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I stare at him.
Is this what she meant with the “I’ll take it from here” crack?
Well. I guess I know why he didn’t even mention the possibility of seeing me again.
A convenient fuck. A placeholder. That was all I was to him. I was never more, and like an absolute idiot, I let myself dream of forever, let myself think he had feelings for me.
It was never more than a business arrangement to him.
Oh, god.
I feel like I’m going to puke or cry or faint, and I refuse to do any of it in front of Dante and Marlena. I can’t stand another second sitting there, hearing his voice, seeing him, knowing what an idiot I’ve been. I excuse myself and make my way to the exit as quickly as I can, Dante still speaking behind me as tears sting my eyes and blur my vision.
I rush out into the lobby, fumbling for my phone. Call a cab. Get the hell out of here.
Of course, it’s just my luck that I nearly run straight into one of the last people I want to see just now. Anton is there, smiling down at me with this predatory gleam in his eyes.
“I tried to tell you, sweetness,” he says in a voice that I guess is supposed to be soothing and seductive, but just makes my skin crawl. “You don’t need him. I’d love to put you to work. Hell, I’ll even match Dante’s rate. The month’s up, right? So you’re free.” He reaches out and runs his fingertips down my arm, and I jerk away.
***
Dante
“What the fuck did you say that for?” I hiss at Marlena after she introduces me.
“Because we’re not finished yet, handsome,” she murmurs back.
“Yes, we are,” I snarl, and she gives me a simpering little smile that makes me want to tell her exactly what I think of her and her little game.
I pull myself back together and take the podium. I thank Marlena. I glance around, looking for Samantha. I knew I saw her with LeeAnn…
And that’s when I see a flash of gold silk, dark hair. She’s walking out of the ballroom, quickly, determined, and she doesn’t look back.
Walking out of my life. My heart stops, and it feels like everything moves in slow motion.
There she is, walking away from me. She’s almost gone.
There’s Marlena, that cold little smirk on her face.
Everything I’ve ever wanted is leaving the ballroom with Samantha.
Fuck.
Not now.
I can’t lose her.
I mumble a few words and then fight my way through the crowd of well-wishers, trying to catch up with her.
No, no, no.
I give up trying to be subtle, and I run to the doors that lead into the lobby, bursting through and looking around.
I find her just in time to see fucking Anton with his hands on her. She jerks away, and he grabs her arm.
Before I know what I’m doing, I’m charging him, and my fist connects with his face. The wet sound of his nose breaking satisfies me more than I’d like to admit, and the only thing that stops me from picking him up and hitting him again is seeing Samantha moving away from me again. She’s walking down the flight of stairs toward the exi
t, gold satin fluttering behind her, and I run after her. She’s outside and down the marble stairs before I finally catch up with her.
