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Theo went quiet, and he was quiet for so long it seemed like he had nothing more to say.
I’d finally taken off my wedding ring. It was stashed in my nightstand drawer. I was tired of people staring at it and assuming it meant something when it meant nothing at all. I continued to look at my brother and waited for him to saysomething, to tell me I was an idiot, that I was making the biggest mistake of my life.
“So, you’re certain?” Acceptance was in his voice.
“Yes.” The conversation finally came to an end. I’d no longer have to defend myself.
“Then you wouldn’t have a problem if I asked her out.”
I felt all the muscles in my body stiffen simultaneously. A rock dropped into my stomach, and a cloud of dread suddenly blocked the sun. With narrowed eyes and a guarded stare, I regarded Theo with a subdued rage. “What the fuck did you just say?”
“You just said you were certain?—”
“So your first instinct is to ask her out?”
“We both know she won’t be single for long.”
“Asshole, I know what you’re doing. You’re so full of it.”
He took another puff of the cigar, let it absorb onto the surface of his tongue for the taste, and then released it. “What am I doing?”
“Trying to piss me off so I go back to her. It’s not going to work.”
He gave a slight shrug. “So, are you cool with it or not?”
I’d known Theo for a long time, and he was never one to bluff or bullshit. He seemed genuine as he sat across from me, and that started to make me uncomfortable. “Cut the shit.”
“I’m being serious, Axel. I would never infringe on your territory without your permission, but if you really despise this woman so much, then I don’t see why you would care?—”
“I never said I despise her.”
“Whatever. Yes or no?”
“She’s my wife.”
“And about to be your ex-wife because you sent her divorce papers.”
“Why would you even want to see her?—”
“Because she’s sexy. I never told you this because you lose your shit every time it comes up, but the chemistry was there. There was fire, and itburned. I kept my distance because she was your woman, but she made it very clear she wanted to fuck my brains out, no strings attached, and use me like a fuckboy. So, if she really means nothing to you?—”
“I never said she meant nothing.”
“Yes or no,” he said bluntly. “Just answer the damn question.”
I looked away, feeling the rage burn underneath my flesh, feeling a mix of jealousy and raw pain. The thought of the two of them together, Theo pounding into her flesh and making her come, her nails deep in his back, made me want to vomit into my ashtray. “I still don’t believe you. I tell you I’m about to get divorced, and the first thing you say is you want to fuck my wife?”
“Ex-wife,” he said. “And based on everything you’ve said, you’ve treated her like shit. It doesn’t seem like you would care if I was between her legs or not.” He smashed the cigar into the glass bottom of the ashtray. “Or am I wrong?” He propped his chin on his closed knuckles and stared me down.
“Go for it. I don’t give a fuck.”
His stare remained glued to my face, observing me with eyes that were like a lens to a microscope. Then he reached for his glass and took a drink. “So, what’s the plan with Dante?” He brushed past the awkward topic and moved on. There was no follow-up. No interrogation. He just accepted my blessing without question. “We’ve got to figure out who this new partner is before he makes his move. Any ideas?”
Maybe he wasn’t bluffing.
“This time, we put this motherfucker in the ground.”
I knocked on the door and waited.
