Stepbrother's Lust: A Forbidden Mafia Romance

Reagan’s POV

The House of Spades never truly slept.

Even behind closed doors, the music seeped through the walls in dull vibrations while expensive liquor flowed as freely as the lies exchanged around the table.

Eli leaned back in his chair, lazily swirling the amber liquid in his glass.

"I’d say tonight’s opening has gone better than expected."

"So far," Devon replied with a small nod.

"So far," Eli echoed with a grin.

Folders and contracts still covered the polished table between us. Shipping routes. New investments. Expanding territories. Conversations that would’ve sounded perfectly ordinary to anyone listening in, yet carried enough weight to reshape half the city’s underworld.

I listened without saying much.

I preferred it that way.

Observe.

Remember.

Speak only when necessary.

The meeting dragged on for another twenty minutes before Eli finally closed the last folder.

"I think that’s enough business for one night."

Devon stood first.

"I’ll head back."

"I’ll catch up," I said.

He studied me for a brief moment before nodding.

"I won’t be long."

After he left, I slipped out through another corridor.

I needed a moment away from the noise.

The hallway outside was quieter.

The muffled bass from the club barely reached this part of the building.

I pushed open the restroom door.

Empty.

Good.

I splashed cold water across my face before staring at my reflection in the mirror.

The investigation wasn’t moving nearly as fast as I’d hoped.

Nothing about the Ashford estate made sense.

Every answer only uncovered another question.

I reached for a paper towel.

The restroom door suddenly swung open.

A young woman stumbled inside.

She froze the instant she saw me.

"What the hell are you doing in here?"

I blinked once.

"...Using the restroom."

"This is the women’s restroom!"

"No."

"It is!"

She pointed dramatically toward the entrance.

I sighed.

"Look again."

Still glaring, she stormed back toward the door, glanced outside, then returned looking considerably less confident.

"Oh..."

She scratched the back of her neck.

"This one’s the men’s."

"It is."

"That’s... embarrassing."

I tossed the paper towel into the bin.

"It happens."

I started toward the exit.

"Wait."

I stopped.

"I should at least apologize."

"Accepted."

"And..."

She smiled.

"...buy you a drink."

"No."

"You didn’t even think about it."

"I did."

"And?"

"My answer stayed the same."

She laughed.

"I like difficult men."

"I imagine you do."

I stepped past her.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t ready to give up.

By the time I reached the hallway, she’d caught up beside me.

"Come on."

"No."

"You don’t even know my name."

"I don’t need to."

"You really aren’t interested?"

"No."

She moved in front of me, forcing me to stop.

"One dance."

"No."

"One drink."

"No."

"One—"

She reached for my arm.

I caught her wrist before she could touch me.

"Enough."

My voice remained calm.

Firm.

Final.

She opened her mouth to argue.

Then my eyes shifted past her.

Rose.

She stood only a few meters away.

She’d seen everything.

For the briefest moment, I froze.

The woman took advantage of it.

She stepped closer.

Resting a hand against my chest.

Rose’s expression changed instantly.

Her face became unreadable.

Then she turned and walked away.

"Rose."

She didn’t stop.

"Rose!"

Still nothing.

She disappeared into the crowd.

The woman beside me frowned.

"You know her?"

I released her wrist.

Without answering, I walked away.

By the time I returned to the main floor, Devon was already making his way back toward the table.

"There you are," he said.

"It took longer than expected."

I gave a single nod.

It had.

Just not for the reason he thought.

As we approached the table, my eyes immediately found Rose.

She wasn’t looking at me.

Not once.

Something about that unsettled me.

It shouldn’t have.

Normally, I wouldn’t waste another thought on what someone assumed about me.

So why did it bother me now?

We took our seats.

Devon ordered drinks.

Rose ignored me completely.

I glanced sideways.

She looked annoyed.

Her lips were pressed into a stubborn line as she stared anywhere except me.

She’s pouting.

The corner of my mouth almost lifted.

Cute.

The thought caught me off guard.

Cute?

Since when?

I looked away before anyone noticed.

Eventually, Devon and Rose’s mother wandered onto the dance floor together.

Leaving the two of us alone.

Silence settled between us.

I broke it first.

"I didn’t do it."

No response.

She kept her eyes on the dancers.

"I wasn’t asking."

I let out a quiet sigh.

"She walked into the wrong restroom."

Still nothing.

"Then followed me outside."

Rose finally looked at me.

"Oh?"

"I told her no."

"How touching."

"I had no interest in her."

"And yet somehow I still interrupted."

Only the guilty explain when they aren’t accused.

Her words landed harder than they should have.

I studied her for a moment.

Her expression.

Her folded arms.

The way she refused to look at me for more than a heartbeat.

She’s jealous.

The realization amused me.

A slow smirk spread across my face.

"You’re jealous."

Her head snapped toward me.

"What?"

"Jealous."

She stared at me as though I’d completely lost my mind.

"Jealous of what exactly?"

"You tell me."

"I can’t believe this."

She stood abruptly.

"Go back to your one-night stand."

The words landed harder than I expected.

She actually believed it.

For reasons I couldn’t explain...

I didn’t like that.

Normally, I would’ve just let her walk away.

Tonight...

I couldn’t.

Before she could take another step, I caught her wrist.

She spun toward me.

"What the—"

Ignoring every complaint...

Every protest...

Every slap against my arm...

I pulled her through the hallway until we reached an empty room.

I stepped inside and pulled her in after me.

The door clicking shut behind us.

Rose spun to face me, anger flashing in her eyes.

"What the fu—"

She never finished.

I closed the distance between us in a single step.

Then I kissed her.

Everything else...

Could wait.

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