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TWENTY-FIVE
SEBASTIEN
This was a fuckingstupid plan. Anyone who knew the deal Giovanni and Anthony Sr. had made also knew Giovanni was gone.
Which meant Rebecca would be engaged any day.
I knew the truth. Knew she still loved me. I still loved her. People would think I was trying to undo Giovanni and Anthony Sr.’s agreement.
Hmmm.
How could I not have thought of that? Busy dealing with degenerates who owed us money, that was how. Dealing with my father who beat the piss out of me to vent his frustrations. He turned sinister and ruthless, and I had to take the brunt of it to protect him. Or he’d hurt someone else and take us down.
This game could work in my favor to get Rebecca back. Have her so riddled with disgrace that Anthony Sr. wouldn’t let his son marry her.
Then I could sweep in. She’d need me because no doubt, Anthony Sr. would become a relentless driving force to take over Domenico Holdings another way. A way she wouldn’t be happy with.
I could protect her.
Getting her back had risks. I had a mountain of secrets I’d kept from her. She’d played the heartbroken victim, but even if I got on my knees and begged for her to take me back, once I explained what I’d become, she might spit in my face.
Damn, I should have opened that fucking limo door.
Before Becca and I walked into the ballroom, I pulled her out of the line of gowns and tuxes marching that way.
“I’m sorry,” I said, breathing her in. “Let’s just pretend this is a real date. You and me. People would expect you to be all over me. So please...”
“Please be all over you?” She wrinkled her nose. “Do you hear yourself?”
“I’m not the only person in charge of our game. Anthony is salivating to get his hands on you. And Giancarlo manages the team we sent down to the Maldives. I couldn’t call this off if I wanted to.”
“You don’t want to.”
“No. I don’t know what that drug is, okay? You won’t show me the evidence to see what I’m dealing with. Or how my father got around me to make it happen. He’s got me working eighteen-hour days to make Daria Inc. look as legit as we can while he pressures people in the city council to loosen up on gambling restrictions. My father is still very much in charge. Don’t confuse him with Anthony Sr. who we know is running on empty. My father runs our business and I don’t challenge the deals he makes. My job is to fix shit. Whether with an amendment, a mop, my fists, or my shotgun.”
“That’s a nice speech,” she grumbled. “Sorry. As a woman, I can’t be associated with Sunrise. I won’t. It’s a new day, my friend.”
“Friend. Can we be friends again?”
She stared at me. Her wide eyes told me, even with the scar tissue I caused, she still wanted me. And I wanted her, but I wasn’t the man she remembered.
“We’re here to dance, so come on.” I needed to stir things up.
Even though she shook her head, I brought her to the dance floor. She went stiff in my arms, the way she had when Anthony danced with her a few weeks ago. The feel of her shocked me. Her curves, how her breasts felt against my chest. Damn muscle memory roaring through me, making me hard, so damn hard, wishing for nothing except to bury myself inside her again. We’d connected through our intense lovemaking. That’s how I’d told her she had my heart, all of me. The way I used to consume her was my silent promise of how I’d always protect her.
Then I failed. I let the Messinas lay a claim to her without a fight.
Looking around, those who knew she’d been promised to Anthony gave themselves away with gawking stares and discreet photos. I hammed it up.
This was part of Gian’s plan. To cause a scandal. For all people knew, Becca was stepping out on Anthony Jr. Trying to reconcile with me. Pin us all against each other.
I caught Gian lingering in the shadows, staring at us. He had a penthouse here at the Warwick. I preferred my loft in Tribeca.
A place that I swore still smelled like Rebecca. Massive arched windows looking straight uptown. So many nights I imagined her still there with me. Closed my eyes and fucked someone else, pretending, wishing it was her. I missed everything about her—her sweet smile, those Jane Austen novels she’d read and tried to get me to read, just scratched the surface. Connecting like that drew us in closer. Made us one.
Now I was even less than half a soul.
Perhaps I’d been defending my father too vehemently. Putting so much money down on a wickedly criminal project was just asinine. Risking everything we’ve both worked for only proved how power-hungry he’d become.
I had a Harvard fucking law degree. I’d land on my feet.
If this played out and Rebecca got scorned by all of New York, she and I could get the fuck out of this town. She had no one here anymore. Her parents were gone. Her sisters were married and living in Connecticut. Her brother was staying in L.A. She and I could...
My throat went tight. We could go to L.A too. Be near her brother. That would make her so happy. We could start over. Just her and me.
This game just flipped on its head. Time to throw some gasoline on the fire. I rested my hands on her shoulders and laid a huge smile on my face that I hoped would put her on her knees.
