When am I seeing you again?
His reply came a minute later.
Santino
You told me to back off.
If you want to see me, ask.
I pursed my lips.
Great. He was probably still pissed about the other day. Maybe he was busy. After all, he ran half of Boston’s underworld. Or maybe he was with someone else. That gnawed at me.
I forced myself to stand again, knees wobbling. I needed to think. I had to stay calm and figure out my next move. Taking a deep breath, I tried to steady the whirlwind of emotions inside me.
The phone rang.
I answered with a grin. “Hey, Santino.”
“Santino?” my ex’s voice growled from the speaker.
My fingers clenched around the phone. “How did you get this number?”
“Who the fuck is Santino?” Dimitri snarled.
“He’s a good friend.”
I couldn’t hear anything, not even his breathing, but he was there. Seething. Connecting the dots. Silence used to be his favorite weapon. He’d come home sometimes, fists balled, his steel gaze sweeping over me. We’d pass a whole dinner in silence before I’d beg him to tell me what I did wrong.
Dimitri let out a low laugh. “You’re baiting me.”
“Nope. It’s the truth.”
“Where have you been, Delilah?”
I swallowed the bile in my throat. “I don’t owe you the answer to that question.”
“You stood me up at our wedding.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. That does merit an explanation.” I blew out a breath. “How long did it take before you figured out I’d left?”
He laughed again. “I’ll have to see if you’re this funny in person.”
My head throbbed. “Where are you?”
“Here.”
“What doesheremean?”
“I’m around. That’s all you need to know.” Dimitri’s oily tone hinted at impatience, not rage. “It’s good to hear your voice.”
“I wish I could say the same.”
He clicked his tongue. “That’s not a nice thing to say to a fiancé you haven’t seen in two months. You should be more grateful for me. There aren’t many guys who’d put up with you.”
“Poor thing,” I mocked. “How many black eyes didyouhave to cover up with makeup?”
He paused on the other end of the line. I could picture him, jaw clenched, that one crazy vein in his neck pulsating. “You always had a sharp tongue. I’ll have to remind you what happens when you use it.”