Page 100 of The Silencer

Diablo huffs and then pokes at Skylar’s chest. “I know how to protect myself, thank you very much.”

Skylar looks down at him and ruffles his hair. “You do, little brat.”

Diablo’s cheeks heat and then he glowers at his father. “I’ll be keeping an eye on Angel, old man. If this goes badly…”

“It won’t,” Anthony bites out, and Diablo narrows his eyes even more, not quite sure.

“Well, I hope for your sake it goes as planned. I’d hate to see Angel’s beautiful soul turned ugly by this.”

I see Anthony’s face darken. Good. Let him worry. Let him think seriously about what he’s done.

I step away from the three of them, letting them catch up, finding myself in search of someone or something to take my mind off my friend who is now married.

And yet, I don’t find it.

I wander the gardens alone.

16

ANTHONY

My skin vibrates and pricks in frustration.

I haven’t had Tatum in two days. Haven’t touched him, held him, fucked him. He’s been avoiding me, spending all his time with Angel, barely making eye contact with me.

I feel the absence of him, of my obsession, palpably.

It bothers me that he’s angry with me. He has no idea the struggle I went through to make this happen with Angel and Mikhail, the ethical dilemma I contemplated while Tatum slept beside me.

This is my son. I love him and I want him to be happy.

But I also want him safe.

And he’ll be safe with Mikhail. Just like Diablo is with Skylar. Plus, Angel will have Casey with him. He will have someone looking out for him and reporting back to me.

But I know nothing will go wrong. Mikhail is as invested in this as I am. He wants this to work.

After everyone’s left my place—the guards thinning out, Diablo and Skylar heading back to Wales, Angel and Mikhail setting off in his private jet to the East Coast—I’m left alone in this cavernous house. Tatum has made it clear he has no intention of sleeping with me tonight. I found him in Angel’s room, glowering at me as he tucked himself under the covers.

I was not invited in.

So, I moved to my bedroom without a fight, showered and slid naked beneath my covers. I have no one to spend time with now.

I should call Bane and have him come up here to keep me company, but the thought of talking with him after the long day I’ve just had sounds miserable.

I could search out Sebastian and Matty, but both retired to their room earlier, a mischievous gleam in their eyes. I know what they’ll be up to when the door finally shuts.

I fall against my pillow and stare up at the ceiling, my thoughts swirling obsessively.

Things were so much easier with Laura. Even when Luca entered the equation, it was far less complicated than with Tatum.

He’s the single most infuriating person I’ve ever met. And yet, he sets my entire soul on fire.

I burn for him.

For the first time since Laura died, I want to pull out my camera and photograph him. I want to watch as his image appears on the photographic paper, inch by inch. That playful glint in his eye, the set of his shoulders, those plump, kissable lips.

My eyes flutter closed, and I force myself to drift off, imagining it, inhaling and exhaling deeply, my thoughts moving from my late wife to Tatum.