Lucius (Acquisition Series #4) - Celia Aaron Page 0,54

voice, and I know the man attached to it.

Sinclair walks around the corner and into the kitchen.

Then he stops, his harsh gaze going right to me. The hate in his eyes is almost a palpable touch, and he grits out, “What. The. Fuck?”

26

Lucius

“The Sovereign is dead.” I figure if I lead with that, it might stave off the chances of Sin going nuclear.

“I’m aware.” He stalks over to us. “We need to talk.” He glances at Evie over my shoulder. “Alone.”

“That’s fine. I was just leaving.” She turns.

I take her hand. “No, you weren’t. And you can stay.”

“No,” she and Sin say in unison.

“Yes, you should go.” Sin looks down his nose at her.

“Stop.” I step between them.

“I have work to do.” She pulls her hand from mine—because I let her. “And I need to get dressed.”

“Too bad you don’t have any clothes.”

“I’ll make do,” she calls as she disappears into my bedroom.

“I warned you.” Sin glowers. “I told you not to do this.”

“When have I ever listened to you?”

“That’s your fucking problem.” He turns and walks to the window. “You do things without thinking, and then I have to clean up your mess.”

“You don’t have to do shit.” I cross my arms over my chest. “I know what I’m doing. I know—”

“She’s an enemy!” he yells. “For all you know, she could be working with these assholes and just getting close to you so she can put a knife in your back.”

“That’s not what this is.”

“Oh, is that right?” He spins and meets my gaze. “Is this love? Is that what you think? Does she love you, little brother? Have you told her about your addictions, about how much you enjoy hurting people, about all the shit you’ve done that can never be erased?”

“You’re crossing a line.” I flex my sore fists.

“Good! Maybe you’ll wake the fuck up. She’s trying to steal our family business right out from under us. She got a special invitation to party with the people who’d like nothing better than to see us all dead. And that’s including my children!”

“I would never let anyone hurt them.” I stride to him until we’re toe to toe. “You know I’d never jeopardize the kids.”

“Do I? You’re fucking someone who tried to kill you. Who almost succeeded.”

The front door opens again, my security system beeping, and Teddy bounds up the stairs. “I’m supposed to be on rotations so this better be—” He stops when he sees us. “Okay, so what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong is our brother thinks pussy is more important than family.”

“She’s not just pussy.” I grit my teeth. “Don’t talk about her like that.”

Sin smirks, his dark blue eyes lighting with malice. “Or what?”

“Guys, don’t do this.” Teddy holds both his hands up as he comes closer.

“Do what?” Sin cracks his neck. “Tell Lucius the truth about his foolish conquest?”

Teddy cocks his head to the side. “So you and Evie are—”

“Together,” I finish for him.

“Even though she—”

“Shot me. Yes.”

Teddy scrubs a hand down his face. “Whoa.”

“He’s putting his dick feels over his family name.” Sin shakes his head slowly. “Was getting your dick wet worth it? Was she good, Lucius? I bet she was, since she brought you to your knees.”

“Stop talking about her.” Anger simmers inside me, already on the edge of boiling over. “I won’t warn you again.”

“Oh shit,” Teddy says under his breath.

Sin gives me a vicious half-grin. “Stop talking about the conniving little bitch who wants—”

I shove him backwards. He expected the move and comes off the window with his fists flying.

“Not again!” Teddy backs away.

Sin tackles me to the floor, my back sliding with an ugly squeak against the cold tile. “You can’t go five seconds without fucking up!” He punches me hard, my jaw exploding with pain.

“You need to back the fuck off!” I yell right back and shove him off, then get to my feet.

He’s up too, and he takes off his jacket and tosses it at Teddy.

“Guys, please.”

“Shut up, Teddy,” Sin and I say in unison.

“Come on.” I motion Sin forward. “You want to get fucked up? I’m happy to oblige.”

“You’re still the little brother. Don’t forget.” He comes for me, his long reach almost giving him a glass jaw shot on me. But I dance out of his reach, then propel myself forward, nailing him in the gut with one fist. When he doubles over slightly, I bring my knee up into his face.

“Fuck!” He yowls and dances back, blood running from his nose. “You piece of