Page 120 of Angelic Vengeance

I snorted at the idiot.

Antonio DeMone. World-class man whore.

Though my mind was more focused on the satisfaction that I’d made my claim clear, andeveryoneknew Maria was mine.

Taking my other glove off, I turned around and caught myself in the wall mirror. My smile slowly fell.

For the first time in my life, I didn’t like what I saw.

I didn’t recognize the man staring back at me. Even though my chest shattered with every word I’d said to her – even though I didn’t mean any of it – I could never take any of it back. I’d crossed the line, and there was no going back to how we used to be.

My stomach churned at the realization.

There was no going back to how we used to be.

No more late nights together. No more talking and laughing. No more dates. No more waking up in the morning with her in my arms.

No future.

I was doing the right thing.It still tore me apart.

A shiver rolled through me in the darkness, and I wrapped my arms around my body in an attempt to warm my goose-bumped skin. My head was still pounding with the aftermath of my panic attack and I groaned my frustration into the pillow. I wanted to sleep; to remove myself from this reality.

I was the type to stay awake in order to fix my problems, not sleep to get away from them – but I was just so exhausted, I needed to regain my strength before I could figure out my next move.

With my face still in the pillow, I took a deep breath to calm down. Comfort invaded my head and lungs, making my heart race with awareness.

Him.

My eyes shot open and I jumped up in bed, looking around the dark room. The curtains were drawn back, allowing the moonlight to spill in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The room was clearly illuminated and I could clearly see I was alone.

But he was everywhere.

His cologne. His soap. His goddamn fucking scent.

Taking a deep breath, I ran a hand down my face, freezing halfway. Slowly, I opened my eyes and stared down at my unchained wrists. My heart raced with confusion as I glanced around again.

I was in a different room – the one I’d seen when wrestling Zach in the hallway earlier. One with a fancy, modern steel door that I wouldn’t be able to kick down.

My eyes fell back to the king-sized bed I’d been in. A blanket covered me from the waist down but the sheets to my side were ruffled as if they’d been slept in.

I reached out and placed my hand on the mattress, only to find it warm. Before I found the power to stop myself, I leaned back down, resting my face against the still warm covers and taking in his scent. My chest ached and I felt a single tear slide out of my eye and down the bridge of my nose before falling and soaking into the sheets.

He got rid of the handcuffs… Carried me here and stayed with me…?

The thought came before I could stop it, warming my body with nostalgia.

I shook my head. He was probably holding a gun to my temple, debating whether to pull the trigger or not.

Noticing a couple of bags on the table across the room, I walked over and snooped around. My chest tensed when I found some painkillers, a water bottle, and boxes of takeout – still hot. He’d been here not long ago.

My stomach growled painfully and even though I didn’t want anything from him anymore, I knew I needed the power if I was going to get out of here. I took the pills and ate until I couldn’t anymore, and there was still food left I was sure I would have later.

In the meantime, I made my way into the ensuite bathroom and turned the light on. I was immediately met with my reflection in a grand mirror. Stepping closer, I examined my features. The skin around my eyes was still red, although I’d stopped crying a long time ago. My hair was messy and my skin felt sweaty from the events of the past two days.

I must’ve stayed in the shower for an hour, scrubbing my skin raw until I felt clean. Despite everything, the hotwater had managed to relax me and all I could think about was finishing the takeout.

I searched through the drawers under the sink for anything I could use, only to end up finding still packaged hygienic products; toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, moisturizers, perfume. I even lit a couple of vanilla candles.

---