to crack you open and I'm going to enjoy watching it happen.

We move down the line. Luca is next. Loose black hair hangs past his shoulders. His eyes crinkle at the edges when he takes my hand and holds it a beat longer than necessary. "Cora. I owe you an apology."

My brows furrow. "For what?"

"I'm the one who dropped your wish on his lap. Accidentally." He glances at Rowan, amusement and guilt competing behind his sharp gaze. "If I'd known it would bring you to us, I would have made sure it landed in his hands on purpose."

Rowan gives his brother a nod.

Massimo greets me with a handshake first and then he pulls me in for a big hug that earns him a growl from Rowan. "Massimo Santoro. Welcome to the family. We're not as terrifying as we look."

Kon is next. He doesn't shake my hand and do the bear hug route. And thank God for that. His dark eyes peer down at me, heavy with understanding. I can’t say for sure, but it’s like he understands what it means to be taken from your world and placed in someone else's. The nod he gives me is small and I can’t help but feel like it carries more weight than most people's speeches.

"Kon," I say. "I think I probably have you to thank for cleaning up my home."

"Da." Rowan's voice comes from behind me.

"You can always call me. I’ll be there for you as much as I am there for my brothers."

With that he walks away and starts talking to Rafael about who knows what. Probably where to dig new holes for graves.

“He’s a teddy bear,” I whisper to Rowan and he gives me a side-eye. But he doesn’t disagree, I note.

And then there's Cristian, materializing in the spot Kon vacated. Dark eyes, sharp features. He dips his chin in acknowledgment, brief and formal, and his attention slides back to the perimeter, scanning exits and entry points. He makes the hair on the back of my neck prickle and I can’t help but track his line of sight to see if someone has snuck up on us.

Seven men, if I count Soren. Seven pillars of an empire I am choosing to walk into with my eyes open.

I look at Rowan. His hand finds the small of my back again, anchoring me in this room full of new faces.

"They all refer to you as the human ice cube," I say, raising my gaze to his. “I know you've been hurt, my dear Russian.” I thread my fingers through his hair and press my forehead to his. “It’s okay if you don’t want to share with me the reason, but one day I hope you trust me with your pain.” I keep my voice low.

Rowan's arm slides around my waist. He turns me toward him, tips my chin up with two fingers, and kisses me in front of every single person in the lobby. His mouth is warm and he tastes like the coffee we grabbed on the way out of his bookstore. His hand cups the back of my head with the gentleness that always undoes me.

When he pulls back, his eyes are molten blue. The accent wraps around every syllable. "It's a story for another time, sunshine. I trust you with everything. But let’s wait until after we deal with my son."

The word "son" drops acid into the pit of my stomach and burns there, quiet and corrosive, while the warmth of his kiss still lingers on my lips.

"That reminds me." I step back from Rowan and hold his gaze, letting the question sit between us without words. He reads it and offers me a nod.

I turn to Rafael. My pulse hammers against the inside of my wrists.

"There's something you need to see." My voice is steady, but my hands are not. I reach behind me and Rowan passes me the fold of paper.

"I know there's been a lot of chaos revolving around Rowan's son, me, and the poor souls showing up dead." I unfold the paper. "I might be able to shine some light on that."

"The man who died behind my shop dropped this." I hold it out toward Rafael. “I spent days not reading it because I was terrified of what it said. When I finally read it, I found I was right." I swallow thickly.

"I'm sorry it took so long," I say. "I didn't have the guts to unfold it because I knew I woldn't like what was written inside.”