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She blinks at me, and so many emotions flitter across her face I can’t tell what she’s thinking or feeling. “Where?”
“LA.”
She swallows. “So, you went to see him? That’s where you’ve been?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you looking at me like that, Dante?” She takes a step back, and I let my arms fall from around her waist. “What did you do?”
I narrow my eyes as I search her face for clues as to what’s going on in her head. “Don’t ask questions you already know the answer to, Kat.”
Her hand flies to her mouth, and her face twists in disgust as she glares at me. “He’s my brother.”
“Hewasyour brother,” I correct her.
Anger flares in her eyes. “You killed my brother! My own brother? And for what?” She opens her arms wide and gestures around the room. “Because he owed you money? Like you don’t have more money than you could spend in twenty lifetimes?”
“No, Kat, I don’t give a fuck about the money. I would have let that go. Even though it would have made me look weak, I would have done that for you.”
She glares at me, her body vibrating with anger.
“I killed him because of what he did to you. You and our baby would never be safe because you’d always be his trump card, Kat.”
“Don’t use me to justify what you did,” she hisses. “You do not get to put this on me.”
She pushes me in the chest as tears roll down her cheeks, and I catch her wrists in my hands and pull her closer. “This is not on you. But I gave him a chance, Kat. I gave him a chance to fight for you, and once again, he sacrificed you to save his own skin.”
“No.” She shakes her head.
“Yes. I wanted him to stand up for you, Kat. I wanted him to fight for you, but he didn’t. He doesn’t deserve a single tear from you.”
She pulls away from me again, and I let her go. Once her hands are free, she wipes the tears from her cheeks. “You looked at him and saw what he’d become, but only I know what he was,” she whispers. “Before our mom died, he wasn’t like that. He used to make me chocolate chip pancakes and take me to the movies. He was my brother and you took him from me.”
“No. His addictions took him from you, Kat. That boy you’re remembering now is long gone. The only person who remained was the piece of shit who let two men kidnap and rape and torture you to pay off his debts.”
She flinches at my words.
“And when I told him that I had taken you as payment, all he was interested in was his debt being wiped. He didn’t even ask me if you were okay.”
She shakes her head, living in denial that someone she cares so much for could treat her like she was nothing.
“You can refuse to believe me if that makes you feel better about what he did. And you can hate me for as long as you need to, but I am not going to apologize or have a moment’s regret for what I did. I would do it again one thousand times over.”
“What people say about you is true,” she spits. “You’re a cruel, cold-hearted —”
I step closer, and her breath hitches, cutting off what she was about to say. “Yes, I am. I am everything they say I am and more. I warned you about this, but you refused to believe me about that too.”
“Well, looks like I was wrong then. Congratulations.” She gives me a slow hand clap and I have to stop myself from throwing her down onto the sofa and fucking the attitude out of her. “You’ve finally succeeded in convincing me that you’re not a good man. Not even close.”
Okay… That stings more than I thought it would.
“You should go to bed and get some sleep before one of us does something we regret.”
“Fuck you!” she snaps and then she storms out of the room, all five feet six of her shaking with rage.
“You sleep anywhere but our bed, Kat, and I’ll come drag you out of it,” I shout after her. No matter how pissed she is at me, she’s still my wife.
Chapter52
