Page 117 of Humility

“Don’t try and save him. He sealed his fate the moment he got engaged to you.”

“Ciro is gay,” I blurted out. “We are best friends, not lovers. We’ve never kissed or had sex or anything else you have running around in your mind. Please, put the gun down.”

Angelo’s head slowly turned in my direction, and he blinked. “What?”

“She said that I would prefer to bend you over rather than her,” Ciro said, impressively sounding bored even as I shot him a glare to shut up.

“I’m not lying. Didn’t you wonder why Ciro and I would go everywhere together and never dated? Think, Angelo. All the times Ciro was my date for events, and never once did you see us kiss, flirt, or even hold hands.”

“Then why are you engaged to him?”

“Can you lower the gun before we continue this conversation? As it is, I’ll have to clean my boxers,” Ciro said, and I’d never wanted to smack him more.

Angelo slowly lowered the gun and looked around at the rest of the men as they did the same.

“All of you as well, guns down and go wait by the cars,” Ciro ordered as he stepped into the house. “I need to speak to Jasmine, but I’m not here to force her into marriage.”

“Fine, but if you think you’re talking to her alone, think again. Follow me.”

Angelo growled and linked his arm through mine. I shook my head at Ciro as he rolled his eyes. I loved Ciro, but he was dramatic and preferred to keep fueling the flames.

“What the hell happened to you,” Angelo asked the guard I’d punched in the face.

He glared at me. “Your bitch punched me when I grabbed her arm to stop her from running into the foyer,” he said.

I didn’t even have time to process the words before Angelo shot him in the leg. I cringed as blood poured from the wound, and the guy dropped to the floor, yelling in pain.

“If you disrespect her again, the next one will be between your eyes.” Angelo glared over his shoulder at the guards, who seemed frozen. “Get him help, clean up this floor, and consider this your only warning. I will bury you if you ever touch or disrespect Jasmine. Is that fucking clear?”

“Was that necessary?” I whispered as we walked away.

“Very,” he said.

We stepped into the office with Dairo, Enzo, and Ciro in our wake. The small table with the delectable meal remained, but the sparkly little lights and romantic candle flickering didn’t match the current mood. Dario closed the door behind us, the sound far more ominous than it should be.

Angelo marched us to the couch and sat with me on his lap.

I narrowed my eyes at him, but the look of murder on his face never wavered. “Is this really necessary?”

His eyes darted to mine briefly before focusing on Ciro once more. “Very.”

Unbelievable.

“You’re really going to make me talk to her like this,” Ciro asked, dropping down into the chair I’d sat in for dinner.

“Either like this or with a hole in your head, your choice,” Angelo said as if this was a business meeting.

“Angelo, please,” I said, hoping he would relax, but my plea fell on deaf ears, his face remaining hard as stone.

Ciro sighed and then focused on me. “I came to apologize for how I acted and what I asked of you. It wasn’t right or fair. I also came to see if you would come home.”

“No,” Angelo bit out, his hand tightening around my waist.

Ignoring Angelo’s outburst, I said, “I thought you weren’t here to talk me into marrying you?”

“I’m not. After you left, I realized how much of an ass I’d been to expect you to take on my burden for the rest of your life. I finally told my father that Marcus and I are a couple and that I wanted to marry him.”

I squealed and leaped off Angelo’s lap, enveloping Ciro in a hug before Angelo could stop me. “Oh my god, are you serious?”