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“I said shut up!” Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. Any exhaustion I’d felt before had evaporated. Fury fueled me now. “Are you the Snake as well? Was all of this just a fucking ruse to bankrupt my family? To bring us down so you can swallow us alive?”
“No!” He reached for me, but I jerked out of his grasp. “Sienna, this wasn’t us. We didn’t blow up your warehouse. We didn’t kill your father. The fucking Snake had my mother killed! Why would my father kill his own wife just to keep up a ruse?”
“I don’t know,” I replied coldly. “Maybe you’re both just heartless. Like father, like son.”
He flinched away, a look of pure betrayal on his face. “We didn’t do this on purpose, Sienna. At least I didn’t.”
My gaze flicked over him coolly. “I don’t believe you. Get out.”
“What?” He stared at me blankly.
“Get the hell out of my house, Dante.”
Dante shoots me a dark look. “I know you’ll just believe whatever the hell you want to. But I’ll be back. When you’re more clear-headed, I’ll come back, and we’ll speak about this.”
I laugh, not even recognizing my own voice. “Get the fuck out.”
He gives me one last look before sweeping out of the bedroom. I can hear him pulling on his clothes before my front door slams shut. Taking a deep breath, I collapse onto the bed, willing the tears to stop. They don’t.
TWENTY-FOUR
DANTE
Istormed out of the apartment but didn’t go far. I knew Sienna was just in shock over what had happened. My own father had called me to explain what happened just after Sienna picked up with Mateo. I’d stood there in the center of the living room, too shocked to move.
“Dante.” My father sounded downright fucking gleeful at this change of events. “We fucking did it. The Rosania will never be able to recover from this loss. Were you the one to convince Sienna to shut down operations?”
“No,” I said numbly. “I wasn’t.”
“Well, regardless, disappearing for the last week helped. I must say, you did more than I thought you would.” The pride in his voice sickened me. “Now we can take it all.” His laughter filled the phone, making my fingers curl into fists.
“I didn’t fucking do anything,” I’d snarled before hanging up.
Rushing into the bedroom, I found Sienna looking shell-shocked. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the phone to her ear. And, as soon as her eyes landed on me, I knew she’d heard exactly what had happened. I wasn’t surprised that she’d ordered me to leave. It didn’t shock me in the slightest. I knew she needed space to process it all and think about her next steps. And, when she was ready, I would be there for her.
For now, I walked away from the apartment building, leaving it behind for a few minutes. I’d go down to the docks later to talk to her. Right now, she needed time away from me. Away from the reminder of my last name.
I knew my father was a vulture, waiting for the Rosania’s scraps year after year. Now he’d hit the jackpot. With the Rosania clients moving their merchandise through the Scarano’s ports and ships, we would take over everything Giovanni had helped maintain. It was all ours now. Or, more accurately, it was all my father’s.
Sienna couldn’t really believe that this had been my plan all along. She couldn’t honestly think that I had something to do with this. I hadn’t known what would happen to her family’s business after the explosion, after her decision to try and keep her workers safe. But some part of me knew that she wasn’t going to think rationally right now.
I stopped walking. She couldn’t leave thinking that I had something to do with this. Turning back, I ran towards the apartment, hoping Sienna hadn’t left yet. By the time the doors opened, I was out of breath. My hands shook as I turned the key in the lock, banging the door open.
“Sienna?” I called out.
She appeared from the bedroom, already dressed. Any trace of exhaustion from before was gone. “I told you to leave, Dante.”
“No,” I growled. “I’m not leaving you like this.”
“Like what?” she demands, arms crossing.
“Like you thinking I did this to you on purpose. Like you believing I had anything to do with this.” I stalked closer. She didn’t move back. We stood nose to nose, glaring back at each other.
“Didn’t you?” Her voice is sharp, cutting me to the core.
“Of course not,” I tell her firmly. “My father, maybe. But I did nothing.”
“How can I believe you?” She moves to brush past me, but I latch onto her arm. My fingers dig into the soft flesh of her wrist.
