Soulless Devil (Sons of Valentino #3)(9)

“Oh, I just made a new friend, bro. You should come meet her. This is…” Luca—Romeo called him Luca, so I’m going to assume that’s his name—points at me, as if waiting for me to fill in the blank.

I don’t. Instead, I step to the side and walk around him. Stopping only when that voice calls out to me. “Livvy?”

Turning around, I smile and wave. “Hey, sorry. I gotta go.” I spin and practically run into the ladies room.

Splashing water on my face and wrists, I try to calm my heart. Why does he have this effect on me? I don’t understand it. I’ve never had a reaction like this to anyone. Not even Kirk—my boyfriend for three years in high school—could make my body react like this.

I wait for what seems like a safe amount of time for the hallway to be cleared. However, I quickly realize I didn’t wait long enough once I push through the door. Leaning against the wall across from me is Romeo. He’s alone, staring right at me, with an unreadable expression on his face.





Chapter Five





I almost hit my own brother. When he blocked her path, I saw fucking red. The hardest part was… I couldn’t let on how much he was pissing me off, so I pretended to not know what he was doing in this hallway.

I was watching her from the minute she walked in with Sandra fucking Frendato. My eyes were glued to her. Questions of how she knows Sandra run through my mind. Sandra’s father is an associate of the family. She knows everything there is to know about the Valentinos.

What has she told Livvy? I doubt she’d be stupid enough to tell her anything. As much of a spoiled princess Sandra is, she’s not stupid.

Luca walked past with a smirk and a knowing look when Livvy hightailed it into the bathroom. I shouldn’t have called out to her. I don’t know what the fuck possessed me to do it. I guess I wanted to make sure she knew that whatever Luca had said to her, it wasn’t me. I know my brother can be an ass—to be fair, I’m usually ten times more of one. But I don’t want Livvy to see that side of me. It’s fucking hard to understand. Which just frustrates me more, because I’ve never had trouble figuring anything or anyone out before.

Livvy exits the bathroom and freezes as she stares back at me. She looks to her left and right, then back to me. “Did your stunt double leave?”

I smirk, almost smile, at her unexpected joke. “I’m sorry for whatever my brother said to you. I just wanted you to know that he wasn’t me.”

“I knew he wasn’t you. I’m not an idiot,” she says.

“Well, most people can’t tell us apart.” I lift one shoulder up, trying not to jump around like I just found a unicorn. She could tell…

That means something, right?

God, someone shoot me. I sound like an annoying-as-fuck lovesick fool, even to myself. Not love. I’m not in love. Lust, definitely lust. Because just looking at her in that skimpy little black dress has my cock rock-hard. I want to push her back into that bathroom, hold her up against the wall, and sink my cock into her. At the same time, I want to take my jacket off and cover her the fuck up. Why is she wearing that? It’s not her usual style.

“Right, well, I better get back,” she says.

“Okay…” I watch her walk away, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. Every ounce of my being forces me to let her go.

Why the fuck is this so hard?

I stalk back out and take my seat at the bar next to Luca. This restaurant is one of ours—well, our parents’ anyway. It’s also really close to campus, which is why we meet up here often.

“Where’d your friend go?” Luca says, making a point to look behind me.

I glare at him, silently telling him to drop it. We don’t have to speak to communicate. We each just know what the other is thinking.

He holds up his hands in surrender. “Fine, I won’t mention her. Just so you know, I went and asked Sandra what her plans were for tonight. She’s heading to Grayson’s after dinner.”

“Why the fuck would I care where Sandra goes?” I ask him.

“Because she’s taking her hot little friend with her.” He waggles his eyebrows up and down.

“Call her hot again and I will fucking stitch your lips together,” I hiss at him.

“Okay, but tell me one thing…”

I raise a brow at him, bringing the tumbler of whiskey to my lips.

“Why the fuck do you have a tutor? Are you struggling with the smarts?” he whispers like it’s a controversy.

“No, idiot. She’s tutoring me in English Lit.”

“You don’t even take English Lit,” he balks.

“Which is why I need tutoring. Drop it, Luca.” I down the rest of my glass, slamming it on the table when I’m done. Thirty minutes later, I watch Sandra and Livvy walk out of the restaurant. Standing, I pull Luca out of his chair. “Let’s go,” I grunt.

“Where are we going?”

“Grayson’s,” I tell him.

Like fuck am I about to let Sandra take sweet little Livvy to a dirty fucking club filled with perverts. I know the type who frequent Grayson’s, because I’m the fucking type.

We arrive at the club and head straight up the VIP stairs. I know exactly where Sandra will be. She’s always in the same booth, the one reserved for Grayson’s friends and family. The owner being her brother puts her in the latter category. I find her there with Livvy, except they’re not alone. There are four guys in the booth with them. Livvy looks uncomfortable as fuck. She’s shrinking into herself, stuck between an about-to-be-dead motherfucker and the wall. She’s trapped with no way to move or escape if she wants to.