Page 293 of Ruin Me Gently

“Shut the fuck up!” The snarl ripped from my throat.

Why the hell was he still breathing? Why the hell was he still here, still alive, taking up space in this car, still polluting the air with his pathetic existence?

After everything he did to her.

After all the hunting, the tracking, the nights lost.

She should’ve let him drown. Should’ve let the sea take him, let the saltwater fill his lungs until there was nothing left but silence.

He should’ve been shark food.

He deserved to die.

And Lilith stopped it.

My grip on the wheel tightened, tyres skidding slightly as I took a turn too fast.

Lilith’s voice cut through my fury. “Silas, slow down!”

I didn’t.

“Silas!” she snapped, louder now, panic edging her voice. “Slow the fuck down!”

I clenched my teeth and hit the accelerator harder.

He should’ve been dead. He should’ve been dead. He should’ve been dead.

“WOULD YOU SLOW DOWN?!”

I slammed the brakes.

The tyres screeched, the car jerked violently to the side, the force slamming us forward against our seatbelts.

My breath came out in heavy, ragged pulls, heart pounding so damn loud it was all I could hear.

I turned to her, hands still locked around the wheel, my entire body trembling with adrenaline and rage.

“What the fuck, Lilith?” My voice shot out, sharp and loud. “What the fuck was that? I don’t understand—I don’t—”

She flinched, just a little. Barely even moved. But it was enough to make something twist in my chest. Still, before I could think too hard about it, she straightened herself up, like she was physically pushing my words off her shoulders. Her mouth opened—

“Actually,” I cut in. “I don’t wanna fucking hear it.”

She froze. Her breath shook as she let it out, slow and controlled.

“Okay,” she said quietly.

“Okay?” I barked out a laugh. “That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?”

“Youjustsaid you didn’t wanna hear it!”

“Oh my God,” I muttered, raking a hand over my jaw, fingers digging into my skin hard enough to sting. “This is so stupid,” I hissed, the words slipping out in sharp, bitter Italian. “Così dannatamente stupido. Dio, che cazzo stiamo facendo?!” The frustration poured out in broken, angry bursts. “Avremmo dovuto lasciarlo morire lì. Come uno stronzo marcio. Affogato e dimenticato.” My pulse slammed against my skull. My breath came out in short, harsh bursts, my chest tight with rage. “Lui se lo merita!” I spat. “Dopo tutto quello che ha fatto.”

“Oh, you wanna do this in Italian now?” Her voice rose, shaky but furious. “Fine.”

She jabbed a finger toward me. “Stronzo!”Asshole.

I scoffed. “Yeah? Real creative.”

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