Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 61942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
I was so fucked. “You didn’t have to save me…”
His eyes narrowed in their angry way. “I would never let anything happen to you. Even if you weren’t loyal to me—I’m always loyal to you.”
This hurt so fucking bad. “Bartholomew—”
“You made your choice. You have to live with those consequences.”
I blinked and did my best to restrain the tears.
“My offer still stands. I’m here if you need me.” He turned to the door and walked out.
I watched him shut the door and leave.
And then I cried.
3
BARTHOLOMEW
For the first time in my life, I was ashamed.
Too ashamed to return to the Catacombs and show my face to my men.
They followed my orders because they believed in me. Served me like soldiers protected their king. But I’d turned my back on them—for a woman.
I sat at the bar by myself, mixing pills with alcohol, indifferent to the damage I was doing to my liver.
A couple people looked at me, as if they knew I didn’t belong there. Some women gave me attention, but they seemed too intimidated to approach. The chairs on either side of me stayed vacant because no one wanted to be near me.
Finally, someone was brave enough to take a seat.
Benton.
He tapped his fingers on the counter and got his drink.
He was the last person I expected. I continued to drink and look straight ahead, not in the mood for company, not even from him.
“Bleu told me what happened.”
“I assumed.”
“How’s your arm?”
I swirled my glass and took a drink. “I wish it hurt more. I’d welcome the distraction.”
Benton took a drink.
I looked into the bottom of my glass. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Do what?”
I took a drink. “I know you want nothing to do with me, Benton.” Our last conversation had blown up into an angry fight. We hadn’t spoken since. I wondered if we would ever speak again. “I want your friendship—not your pity.”
“My anger doesn’t change our relationship.”
“It should.” I’d never felt this level of self-loathing.
We sat in silence. Glasses lightly tapped against the surface of the wood. Quiet conversations in various languages continued throughout the quiet bar. There was no music.
“How’s Laura?”
“She’ll be fine.” She’ll have an ugly scar for the rest of her life, to match the one on my stomach.
“You ended things.”
It wasn’t a question, so I didn’t answer. Just let the truth of his statement reverberate. “I’m so fucked, Benton.” There was just ice in the bottom of my glass, so I shook it around just to listen to the sound. “I lost two guys when I should have lost none. My men watched me sacrifice everything for a goddamn woman.” I grabbed the glass and threw it at the mirror in front of me. It shattered into pieces, and everyone turned silent. The bartender stilled. It took a couple seconds for people to start talking again. I tapped my fingers on the counter as I stared at the frightened bartender. “Another.”
He made the drink as quickly as he could, pouring some of the booze on the counter instead of in the glass. He slid it to me and took off to find something else to do—far away from me.
Benton was the only one unfazed by my outburst. “Why did you save her?”
I drank from my glass and let the silence linger.
“She chose them over you. You didn’t owe her anything.”
“I know.”
“You really think he would have killed her?”
I stared into my glass as I remembered the scene, the edge in Leonardo’s eyes. “Yes.”
Benton stared at the side of my face. “A father kill his daughter?” he asked, slightly incredulous.
“He was that desperate.” It was the only card he had left. “If he didn’t, I would have taken everything. His wealth. His respect. Everything that matters to him. His estranged daughter that disapproves of his life…not nearly as important.” My parents had abandoned me and started a new life with their new kids, and watching Laura be abandoned by her father…it stung. I wouldn’t wish that betrayal on anyone. It was the kind of hurt that went so deep you couldn’t cut it out, not with a knife, not with therapy. “He wouldn’t have shot her in the head, but in her arms and legs until I caved or she bled out.”
“Jesus.”
“Claire is lucky to have you, Benton.” Luckier than the rest of us.
“You can’t forgive her?”
I took another drink. “No.”
“You wouldn’t have saved her if you didn’t care about her.”
“Never said I didn’t.”
“Maybe—”
“It’s done. I won’t change my mind.” The only thing that mattered in life was loyalty—and she pissed all over it. “Now I have to move forward…but I’m not sure how.”
“You can start by killing him.”
“If that were an option, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you.” I’d hang him from the Duomo so everyone could see his body at first light, a broken neck and a stiff body. “I agreed not to return there in exchange for Laura. And if I don’t keep my word, then my tarnished reputation will be rusted.”