Brutal Prince Bonus Scene (Brutal Birthright, #1.5)(23)

I go find Riona—she’ll know the scoop on this.

“You know Oliver Castle?” I ask her.

“Yeah,” she says, tucking back a lock of her bright red hair. She has her phone out, checking work emails in the intervals between socializing. Riona got her law degree, mostly to prove she could, I think. Now she works for the firm that handles all our business interests.

“Did Castle use to date Aida?” I ask her.

Riona raises her eyebrows at me. They’re as red as her hair.

“Yeah,” she says, like I asked her if sushi’s made of rice. “They dated for over a year. He was obsessed with her. Completely head over heels, making a fool of himself, barely working, chasing her everywhere she went. She went to Malta on vacation, he ditched his job in the middle of some huge acquisition and chased after her. His father was furious.”

“So what happened?”

“She dumped him out of nowhere. Nobody could figure it out. Oliver’s a catch—he’s an only child, he’s going to inherit all of Keystone Capital. Plus, he’s good-looking, charming enough . . . and she just dumped him on his ass, wouldn’t tell anybody the reason.”

“Well, he’s a fucking moron, for one,” I say.

Riona stares at me.

“Is that jealousy?” she says, in disbelief.

“No,” I scowl at her. “I just don’t like finding out that my fiancée dated that ape. This is the problem with marrying a fucking stranger!”

“Lower your voice,” Riona says coldly. “None of us like this, but since our parents have apparently gone insane, we’ve got to make the best of it.”

At least Riona’s on my side.

It’s a shame my father always pits us against each other, because I do respect her. She’s disciplined, hardworking, intelligent. But she’s always nipping at my heels, waiting for me to fail so she can take my place.

Well, that ain’t happening. I’m powering through this, no matter how many trust-fund idiots Aida dated before me.

“Listen,” I say to Riona. “I’ve got to get in good with Madeline Breck. Can you work some kind of deal with Callahan?”

I explain the whole thing to her.

William Callahan is the chief of police in my district. It would be better if I could get the superintendent of the whole city on my side, but it’s a start at least. To show Madeline Breck that I’ve got sway with the cops.

Riona listens, her face skeptical.

“That’s a tough sell,” she says.

“Try, at least,” I ask her.

Riona nods, resolute. That’s the perfectionist in her. She can’t turn down an assignment.

She leaves to talk to Callahan again, and Dante Gallo takes her place next to me. He’s got one of those faces that always looks unshaven, dark shadows all around his lips and broad jaw. He’s got a kind of brutal, uncut look to his face and bulky frame. Hunched and defensive, like a fighter. I’m not intimidated by him—I’m not intimidated by anyone. But if I had to face off against one of Aida’s brothers, I wouldn’t want it to be Dante.

I already know why he came over here to talk to me.

Sure enough, Dante looks me in the eye and says, “My father may be handing Aida over to you people, but don’t think for a second we’re forgetting about her. She’s my baby sister. And if you lay one finger on her in a way she doesn’t like—”

“Save it,” I cut him off. “I have no intention of abusing Aida.”

“Good,” Dante growls.

But now it’s me who takes a step closer to him.

“Let me tell you something, though. When she says those vows to me, she becomes my wife. She’ll belong to me. And what happens to her isn’t your concern anymore. She answers to me. What goes on between us is my business, not yours.”

Dante’s shoulders hunch up all the more. He clenches two fists the size of grapefruits.

“She’ll always be my business,” he snarls.

“I don’t know what you’re worried about. I’m pretty sure she can take care of herself.”

Dante scowls.

“Yes, she can,” he says. “But that doesn’t mean she’s unbreakable.”

I look across the room where Aida’s talking to Nero. He apparently didn’t close the deal with the bartender, and Aida seems to be ribbing him about it. While I watch, she throws back her head and laughs, so loud that I can hear it all the way over here. Nero scowls and punches her hard on the shoulder. Aida just laughs harder, without flinching.

“She’ll be fine,” I say to Dante.

He shakes his head at me, eyes dark and serious.

“Treat her with respect,” he says threateningly.

“Worry about your own side of the family,” I tell him coldly. “If we’re chained together, you fucking savages need to learn to act civilized. I’ll kill every last one of you before I let you drag us down.”

“Just so long as we understand each other,” Dante says.

He turns and stomps away. I look around for another drink.

In the last week, I’ve had enough of the Gallos to last me a lifetime. And we’re only just getting started in our new “close-knit” relationship.

Dante can take his protective older brother schtick and shove it up his ass.