Page 153 of Arturo's Temptation

If Lorenzo thought he looked menacing he was very, very wrong.

“What the fucks goin’ on?” I asked, shoving my hands in my pockets. “You lads plannin’ the world’s shittest party?”

“Sit down, Arturo.” Lorenzo ordered, kicking a chair closer to me as Gino closed the door behind me.

Did this geezer think I was fuckin’ stupid?

“Nah, no thanks. Think I’ll stand.” I replied, cocking my head to one side.

“Sit the fuck down, Arturo,” he muttered calmly, clearly wanting me to see he was the one in charge. “Now.”

Widening my eyes, I parked my arse on the chair as he demanded, and let the smirk I had been holding split my lips in amusement.

“You think this is funny?!” Lorenzo snapped, tightening a cable tie around my left wrist.

Oh, this was child's play.

“Yeah. I do. You bring me down ‘ere on the false idea that you need some help, and then you tie me up like we’re on some shitty episode of a TV series. I think this is fuckin’ hilarious,” I quipped, raising an eyebrow. Emmet flicked my ear with a quick backhand before tightening another cable tie around the other wrist. “Either of you want to enlighten me as to what the fuck is goin’ on?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Ramos. You know exactly why you’re here.” Lorenzo’s voice had an undercurrent of rage that knocked against my subconscious.

“I really don’t, mate.”

“Don’t… call me that.” He spat. “I never should have invited you into my home.”

“Oh, do me a favour. You need to stop talkin’ in riddles and get to the bloody point, This is gettin’ borin’.” That comment earned me a right hook to the jaw.

“You have no fucking right to back chat me, boy. Not after what you’ve done.” I frowned as he pulled something from his back pocket and threw it into my lap. As I looked down, photos from the booth we took together at the arcade smiled up at me.

Ah, fallin’ in love with his daughter. Right… That.

“Right… Look, Lorenzo before you lose your shit?—”

“I don’t want to hear another fuckingwordout of your mouth. I welcomed you into my home, into my family, trusted you with what matters most… and you take advantage of myonlydaughter!” He screamed, backhanding my face with an almighty thud.

Shit. That one fuckin’ hurt. I’d give him that.

Naughty, naughty, looks like you’ve been caught.

You can fuck off an’ all!

He fisted my t-shirt, bringing his nose to mine, anger radiated off him in waves.

“You spineless little shit. And to think I really trusted you?” Lorenzo’s eyes blazed with rage as he punched me again and again.

I knew he was mad—beyond mad even—and I knew he needed this, but spineless? Me? Now the fella was beginning to piss me off. I sighed and rolled my shoulders. Fuck it, if letting Lorenzo knock seven shades of shit out of me helped him get over the fact I am and always will be with his daughter—the mother of my child—then that’s what needed to happen.

“Haven’t you got anything to say, traitor?” said Emmet, folding his arms beside me.

“Traitor? Pfft. Don’t make me laugh.” I rolled my eyes. My head smacked backwards as Lorenzo caught me in anotherpunch. Blinking, I rolled my head back and stretched my face against the ache.

“When I hired you, you piece of shit, I gave you one rule. Do not go near my dau?—”

“I love her!” I said, spitting blood onto the floor beside his shoe. Lorenzo’s eyes widened in shock as he staggered back. Taking the moment to breathe, I cracked my neck and sagged down into the chair. Scoffs and chuckles from behind me told me Emmet and Gino were enjoying this. I knew those fuckers knew about me and Bella. We may have been doing our best to hide our relationship but any fucker with half a brain cell could see how attracted we were to one another. The fact they were letting this happen at all actually made me respect them more. They were Lorenzo’s men and following his orders without argument.

Now that’s fuckin’ loyalty.

“You don’t love her! You love theideaof her…” he roared before rearing his head back and ramming it into my nose.Ugh,bastard! That really pinched.Shaking my head, I used my elbow to nudge the booth photos off my leg and then slide them under the chair with my boot, protecting them from the blood.

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