Page 56 of Hidden Empire
“Cole’s brother?” Matteo’s expression twists up. “He’s way too old for you.”
“How old is he?” I ask, defensive for no reason.
“He’s like Apollo’s age,” Matteo says, waving a hand that has me thinking he’s exaggerating.
“You act like Apollo is Dad’s age,” I tell him, rolling my eyes.
Armani huffs at Matteo’s dramatics. “He’s twenty-eight, not thirty-one.” Giving me a concerned look, he crosses his arms. “And he’s still too old for you.”
“The way he said it made me think he must be forty,” I refute. “I haven’t even met the guy, I don’t care about how eligible for me you think he is. We’re getting off topic.”
“You’re right, we are off-topic,” Matteo agrees quickly. “More pressingly, isn’t Javier your weapons instructor for this semester? One class with you, and he’s putting in an offer for marriage? That’s pretty crazy, even for someone as bold as Javi.”
“Hey,” I chastise, pinching his arm. “Why is that crazy? You don’t think he should want to marry me? What’s wrong with me, huh?”
“Ouch,” he hisses, rubbing the affected area. “Jesus, Jade. If anything, you’re too good for him—you’re too good for anyone. That’s not what I meant.”
“Javier teaches your knives class?” Armani asks, and I don’t like the new scary edge to his voice. It has a dangerous, haunting rasp.
“Okay, everyone needs to sit down with Remo and go over my class schedule if we’re going to continue to be surprised by who I’m interacting with on a daily basis,” I declare, so close to whining.
I should have kept my marriage offers between Apollo and myself, though I’m sure my father is aware. I was just honestly shocked as hell to read it and didn’t think twice before showing my brothers.
Sometimes their protective nature is easy to put in the back of my mind. They’re my friends even if we’re related, and a girl wants to share things with her friends. I have to keep reminding myself that not everything I see, think, or hear should be repeated to them. They’d try to set the air on fire if I choked while breathing. Their extremes know no end when it comes to keeping me safe.
“He’s your instructor?” Armani repeats, ignoring what I’ve just told him. My emailer buzzes in his hand, and I snatch it back before he can see.
Apollo
Congratulations, you’re up to ten now. Thiago Oliveria and Abramo Guliani have been thrown into the ring, though I suspect that’s their fathers’ doing.
Me: I don’t think I want updates about marriage offers anymore.
Apollo
Did Armani explode yet?
Me
He’s about to.
“Fucking Abramo too?” Matteo spits, having looked over my shoulder.
“You’re not serious,” Armani sneers, angrily running a hand through his hair.
Abramo is a part of the Casa Nostra, the same family Melani comes from. We have an allegiance because of her marriage to Emilio. I’m not sure why he’d want to marry me if not for a stronger relationship with The Outfit. He’s never met me, and since he doesn’t attend Empire, it’s unlikely that he saw me.
“What’s wrong with Abramo?” I ask, feeling nervous, and the two of them exchange a dark look. “Is he really dangerous or something?”
“We’re all really dangerous,” Armani says cryptically as if I need a reminder.
“But Abramo is fucked up,” Matteo tacks on, shaking his head. “He’s half of the reason Dad and Uncle Cesar wanted to kill the bad blood between them and us. He’s not someone whose bad side you want to get on, and he’s not someone you marry your daughter to. Dad would consider marrying him to Nico before he’d give you to him. At least Nico would give right back what he gets.”
Armani shakes his head in agreement. “Those two would kill each other in a week.” I think he might be calming himself down when I release he’s actually just collecting himself, straightening out his blazer. “I can’t deal with the ones who aren’t here, but I can put the ones who are in their place.”
“Hell yeah,” Matteo cheers. “Violence tastes so good in the afternoon.”
“Um, no violence,” I blurt out, voice raising high. “Absolutely not. You can’t just fight people for trying to marry me.”