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His smirk gave me the answer I’d been looking for.
‘You’re tracking me? You fucking creep,’ I hissed, disgust rising in me.
At the same time, worry hit me at the promise I made to Deacon never to see Max again.
I had to get rid of my second ex. Now.
‘We’re divorced, Max. Get that through your thick skull. Now get away from me.’
He reached for my forearm, but I pulled back, holding up a hand to keep us apart.
‘Ana, listen to me,’ he pleaded, his expression shifting to one of desperate calculation. ‘Francesca was a monumental mistake, a temporary insanity. I ended it, and now I want my wife back.’
I tilted my head, studying him.
‘Newsflash: you don’t have one. You cheated, and now you’re stuck with the fallout, and without me. Can’t say you don’t deserve it. Honestly though, what do you really want?’
‘I’m after you, Ana; we can rebuild what we lost,’ he insisted, his voice cracking as he tried to ambush my emotions. ‘We have passion and history. You can’t just throw away our years together for a washed-up rock star.’
‘He’s not washed up if he’s selling out stadiums, making millions, and inspiring fans all across the globe,’ I snapped.
I leaned forward, locking my gaze on his pathetic face, my indignation clear.
‘He’s also a kickass musician, a wonderful father, and an even better life mate. I regret leaving him, because you don’t even come close to his integrity or strength. As for you and me, never again.’
I uncoiled my fingers from the cocktail glass, the cold condensation dripping down my wrist as I pointed my finger at him to drive my point home.
‘I stayed loyal to you, but your infidelity showed me your true colors and freed me to rediscover the love of my life, my legit husband, the one I should have never walked from. So turn around, delete that tracking app, and walk out of my life forever.’
His face fell, but I caught a wild recklessness in his eyes.
‘I can’t,’ he pleaded, reaching for me.
He reeked of sheer desperation; sweat ran down the side of his face.
The erratic emotion he was putting out set off loud alarm bells in my mind.
‘Max, what the hell do you really want?’
His eyes flicked to a spot behind me, and his lips curled into a smile.
His expression shifted too, into a possessive stance, and he leaned in as if wanting to mark his territory and claim me.
‘As I said, I want you, bellissima.’
Chapter 30
DEACON
The elevator doors slid open on the rooftop, and I took a breath of relief as I stepped into the cool Chicago night air.
Our Six Sinners’ production meeting had dragged on for half an hour as the lighting technicians argued over cable runs and stage cues.
I needed a cold beer and the company of my woman to flush away their complaints and the headache they gave me.
I rounded a corner, heading toward the lounge bar where Ana said she’d meet me.
The space opened up, revealing massive plate-glass windows that framed the lounge inside.
