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“How the fuck did he even pull it off,” Pavone shouts at Rossi. “That’s the same fucking building I was in!”
If it was the building Pavone had been in, why couldn’t Victor have blown it up when Pavone was inside? All of this could’ve ended if he’d just done it a little earlier.
I feel… betrayed. I don’t know why I keep wanting to trust Victor, especially when he proves time and again he only cares about himself. The plan was the rehearsal dinner, but then Victor had been so quick to warn Pavone to take me and leave.
Well, fuck him.
Rossi glances my way, maybe considering whether he wants to speak in front of me. I do my best to look cowed and harmless.
Either my act works or Rossi doesn’t care; either way, he answers, “We haven’t been able to get close to the building. It’s swarming with cops and firefighters. I’ll reach out to some contacts, but so far we don’t have connections with Benton City police…”
“Then fucking make connections! We’ve been here almost three months! How the fuck have you been so useless this entire time?”
I gasp loudly when Pavone lashes out to hit Rossi—but Rossi catches Pavone’s fist and calmly gazes back at him.
“Emilio, calm down. I’m not the one who did this. We need to focus on Corvi.”
I will gladly stand by and watch the fucker burn. I never intended to return to him after all of this anyway, and now I regret letting him seduce me in the dressing room, on that date, and the bathroom… far too many times. Because of him, I’m alone behind enemy lines, and there’s no way anyone will be able to get us out now.
Goddamnit!
Pavone sneers at Rossi, but to my disappointment, he pulls away from him. As long as the two of them are focused on each other, they can’t pay attention to me.
Like he’d heard my wish to be ignored, Pavone turns around and glares at me. “You. Did you know Corvi was planning this? You were awfully chummy with him when he turned up.”
“Chummy?” I ask, surprised. I hadn’t thought I’d seemed chummy at all. I’d been pissed at him, but there was always that way he made us fighting sound likebanter. “No, I didn’t know he was planning anything like this. How would I?”
He stalks over to me, and there’s no place for me to go. Behind me is the front door, guarded by another of Pavone’s men.
Pavone grabs my arm and drags me to the center of the front hall while I wince from the pain of his grip. That’s going to leave bruises.
“Please,” I say desperately. “I had nothing to do with this!”
“Don’t think I didn’t notice how you looked at him. Women and their fucking wandering eyes!” Pavone throws me to the ground, and I try to scramble away from him, but he steps on the skirt of my dress. “Fucking slut. Conspiring against me! And that Angelo—have the two of you been feeding information to Corvi? Is that what’s been going on here?”
I hadn’t looked at Victor with anything but loathing, if I’d shown any emotion at all.
“No!” I protest. I don’t dare look away from Pavone. I doubt Rossi’s going to step in to help me, and certainly none of Pavone’s other men will. “IhateVictor. I wouldn’t help him!”
“Victor, huh?” He sneers down at me then draws back his foot, kicking me in the side.
I gasp in pain and shock alike. I shouldn’t be surprised by his display of violence, but I’m stunned anyway. “Emilio, please! You’ll leave bruises for the wedding!”
“You’ll be wearing a dress,” Pavone answers as he kicks me again.
I cry out and curl into myself, blinking against the tears of pain. “Please! I didn’t do anything!”
“Fucking women. Can’t handle any pain,” Pavone mutters. He doesn’t kick me again, though, which gives me the briefest glimmer of hope that he’s done.
Then he reaches down and grips my arm once more, dragging me upright.
“You’ve been awfully cagey about your time withVictor,” Pavone sneers. “Didn’t learn anything useful, locked up in his room, did you? I’m starting to think you really are a lying snake.”
I blame Victor for this. If he hadn’t crashed our date, Pavone wouldn’t have already been in a fit of rage when he got the news about his allies. I’d tried so hard to be quiet and just sit there, but I’d had to open my mouth and give Pavone the slightest fraction of doubt that was now splitting open tothis.
“I’m not. I’m not, Emilio, I promise,” I say desperately. “I’m sorry I don’t know anything useful.” I don’t know how to proceed. Do I call myself a stupid whore, degrade myself in front of Pavone? Do I keep claiming innocence? He’s so volatile that I have no idea what I could possibly do to make this better.
I have a sinking feeling that anything I do is just going to piss him off more.
