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I think back to the way he reacted when Theo dropped by my desk, the new identification documents he got me, and the wedding rings. “He does, but that’s just Luca.”
Sierra chuckles and shakes her head. “No, Val. That’s Luca when it comes toyou. He doesn’t give a shit about anyone else. Do you remember when we got caught breaking into Xavier’s office? I’m his sister, and he left me behind bars when we got arrested. If you hadn’t been with me, he wouldn’t have come at all. He’d just have left Xavier to deal with it.”
I look away and try my best to suppress the tinge of hope I feel. I shouldn’t want Luca to care about me at all — that isn’t what we agreed on. So why does it feel so good to think he does?
“Oh well,” Raven says. “If your marriage isn’t real, he won’t mind if we go out tonight, will he? Sierra is right. I never had a bachelorette party, and neither did you.”
I pin her down with a stare. “Luca might not care, but Ares will.”
Raven merely grins. “Do you really think the boys will leave poker night? They’ll never know.”
The subsequent grin that lights up Sierra’s face spells trouble, and I really should’ve known better than to give into them.
Yet somehow, I find myself in a club an hour later, wearing one of the dresses Raven designed for me. I’m feeling buzzed and haven’t stopped smiling, courtesy of the wine we drank while we got ready together. I wonder if they knew that I needed a breather, a night with just my two closest friends, and no worries whatsoever.
“Come on,” Sierra says, twirling me around. She gets behind me and wraps her arms around my waist, the two of us dancing like a drunk and somewhat deranged couple. Giggles escape my lips every few seconds as Raven busts out some truly dreadful dance moves in front of me. What is she even doing? Is she pretending to be a robot? It’s ridiculous to see a woman as beautiful as she is acting so silly, but this is exactly what I love about her. Sierra and Raven have totally got me sandwiched, but I’m enjoying every second of it.
“Val?”
An arm wraps around my waist, and I tense as I look up into sky blue eyes that I remember all too well.
“Ben?” My heart starts to ache at the mere sight of him, the pain feeling fresh all over again. It’s been eight years, but the betrayal feels brand new. “What are you doing here?”
“Do you know him?” Raven asks protectively. I glance back at my friends and nod, not wanting to worry them.
Last I heard, Ben had moved to Australia for work. What is he doing back here? Why did I have to run into him here, now?
His eyes roam over my face, his gaze filled with the same torment I feel. “I missed you,” he murmurs into my ear. “I was hoping I’d find you eventually. I only got back a few days ago, and here you are. How could it not be fate?”
I push away from him and try my hardest to look unaffected by his words. If this is fate, then mine must be rotten. “I’d have much preferred it if you’d stayed wherever the hell you came from,” I snap, my heart racing.
Ben wraps his hand around my wrist, and I try to shake it loose instantly, but he’s holding on too tight. “Val, please, can we talk? If nothing else, please let me apologize.”
Sierra starts to reach for me, but then she stops and steps back, her eyes wide. It doesn’t take me long to realize why.
“How about you take your fucking hands off her before you lose them altogether?” Luca threatens. I look back to find my husband standing behind me, fury blazing through his eyes.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Luca
I stare down at the dance floor from the glass-encased platform in Hunter’s office, Ares and Xavier by my side.
Xavier glances at his brother in annoyance, but Hunter merely shakes his head. “Don’t look at me,” he groans. “I called you guys the second they walked into my club, and security has been keeping an eye on them all night. I had nothing to do with this.”
I frown at Xavier, surprised by his anger. Why isheso annoyed that the girls are out clubbing? He catches me looking and raises his brows. “What?” he snaps. “They ruined poker night. Don’t tell me they didn’t know you two would come here if you found out. I bet Sierra came here because she knows my brother owns this place. She’s no doubt trying to get on my damn nerves again.”
I ignore him and watch as Valentina, Sierra and Raven dance together, the three of them laughing in such a carefree manner that it brings a smile to my lips. When is the last time I saw Valentina laugh that way? I don’t think she ever has — not around me.
Ares runs a hand through his hair and groans before heading to the door, clearly intent on taking his wife home, but I place my hand on his arm and stop him in place. “Let them be,” I tell him, my voice soft. “They look like they’re having fun.”
My eyes trail back toward my wife, my heart overflowing with an emotion I can’t quite decipher. It feels like heartache and regret, mixed with a tinge of jealousy. I wish I could’ve made her laugh like that.
I never wondered how much she must’ve missed out on by working for me. I never gave her a chance to have a social life, because she was always on call. She spent her twenties working long hours with me, never once taking a real break. Even her holidays were spent with her family.
I suppose that’s why she quit her job so suddenly. Somehow, I didn’t truly understand it then, but I see it now. It’s in the way she laughs, the way she twirls on the dance floor and leans into my sister. She finally gathered the courage to choose herself, and I clipped her wings the first chance I got.
A chill runs down my spine when I see a man approach my wife. He speaks to the security guard near them, and much to my fucking annoyance, he’s let through. The second his hand wraps around Valentina’s waist, I’m out the door, my blood boiling.
