Page 25 of Broken Crown

With agonizing slowness, I inched the door open slightly.

The old hinges threatened to betray me with every millimeter.

Leaning low, I peeked through the crack I'd created.

Sebastian was on the other side, pacing across the jewel-toned Aubusson carpet.

The late afternoon sun streamed through the arched windows, casting his shadow long and dark across the room. In his hand, he clutched his cell phone with such force that I was surprised it didn't shatter.

"I'm well aware of that, Rafaello," he snarled, running his free hand through his hair.

Then a long pause. I could hear the rumble of his brother's voice but couldn't make out the words.

A muscle ticked at the corner of Sebastian’s eye.

"Careful, brother," he ground out.

The threat in those two words sent a chill down my spine.

I desperately wished I could hear what his brother just said to him.

I gripped the doorframe tighter, my knuckles going white.

Was he taking Sebastian to task over what had happened earlier?

Sebastian stalked to one of the windows, his back to me now.

The sunlight silhouetted his broad shoulders, his white shirt nearly transparent, revealing the tense muscles beneath.

I shifted slightly, trying to see his face, and the floor beneath me creaked.

I froze, but he didn't turn.

"There is no reason to call the Cavalieris. I have the matter in hand." His voice was deadly calm now. The kind of calm that preceded bloodshed.

Who were the Cavalieris? Another crime family? Allies or enemies? The web I'd fallen into was endless, each thread connecting to another power player I'd never heard of until now.

Sebastian moved again, pacing back toward the antique desk where an open laptop displayed security camera footage. He tapped a key, and the image changed.

"Do we have eyes on the judge?"

The judge. My father. My stomach clenched painfully.

Was Sebastian going to kill him?

"No, I don't think we need to worry about him making any statements. He has as much to lose over what happened today as we do."

Another long pause. Sebastian's shoulders tensed again.

He picked up a crystal tumbler from the desk and hurled it against the far wall.

The shattering glass made me jump, and I nearly lost my grip on the door.

"When I want your advice, little brother, I'll ask for it. My plans for Sabrina remain unchanged."

I gasped then covered my mouth.

The sound echoed in the cavernous room, bouncing off the frescoed ceiling.