Chapter 12
REGGIE
As soon as I close the door, I head straight down the stairs and down the hall to the door that connects to Rowan’s place.
Bella is throwing me off in every aspect. That defiance I want to spank out of her. That naughty, sexy side I saw, I want to explore. And that hurt that creeps up on her face when she talks about love, fuck, I want to delve deeper.
And also murder whoever hurt her like that.
I knock on the door and Rowan opens it up.
“Oh, the explorer returns.” He glances behind me.
“Not introducing me to my sister-in-law yet?”
I shake my head and barge past him and close the door.
“I’m exhausted. Whiskey?” I ask.
He heads to the kitchen and grabs two glasses and a bottle of Seamus Quinn’s’ famous whiskey.
“You look like shit, Reg. How come you’re here and not railing your new girl?”
I grab the drink and toss it down my throat.
“She’s a handful,” I tell him.
His eyes light up.
“Tell me more. Don’t make me jealous, though.” He holds up a finger.
“So I had to drag her out of a posh ass house party in London. I get to the place and find her upstairs getting it on with another girl.”
Rowan’s mouth drops open.
He grins. “Fuck. Did you stay to watch?”
I nod.
“Did you join in?” he presses.
“No. I stopped it and spanked her.”
Rowan bursts out into laughter.
“Bro. You know how hot that is, right?” He mutters.
I clench my fists.
“Yeah. She’s absolutely gorgeous too. This is going to be hard work.”
He frowns. “Why?”
“Because this is business, not pleasure.”
“God. Reggie. You’ve been literally handed your dream woman on a platter, wedding ring and all. And you’re calling her a business transaction?”
I shrug in response.
So he continues. “Not everything has to be a contractual agreement, Reg. I know the women we share, we have that in place to protect us all. But that woman in your house… she’s about to be your wife. Maybe, for once, don’t go in so miserable to make her dislike you straight off the bat?”
“Fuck off,” I mutter, and he laughs.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. You’ve already done that, haven’t you?”
“I don’t want anything more, Rowan. That ain’t who I am, and I am not what she wants either. Okay?”
He leans back against the counter.
“So you’re not going to have sex with your wife?” He asks.
I shake my head. “Not planning on it.”
“And she’s okay with you messing around in Inferno?”
I chew on my lip. “As long as I don’t bring anyone home. Yes.”
“Wow.” He blows out a breath.
“Maybe take her to Inferno. Sounds like she might enjoy herself there.”
My blood runs cold.
No.
“Not happening. Let me just focus on making sure she doesn’t do a runner on me before she walks down the aisle.”
Rowan tuts.
Bella can’t leave the Decadence compound without me knowing. The whole family is on high alert for her to run. I’ve got trackers on her phone thanks to her brother and high security on my home.
Bella ain’t going anywhere.
“You should have let me do this wedding thing. At least I would have had some fun with it.” He jokes.
“Yeah. Exactly. And then we’d be fucked.”
Rowan is many things, but tactful isn’t one. He leads with his heart and his dick. Probably why our mom had twins. I’m the rational brain part. We only survive together.
“So, how was your day without me?” I ask him, desperate to change the conversation.
“Watched a guy burn down our east warehouse. We followed him to a dive bar. And I managed to get Face ID on him after blackmailing the owner. So, tomorrow night, we get to do some more stalking.”
“Nice.”
“You coming with me? Right?”
“I got a meeting with Drago and Declan first thing. Then I need to spend some time with Bella. Then I’ll be free.”
“A meeting without me?” He frowns.
“Yeah, it’s about the alliance with Theo. Nothing interesting. Probably wanna know when the wedding day is.”
Rowan chews on the inside of his mouth. “Conan can go with me if you’re busy. He wants to start training me back in the ring tomorrow anyway.”
My blood boils. Rowan nearly fucking died a few weeks ago.
“Training, already?” I keep it short and sweet.
I know how pissy he gets if I start to sound like I’m parenting him. I’d rather that than him know how shit scared I am of losing him.
“Light training, don’t worry. I’m fine, Reg. Steph and Hallie are both happy with my recovery. I’m good. I keep telling you this. You’re distracted.”
I blow out a breath and pull my cigarettes out of my jacket pocket. I am very distracted.
“You’re going to send me into an early grave before these do.” I hold out a cigarette to him.
He laughs and shakes his head.
“I almost met my maker once. I think I’ll hold off for now.”
I need them for stress relief. This life catches up with you, and I need a vice. Our parents chose drugs, ain’t no way in hell you’d catch me snorting or shooting that shit. But these, they do the trick.
And that menace of a Princess sleeping peacefully next door is about to raise my blood pressure to the extreme.
“Oh, before you go. Apparently Lyla is in shit in Inferno. Beat the shit out of one of the rooms. Threw a glass at a girl's face. You might need to have a word before she gets fired,” Rowan tells me.
“She isn’t mine to worry about. She’s a grown-ass adult, and it was a contractual arrangement.”
Rowan bites his lip.
“Just thinking we might need to put out the flames there before she comes back to haunt us. She’s crazy. And you now have a fiancée to worry about.”
I blow out a breath. “She’d have a death wish coming near my wife. I’m only pleasant for so long.”
I’m pretty sure Bella can stand on her own two feet. Three mafia brothers and a mouth on her like she has? I bet my life she can back herself up.
From what Theo tells me, I’m the one who needs to be on my guard with her.
But something in my gut tells me I’m wrong. In a violent sense anyway.