If not for the rest of my miserable life.
I made it to my study and with a shaking hand, poured a glass of whiskey. It didn’t matter now if I got stupid drunk. There was no one, save my guards, for me to take my anger out on now.
I wasn’t going to say words to them that would have tears crowd their eyes, or the overall look of disappointment at what my decisions were.
How the fuck was I going to move past not hearing Leda laugh or feeling her lips against my scarred skin? I wouldn’t hear her breathy sigh as I brought her body to the heights of pleasure or pretend not to hear her words of love as I drilled into her.
It fucking sucked.
I had done the right thing, right? Letting her go was the hardest fucking thing I had ever done, but it was the right thing. She deserved to be back with her family, and once she got away from me, Leda would remember that she had wanted that all along.
This thing between us had been a fantasy, a moment in time that was going to scar me for life, but it wasn’t the right thing for her.
I pulled the ring out of my pocket and slid it into the top pocket of the leather jacket that hung on the peg by the door, shrugging it on. I couldn’t stay in the house, especially now that I knew I couldn’t walk up the stairs and see Leda whenever I wanted to. Would I ever see her?
Probably not. If I didn’t get my shit under control with Adrian, I wasn’t going to survive anyway so maybe it was best she was gone.
But as I thought about actually winning my title back, I couldn’t think of another woman that I would want by my side other than Leda D’Agostino.
The mere mention had me drinking my whiskey and pouring another. I would do like I had done before and dull the pain until there was nothing left. I would forget she ever existed, though I felt like I would have to drink for the rest of my fucking days to do so. Leda was imprinted on my body, my heart, my soul. I couldn’t rid myself of her even if I tried.
My cell buzzed, and I grabbed it out of my pocket, holding up to my ear. “Yeah?”
“Don Valentino.”
I nearly dropped my glass.Motherfucker!
“Don D’Agostino.”
Carmine’s chuckle filled my ear. “Surprised to hear my voice? Thought that little mishap with the law was the end of me?”
I wanted to laugh. Mishap? I had seen the brutality, had heard from his daughter what he had done not only to his enemies but also his own family. The man deserved nothing less than rotting in a prison cell, and that was coming from someone who had done a lot of shit himself.
“Can’t say I’m not,” I finally said, keeping my voice even. “What do you want?”
“The truth,” he stated. “I heard you met my daughter? I have to say, I’m not pleased that you took your liberties with her. You took my matters intoyourfucking hands.”
Fuck you.“She was never yours,” I felt apprehension snaking its way through my veins, icy and cold. Somehow, Carmine knew that I no longer had Leda under my protection.
Another laugh. “She’s my daughter. Of course she’s mine. And you thought you could just take her?” I heard the smile on his voice. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter, does it? She’s about to be mine again. You fucked up, Valentino. You should never have let her go.”
Fuck. Leda had been right. Her father had been behind this all along, and I was too fucking stubborn to listen to her. “You touch her,” I seethed, already moving toward the door. “And I will fucking kill you. No, I am going to kill you regardless, but Leda’s condition will decide how badly I make you suffer before you die.”
“Oh I like your enthusiasm.” Carmine laughed. “But let me tell you this, boy. I’ve been around a lot fucking longer than you have. You think you have seen all my cards, you haven’t seen anything yet. I’m about to show you what it means when a real Don takes fucking control of a situation. Better start taking notes.”
I chuckled, not letting him hear the fear—fear for Leda—in my voice. I had sent her to her doom. “You don’t scare me.”
“Oh, don’t think I can’t hear it,” Carmine cut in, the faint clap of his hands in the background. “You were Cosimo’s enforcer. But I also knew that you were Cosimo’swhore!I’ll cut you in on a little secret. I fucked Cosimo’s wife before we cut his brat out of her.”
White hot rage tore through me. Cosimo’s biggest failure. My biggest failure.You bastard. You fucking bastard.
My body vibrated like a taut string. My voice turned steady and even. “I will kill you.”
“That’s more like it.” The line went dead.
I roared in rage as I headed for the garage. No more fucking around. It was time I put myself back in the fight.
I had a past, a past filled with violence, but my future was now different. The path was different than I had ever anticipated.