CHAPTER 8
CONSTANTINO
My Lily has been avoiding me. No, that’s not true. She’s been at my side, I’ve seen her and spent time with her when I’m not at work, but she’s not present. It’s like she’s a million miles away and completely cut off from me.
I don’t like it one fucking bit.
It makes me want to rampage through the city with Molotov cocktails and bad decisions as my only weapons.
It makes me feel dangerous. It makes me feel unhinged.
I let out a bellow as I throw the tumbler of whiskey I’ve been holding across the room. The sound of the crystal shattering and the liquid splashing doesn’t do a damn thing to curb me of my need for blood, for vengeance, for something fucking normal.
The knock on my door only makes me want to beat the shit out of whoever is on the other side of it. The need to bathe in blood is almost overwhelming. Breathing through it isn’t helping, it’s only making me feel closer to the edge.
“Come in,” I bark even though it’s dangerous as fuck for whoever it is to do so.
Sergio, Lorenzo’s younger brother, pops his head around the door and his eyes sweep over the mess I’ve just made and then to me. He narrows his eyes as he slips through, but he doesn’t approach me. That’s for the best and by the way he’s eyeing me warily, he knows it.
“Boss,” he nods his head deferentially and it does a little to ease some of the bloodlust inside of me.
Sergio is a valuable member of the family, but he was young enough that we weren’t as close to him as we were with Lorenzo. Still, we gave him a job and a purpose, knowing full well he would be loyal as hell to the Agosti name, my brothers and I especially. When I opened Sala, I knew, considering his size and how intimidating he can be, he would be the perfect person to head up security here.
I pinch the bridge of my nose and slump down into my chair, hating being here and not at home with my Lily. I should be there trying to figure out what is going on with her, but she’s been giving me the cold shoulder for days and I can’t figure out why.
My voice is like gravel, “What do you want?”
Sergio approaches me slowly, his hands out in front of him. He might mean it to be placating, but it only has my hackles rising further. I want to scream at him to get to the point, but I take a deep breath and know I need to wait him out. He’s always been quiet, his strength not needing words.
“You’ve seemed out of sorts the last few days and I wanted to see if there was anything I could help you with? You know I’m more than happy to just handle security here, but if there is more I can do for you or your family, you only need to ask.”
“I’m fine,” I croak out the words, but they are a bitter lie on my tongue.
“Does this have anything to do with when Ms. Scavo came by the other night? She didn’t seem pleased when she left.” My eyebrows shoot up and his lips clamp closed in a thin line at my reaction. He shakes his head and mutters, “Shit, I knew I should have followed her and made sure she was okay.”
I stand up slowly, menace filling my bones, “What do you mean my Lily was here the other night? I didn’t see her.”
I’m across the room with my hands around his neck in a heartbeat. If Sergio wanted to stop me, he could. He’s a big, brutal guy who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. I know it is only his loyalty to my family which prevents him from getting himself out of this situation. I’m no fucking slouch, but I have no doubt he could take me.
When his face starts to turn slightly purple, I release some of the pressure on his neck and he takes in a wheezing breath. “She was here. All dressed up.” He pants between short sentences, his words a rasp, “Thought she was here to see you. You didn’t see her?”
I shake my head and release him. I sure as fuck don’t want Lorenzo coming to me and asking why I had to kill his brother. And I’d have to find a new head of security. Finding men I trust is not easy.
I point to my computer, my voice an icy demand, “Pull it up on the feed.”
With a curt nod, Sergio is around me and leaning over my desk. He doesn’t sit in the chair, my chair, and it soothes me a little bit, the part of me which likes control, which thrives on it. His recognition to my authority, to my position, is the only thing which allows me to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. It does nothing to stop the rage coursing through me as I seethe.
Lily was here? Why didn’t I see her? What the fuck happened which had her leaving without seeing me and then treating me like she doesn’t know I think the moon and the stars revolve around her?
Sergio stands and then takes a step back, crossing his arms across his chest and I don’t hesitate to cross my office and sit in the chair, hitting a button on my keyboard to play the recording. It’s a multidirectional view and I fight the smile on my face and the way all my blood rushes to my cock when I see Lily enter Sala dressed up.
She looked fucking exquisite. Sergio lets out a low growl and points to another square in the feed, one which shows the bar. There I am with my arm around Briar, the woman who was half of the team who killed Giovanni. Jericho and Briar owed me, it’s true and I’ve used it to my advantage to bring him back under the prevue of the family, at least as much as we can.
There’s no way we could control Jericho. I don’t want to and I sure as fuck don’t want him as an enemy, he’s too damn good at what he does.
“Fuck,” I mutter.
Shaking my head, I wish it didn’t look as bad as it does. I know what comes next—I lean into Briar and whisper in her ear. When my eyes dart back to the screen Lily is frozen in, I watch as she turns around and leaves. Even when she’s running from me, she’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen.