Stepbrother's Lust: A Forbidden Mafia Romance

Reagan’s POV

Devon looked up from the report, his expression darkening with every page he turned.

"Lacerations."

Another page.

"Missing fingers."

Another.

"Extensive blood loss."

His hand stopped.

The office fell silent.

"...Dead."

I stood across from his desk, wiping the last traces of dried blood from my forearm with a clean white cloth.

"Shame."

His head snapped up.

"’Shame?’"

"He would’ve been useful alive."

"He was." Devon dropped the report onto the desk. "He was useful until you turned him into a corpse."

I folded the cloth neatly.

"Then get a better doctor."

Silence settled over the room. Even the guards outside instinctively straightened.

Devon’s jaw tightened.

"Do you think this is amusing?"

"No."

"Then explain yourself."

I finally met his gaze.

"I got everything I needed."

"And if we’d wanted more?"

"There wasn’t anything else he could’ve told us."

"And you’re so sure because?"

"I just am."

He pushed back his chair and came around the desk.

"You’re becoming reckless."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.

"...Have you gone soft, Father?"

His expression hardened.

"You’ve done far worse than this."

I placed the bloodstained cloth on the desk between us.

"But now it’s suddenly a problem?"

I held his gaze.

"That’s not morality."

"It’s hypocrisy."

For several seconds, neither of us spoke. He looked at me as though deciding whether I’d actually said those words.

Finally, he sighed.

"You’ve changed."

"I haven’t."

"You have."

"I’ve become efficient."

His eyes narrowed.

"No."

His voice had grown quieter now.

"You’re beginning to enjoy it."

I didn’t answer.

Apparently, my silence was answer enough.

"I’ve watched men like you before," he continued. "First they stop asking questions. Then they stop seeing people. After that..." His eyes stayed on mine. "...all they see are weaknesses waiting to be exploited."

He stepped closer.

"You’re becoming dangerous."

"I’ve always been dangerous."

"You know exactly what I mean."

Instead of answering, I looked past him toward the rain streaking the office window.

"Mmn..."

My eyes remained on the glass.

"And why does that worry you?"

Another silence stretched between us.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment before letting out a slow breath.

"You sound exactly like I did twenty years ago."

That almost made me laugh.

"Then perhaps you should listen."

His gaze hardened again.

"I also know how that story ends."

Neither of us spoke after that.

Eventually, he walked back behind his desk and sat down.

"Leave."

I was more than happy to.

The hallway outside was empty except for my right-hand man, who silently fell into step beside me. He waited until we were well out of earshot before speaking.

"...Warehouse?"

"No."

"...Home?"

I kept walking.

"...Club."

Understanding flashed across his face. He pulled out his phone.

"The boss is coming."

A pause.

"Clear the upper floor."

Another.

"And make sure nobody disturbs him."

He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

Neither of us spoke during the drive.

The city lights blurred past the windows as I rested my elbow against the door and watched them drift by. The blood was gone from my hands.

The feeling wasn’t.

It never disappeared immediately.

It lingered beneath the skin like a slow-burning fever, and if I ignored it for too long...

It became difficult to control.

That was why I went to the club.

Not to celebrate.

To wait for the feeling to pass.

The black SUV rolled to a stop outside. Even before the doors opened, I could hear the music spilling into the street.

The entrance had already been cleared.

Security lowered their heads as I walked past without acknowledging any of them.

Inside, music thundered through the building while colored lights swept across the crowded dance floor. People laughed, drank, threw money around, pretending the world outside no longer existed.

None of it interested me.

I headed straight for the private staircase leading to the VIP level.

The manager was already waiting.

"Your usual room is ready, sir."

I acknowledged him with a small nod before stepping onto the balcony overlooking the club.

Hundreds of people filled the floor below.

None of them mattered.

An attendant offered me a drink. I accepted the glass but never raised it to my lips.

Instead, my attention wandered lazily across the crowd...

...Then my eyes stopped.

Rose.

She stood near the center of the dance floor beside a girl I assumed was her friend, laughing at something she’d just said. The black dress she wore ended well above her knees, the fabric clinging to her figure whenever she moved. Soft curls rested over her shoulders, catching the shifting lights.

She looked...

Happy.

Carefree.

Completely unaware.

My attention drifted away from her and settled on everyone else.

Three men had already forgotten the conversations they were having. One stood frozen with his drink halfway to his lips. Another wasn’t even pretending not to stare. The third had started weaving through the crowd, using every shift in the dance floor as an excuse to move closer.

I watched him without saying a word.

Rose didn’t notice.

The girl beside her did.

Her smile faded for the briefest moment before she glanced over her shoulder. Apparently satisfied, she turned back to Rose.

She hadn’t seen what I had.

The man was only one step away now.

He lifted a hand.

Without taking my eyes off the dance floor, I spoke.

"...The one in the grey shirt."

My right-hand man followed my gaze.

"I see him."

"Find out who he is."

He gave a single nod before disappearing.

Down below, the man hesitated.

Maybe instinct warned him.

Maybe he simply felt it.

Slowly, he looked up.

Our eyes met.

The color drained from his face.

His hand stopped halfway in the air before falling back to his side. He took one careful step backward...

Then another.

Within seconds, he’d vanished into the crowd.

Rose frowned.

Even from up here, I could tell she was confused. She said something to the girl beside her and pointed toward the spot where the man had disappeared.

The girl followed her gaze.

Her eyes swept across the dance floor...

Past the lights...

Past the crowd...

Until they reached the balcony.

She froze.

Every trace of color disappeared from her face.

Rose frowned.

"What?"

The girl didn’t answer.

She couldn’t.

Without taking her eyes off me, she slowly raised one trembling finger.

Rose followed it.

Her eyes found mine.

For a heartbeat, surprise crossed her face.

Then she saw my expression.

The smile disappeared.

She went completely still.

Even from this distance, I could see the confusion in her eyes. She searched my face, trying to understand why I was here...

And why I was looking at her like that.

She wasn’t smiling anymore.

Neither was I.

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