Soulless Devil (Sons of Valentino #3)(24)

“I just do. You’re more… like a photocopy of him,” I say with a shrug.

“A photocopy? I’m hurt.” He holds a hand to his heart dramatically.

I smile. “No, you’re not. What are you doing here?” I ask.

“Walking you home. You weren’t supposed to finish for another hour though.”

“Why are you walking me home?”

“Why’d you finish early?” he counters, taking my bag from my shoulder and swinging it over his.

“Jonah quit. Said he doesn’t want me to tutor him anymore,” I say.

“Why? What’d you do? Make him write lines?” he asks as he starts walking towards my dorm building.

“No. I honestly have no idea,” I say, stepping next to him. We walk in silence for the rest of the way. It’s not awkward, just comfortable. When we reach the entry to my dorm, I turn around and hold a hand out for my bag. “Thank you for escorting me home, but you really don’t need to be doing this.”

“Yes, I do. If my brother asks me to watch out for you, then I’m going to do it,” he says. “Come on, I want to check out the new paintwork on your walls.

“Why?”

“Why? Because I want to make sure the painters did a good job.”

“No, why did Romeo ask you to walk me home?”

“Because he couldn’t be here to do it himself.” He reaches around me and punches in the code for the building.

“How do you know that code?” I ask him.

“There might be one or two chicks in here who like late-night visits.” He lifts his eyebrows up and down.

“Ah, gross.” I screw up my nose and walk towards the stairs.

“You know, he really likes you, right,” Luca says.

“Who?”

“Romeo, he likes you. And, well, he’s never liked anyone before.”

“Oh.” What the hell am I supposed to say to that?

“I know you’re a smart girl, Livvy. Where do you think the daughter of a cop and the son of a Valentino are destined to end up?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I get it. You don’t like me. I don’t know why, considering I’ve never done anything to make you not like me. But I’m also used to not being liked. I’m not one of the cool kids. I’m not one of your cheerleading groupies.”

“One, I like you plenty enough. What I don’t like is the fact that you’re going to break my brother’s fucking heart and that’s something he’ll never recover from. And two, I don’t have groupies.”

“Why do you think I’m going to break his heart?”

“Because girls like you don’t belong in our world, Livvy.”

“Oh, so what’s your mom like?” I ask him.

“She’s the exception to the rule,” he says, opening my dorm door and inviting himself in.

“Oh my god,” I gasp, staring at my room. It’s not a simple white paint cover-up job—the landlord’s special as we call it—like I was expecting. It’s a work of freaking art. There’s a mural of flowers along the wall right next to my bed. And not just flowers. Lilies of the valley.

“Told you he likes you,” Luca says before leaving the room, the door slamming behind him.





Chapter Thirteen





“Did you walk her to her dorm?” I question Luca before lowering myself onto a balcony chair next to him. It’s fucking freezing out here. Why he insists on sitting out in the cold, I’ll never understand.

“You asked me to, didn’t you?” he huffs.

I know what he’s telling me. If I ask him to do something, he’s going to do it. “How was she?”

“Here’s an idea… why don’t you pull your phone out of your pocket and your balls out of your ass, call her, and find out for yourself,” he groans.

“What the fuck is your problem?”

“You are so fucking hung up on this girl, Romeo. It’s fucking terrifying.”

“Why?” I ask.

“Because I know you. I shared a goddamned womb with you and never have I seen you react this way to anyone.”

“She’s different.” That’s the only explanation I can give him. I don’t know what is happening to me when it comes to Livvy. All I know is that she’s different, and come hell or high water, she will be mine. She is mine.

“Yeah, what’s going to happen when she breaks your heart?”

“That’s not going to happen.” I’d have to have a heart in order to have it broken.

“Yes, it is. Her father’s a cop, Romeo. Do I really need to remind you who you are? Who our father is?”

“Ex-cop. I’ll figure it out.” I sigh. “Do you ever wish you were born into a different family? A normal one?”

“Sometimes I wonder what it’d be like to be free. But that’s never gonna happen for us. We are Valentinos. There’s no out for us.”

“Not for me, but you’ve got an out. You’re going pro. You’ll move on to whatever team signs you.”

“You think I’m going without you?” Luca laughs. “Wherever I go, you’re coming.”