Star-Crossed Read Free

live to tell about it.
    Now Romeo was free and clear until the next time his brothers decided to fuck with his career. He had a clean conscience. He’d fought tooth and nail for the title that 12
     
    meant so much to him not even a mob hit could scare him from it. Then he’d seen Clay Powers’s sweet little girlfriend get kidnapped by a gun-toting lunatic, and decided to step in. Now he was a hero.
    It seemed his luck was changing for the better. Too bad Romeo felt totally fucking miserable about all of it.
    “Where the hell is Powers anyway? Shouldn’t he be here kissing your ass for risking your neck? It took some friggin’ stugots to do what you did.”
    “He’s got a bullet hole in him, asshole,” Romeo told his brother. “He jumped that guy trying to kidnap his girl, and the scumbag shot him.”
    “Maybe he’ll die,” Nova said indifferently. “Prick.” Charming of him to be put out over Romeo’s public ass kicking after Nova collected on the loss.
    Romeo sighed. “Those country bastards are made of lead or something. Nothing hurts them. He’s not gonna die.”
    He was certain of that if nothing else. He’d fought Clay. He knew the guy was almost inhuman. He’d never been in the cage with someone who radiated that much raw power and determination, and he’d sure as shit never seen anyone jump at a guy with a gun like Clay had done in the casino. Where Romeo came from, people ducked when guns were pointed in their direction.
    Romeo still wasn’t sure what had made him go after Melody Dylan, who was sweet and cute and certainly not his type. She was a little too sweet for him, but Clay seemed taken with her, and he did save Romeo’s life by beating him fair and square in that title match. Even if Clay didn’t know it, Romeo supposed he owed him.
    Romeo was still pondering his life and the bizarre turn it’d taken when the curtain was pushed open. He was hoping for an ER doctor and a free pass out of the hospital.
    Instead he got Valentino, his youngest brother. Like Nova, Tino wasn’t nearly as tall as Romeo, but they both still had the dark good looks of their mother and broad, stocky Italian builds that served them well.

    13
    “I sleep in and the world goes to shit. I grabbed a cab as soon as I got your text.
    Did you see the bacon crawling all over this place?” Tino barked, his voice echoing off the white linoleum. “This hospital’s filled with pigs.”
    “Wow, say it louder. I don’t think they all heard you.” Nova shook his head and met Romeo’s gaze. “Whatta idiot.”
    “I don’t care if they fucking hear me,” Tino said defiantly, then eyed Romeo’s bandaged, bleeding hand. “Shit, Rome, your hand. You said it was nothing.”
    “And it looks worse than it is,” Romeo assured him. “I really shouldn’t be here.
    The only reason I came was because the cops insisted, and I didn’t feel like making waves.”
    “What the hell happened? The hotel is surrounded by news cameras. I had a whole bunch of ’em attack me in the lobby. They’re outside the hospital too. They’re saying you’re a hero.”
    Romeo snorted. “Lucky me.”
    “Clay Powers’s girlfriend was almost kidnapped by her crazy ex-husband, and Superman here decided to step in,” Nova explained.
    Tino nodded as if this was a perfectly normal situation. “Was she hot?”
    “Yeah,” Romeo said, because no one could deny Clay Powers’s girlfriend was attractive. “She’s smoking.”
    “Are you fucking her?”
    “No.” Romeo frowned at his youngest brother. “Nova just told you she’s Powers’s girl.”
    “Are you gonna fuck her?” Tino amended as if her being the girlfriend of Romeo’s archrival was of little consequence. “She’ll be real grateful after all this. She’d probably slip you something on the side.”
    “I’m not interested.” Romeo hoped to end the conversation. “She’s not my type.” Tino frowned and turned to Nova. “Then I don’t get it.” 14
     
    Nova shrugged.