Page 135 of The Villain We Tempt

My mouth sets. “No.”

My dad grins. “Hey, what about girls? Have you ever wondered about playing for the home team? I bet there are somegorgeousladies at Knightsblood?—”

“Dad.”

He smiles weakly. “That was…mostly a joke, for the record.”

I snort. “Yeah, still straight, unfortunately.”

Papa sighs. “Jokes aside, I’m less interested in your sexual orientation than I am the pool from which you’re drawing.”

I frown. “Meaning…?”

“If they’re attending this school,” he growls, “they come a family likeours.”

Zane smirks. “You mean two fathers?”

Papa chuckles and shakes his head. “I meanmafia.” He frowns as he lifts his gaze to me, and then to Zane. “I’ve always hoped that anyone—boy or girl—that you become romantically attached to wouldnotbe part of this world.”

Zane rolls his eyes. “Let me get this straight. You don’t mind raising us in a mafia family. But you don’t want us to romantically seek out anyone who wasalsoraised in a mafia family.”

Papa shrugs. “Basically.”

I sigh. “Butwhy? I mean, Zane and I turned out fine.”

Papa sighs. “Our world is dangerous, Lina. We can pretend as much as we want that we’re just a normal family, but your car here at school isn’t just bulletproof because Val and I are overprotective psychos.”

Zane’s brows knit. “Was that you admitting that you bothareoverprotective psychos?”

“No comment,” Papa chuckles under his breath.

Julia returns with appetizers for the table. She refrains from directing any porn-tastic innuendo at Papa this time, but does draw a quick flicker of anger across Dad’s face when she tries to cajole Papa into ordering a drink off the cocktail list.

“He said he’s fine,” Dad says stonily after Papa, who is twenty-two years sober, himself declines twice.

I excuse myself to go to the ladies' room. As I’m heading back to the table, I end up bumping into Papa as he walks out of the men’s room.

“Hey, listen…” he smiles, looking down into my face as we stand in the back hallway. “I know you’ll date,dochenka. You’ll probably break a few hearts, too.” He smiles softly at me. “I just don’t want life to be even more complicated for you. And Ireallydon’t want it to be more dangerous. That’s all.”

I grin as I hug him tightly, burying my face in his chest.

“You know I love ya to the moon and back, right, kiddo?”

I smile wider against his shirt. “I know. And I love you?—”

“—is my HUSBAND!”

Papa and I stiffen and then turn abruptly when we hear Dad’s voice snarling from around the corner. We glance at each other and then walk a few steps over to peek over saloon doors marked “staff only”.

Whoa.

In a small alcove, a white-faced Julia is cringing against the wall looking up in fear at anenragedVal.

Dad looks fuckingfuriousas he glares down into her face.

“And given that he is my fuckinghusband,” he hisses, “he and his fuckingmeatbelong tome. Do you fucking understand that?”

Julie nods quickly. “I—yes! Of course, sir! I’msosorry! I had no idea?—”