My father sold me to the Mafia King

Chapter 372

Julie’s point of view

His warm hand instantly froze in my hair from sheer shock. He pulled back slightly, his sharp, intelligent gaze piercing right through me. "That’s a strangely specific question... Do you want to know if I’d actually agree to donate to an enemy like that, or if I’d refuse?"

I nodded my head firmly against his broad chest. "Yes, exactly. Would you actually accept, or would you reject the whole thing out of pure revenge and a thirst for closure?"

Without a single beat of hesitation, he answered in a calm, grounded, yet entirely firm voice. "I would absolutely accept. Without a shred of doubt or a single thought of revenge."

I snapped my head up in pure shock, staring into the depths of his eyes with utter bewilderment and protest. "But he destroyed you, Steve! He crushed your entire life! He is a ruthless, evil monster completely devoid of mercy or basic humanity how could you possibly save him?!"

He locked his clear blue eyes onto mine with fierce, unshakeable sincerity. "I don’t give a solitary shit about whatever evil or filth he pulled on me, Julie. Because that sick little child has absolutely no part in this conflict or this hatred. That boy is a pure, innocent soul who has nothing to do with the cruelty of adults."

I lowered my head back down in total surrender, burying my face right back into his warm chest. I fell completely silent as his wise words violently swirled through my mind, thoroughly crushing my pride regarding Robert and his sick nephew.

Steve squeezed my shoulder gently, trying to coax me out of my quiet trance. "Why exactly did you ask me such a bizarre, specific question first thing in the morning, Julie?"

I dodged the question entirely, forcing my voice to sound casual. "It’s nothing, really. Just a story I read online, and the hypothetical question popped into my head the second I woke up."

Sensing the heavy tension, Steve immediately tried to shift the mood with a wide, playful grin. "Alright then... do you want me to head into the kitchen right now and whip up a batch of delicious, hot pancakes so we can eat breakfast together?"

I tightened my grip on his shirt, stopping him from moving as a faint, desperate plea left my lips. "Yes, I do... but just stay right here holding me for a little longer first. I just need to feel safe."

He ran his massive palm down my back with pure tenderness. "I’m right here beside you, sis. I’m not going anywhere."

But after only a few moments of beautiful, warm silence, Jake’s agonizingly mocking, deep baritone violently pierced through the quiet of the room with his signature, rough arrogance. He was standing a few feet away, leaning with absolute confidence as he shoved his hands carelessly into his trouser pockets. He cocked his dark brows, a dirty, suggestive smirk cutting across his features.

"What the hell is this touching little emotional scene?" he drawled mockingly, his eyes flashing. "Is there some private, closed-door intimate meeting going down in my house without me?"

Steve lifted his head slightly, offering his friend a lazy, unbothered smile. "Nothing secret going on here, man."

Jake took a few long, commanding strides forward until he was towering right over the sofa. He stared down with sheer malice and mischief at the microscopic, nonexistent sliver of space left on the edge of the cushions.

A playful, highly provocative smirk spread across his lips, highlighting the faint split on his bottom lip the brilliant scar left behind by our violent, savage kiss from the night before.

"Is there any warm room left for me next to you guys, or can I slide in and lay down too?" he asked with a filthy wink.

Without moving a single solitary inch from my brother’s protective embrace, I shot back with lightning speed, my voice cutting through the air like a frozen blade. "There isn’t a single inch of space for you here, and there never will be. Get the hell away from us."

Jake let out a heavy, hot breath, groaning with a childish, dramatic pout as he twisted his lips. "Always so damn annoying, hostile, and miserable in the morning," he muttered, intentionally trying to grate on my nerves.

I whipped my head around to face him, launching a lethal, fiery glare straight from my emerald green eyes as I answered with absolute, unshakeable confidence. "And you are always provocative, classless, and utterly insufferable at any goddamn hour of the day!"

Jake took slow, deliberate steps toward us, shoving his hands carelessly into his trouser pockets before dropping his weight onto the edge of the wooden coffee table right next to the sofa. He narrowed his piercing blue eyes, a wave of blatant curiosity cutting through them as he locked his gaze onto us. "I’m dying of goddamn curiosity over here," he drawled, his tone dripping with mock amusement. "What the hell are you two whispering about so early in the morning?"

My lips curled into a cold, indifferent line. I held his gaze, flashing him a look of pure defiance. "Does your ass seriously need to interrogate us about every single little thing Steve and I do in this goddamn house?"

He completely ignored my sharp bite. His playful, heavy eyes dropped down, scanning the non-existent space crammed between our bodies on the cushions. "I want to slide in and get some sleep next to you guys too," he murmured, a dangerous smirk playing behind his eyes. "Make some room for me."

Steve let out a short, cynical chuckle, shaking his head in absolute disbelief. "Jake... for Christ’s sake, stop acting like a goddamn child."

Shifting my weight, I pushed myself up from the couch, standing tall with my messy morning hair framing my face as I looked down at Jake. A heavy wave of smug satisfaction washed through me. "He’s just jealous, Steve. It’s that simple. He’s throwing a tantrum because I’m lying here keeping you warm while his pathetic ass had to freeze all night alone."

He dragged his palm through his hair, letting out a childish grunt as his lips twisted into a heavy pout. "You guys are seriously making me feel left out and marginalized here."

I stepped completely away from the sofa, smoothing down my rumpled clothes with a brief flick of my wrist. I gestured toward the empty spot I had just vacated, my tone challenging him. "Fine. Look, I’m up. Go ahead and cuddle with him if you want it that bad."