My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 410

Chapter 410

Raphael

Her green eyes locked onto mine through the darkness then I slid the panel shut fully just as the main door opened.

Adriano walked in first with the same dead-eyed expression he always wore, like homicide was less of a crime to him and more of a recreational hobby.

Blood covered the front of his white dress shirt in uneven streaks, splattered all the way up to the collar. One sleeve was rolled halfway to his elbow, and he had a cigarette hanging lazily from the corner of his mouth.

Behind him, Vincenzo stepped into the room and the entire place immediately felt heavier.

My older brother looked beyond pissed off. He looked murderous. The kind of angry that made men start explaining themselves before he even opened his mouth.

And the fact that he was standing inside the Void at all told me enough already.

Vincenzo hated this place.

If he came here personally instead of calling me, it meant he needed something handled immediately.

Blood soaked the front of his white button-up, dark across the chest and cuffs. Some of it had dried near his throat already. More was smeared across his knuckles like he’d stopped bothering to wipe his hands clean.

His jaw looked locked hard enough to crack teeth.

Adriano shut the door behind them and let out a long whistle through his teeth.

“Well,” he muttered dryly, tossing his bloody gloves onto one of the desks, “that escalated emotionally.”

Vincenzo said nothing.

Adriano glanced sideways at him and snorted quietly, “You stabbed him six times.”

“Seven,” Vincenzo corrected flatly.

“Ah,” Adriano nodded thoughtfully, “My bad. The chest cavity started looking abstract around number four.”

I stayed leaning against the console casually even while every nerve in my body stayed alert. Behind the black glass panel ten feet away, Gianna was hidden in complete silence.

Adriano grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the side cabinet without asking permission and twisted the cap off with blood-covered fingers.

“You know,” he said conversationally, taking a drink straight from the bottle, “in Roberto’s defense, threatening your wife in front of you was probably just a minor social misunderstanding.”

Vincenzo slowly turned his head toward him.

Adriano raised one hand immediately, “No, no. You’re right. Murder was the mature response.”

Then Vincenzo finally looked at me, “Wipe the footage. Claire’s gallery.”

Straight to business.

Vincenzo reached down and lifted it slowly between two fingers.

“There’s a woman here?” he asked flatly.

Every muscle in my body locked.

Across the room, Adriano saw what was in Vincenzo’s hand and physically recoiled, “Oh, Jesus Christ,” he muttered immediately. “Vince, maybe don’t hold that.”

Vincenzo frowned slightly, still holding the bra between his bloody fingers.

Adriano looked deeply uncomfortable for the first time all night, which was impressive considering he’d apparently just participated in torture.

“That just feels…” Adriano gestured vaguely, “Wrong. Put it down.”

Vincenzo slowly turned his head toward Adriano. And Adriano realized too late how suspicious that sounded.

He pointed vaguely at the bra like it was radioactive, “You are a married man. Put the mystery lingerie down.”

“It was sitting on his desk,” Vincenzo said flatly.

“Still,” Adriano replied, “Boundaries. Morals. The sanctity of womanhood.”

My jaw locked while I walked forward and took the bra straight out of Vincenzo’s hand before this situation became even worse. Adriano’s eyes flicked toward me for one very loaded second. He knew exactly whose it was.