Page 37 of His Vicious Desire

“Gaetano, a fucking water main busted in front of the shop.The city is talking like it’s my—your fault, and they’re screaming that you need to be the one to take care of it.Twenty grand, the fucking fire marshal is saying it’s going to cost twenty fucking grand.That can’t be, can it?”

“Sara, take a deep breath.How the fuck is a water main going to bust?”

“I don’t know they called me at home and demanded I come down here.Please, I’m sorry to bother you, but nothing they’re saying makes any sense.”

I check the time, it’s a little after nine.“Let me see if I can get a flight out.I don’t want to ask Luca to borrow the jet.Hold on.”

In my office, I pull up the private plane company I’ve used often.The flight to and from LA is only an hour.Getting in and out of LAX to her shop on the edge of Beverly Hills took almost as long.Flying private cut the time in half and was worth it to me.Especially when I was trying to keep my trips in and out of LA off anyone’s radar.

I make a call, and they can have the private plane ready to go in half an hour.

Shit.Out of my office, I find Bianca back in my bedroom with the door open while she’s packing her backpacks again.

I’m shaking my head.Bianca beats me to it.“It’s time.I feel better.I haven’t taken anything since yesterday afternoon.You’re needed, and I…thank you for everything.She needs you, and I’m good now.”

All I want to do is argue, except there’s nothing I can say that can make her stay when she’s right.Keeping her here is only prolonging the pain—for both of us.

“Fine.Hold on, you’re not going to be able to pack everything in those.”I go into my walk-in closet and grab a leather duffle bag.

She shakes her head.“You’ve given me so much already.”

“And you’ll take this too.I never use it.”

“All right.”She gives in.

I can’t stand watching her pack and go into the living room.Calling Sara.“Hey, I’ll be on a flight to LA in the next half hour.Don’t sign anything they try and put in front of you.If they want to talk to someone, give them my number.”

“I will.Thank you, Gaetano.”

Turning, I find Bianca walking toward me.She offers me the laptop.I shake my head.“Keep it.I have no need for it.”

“Neither do I.”

“Give it away.And don’t forget.”I hand her back the keys I took from her purse when she was asleep the first night.

“Don’t forget what?”Her brow is furrowed in question.

“This never happened.”

“Right.”She nods before she walks away.

Like the coward I am, I don’t watch her leave, it’s only when the front door closes behind her that I exhale.

Gaetano

I’m grateful for the demanding next few hours.

The water main break was not on me as the owner of the building, considering it was caused by the city repairing the street on the other side of the block.

I’d purchased the building as an investment when I came out to help Sara look for space to rent.She had plans for a lash business for years, but always wanted to do it with her sister-in-law, who was an in-demand hair stylist.They couldn’t agree on when and where to do it since her sister-in-law wanted to stay home with her kids.

There were massive repairs needed that lowered the cost of the building, so it was a good thing it wasn’t ready to be inhabited yet.From talking to one of the other owners of a building down the block, the fire department wanted the blame and cost to fall on the building owner rather than the city.

By the time I’m back in Vegas, I’ve almost managed to forget that I’m walking into an empty house.Until I do.

Dario, with perfect timing, calls as I close the front door behind me.

“Is she still there?”

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