The knock came harder this time, sharp and impatient, cutting through the quiet like a blade. Leo immediately recognized it . Richie’s signature way of barging in without asking, as if the world owed him answers.

“Leo!” The voice was rough, irritable, with that familiar edge of frustration that had fueled so many family arguments before.

Leo sat up, pissed. He glanced toward the door, then back at Lily, who lay curled on the bed but the blanket was covering only half of her naked body.

Richie wasn’t exactly his favorite cousin, nor was he the kind of man to respect boundaries. Leo’s jaw tightened. “Tell him I’m busy,” he...