Page 85 of Angelic Vengeance

“Thanks for the show, by the way.” I rested a hand on Gìo’s shoulder.

He let out a sardonic laugh. “Anytime.”

“Should we be worried for whoever you picked to be your lucky bride?”

Gìo’s smile darkened. “Definitely.”

There might have been an ulterior reason as to why I agreed to go for celebratory drinks at Renato. After the last run-in, I had Trevor break into the club’s system and find the work schedule.

I continued to look at Maria, who was still unaware she was being watched. Or, if she was aware, she didn’t let it be known.

Her eyes were the first thing you noticed about her. I immediately recognized them. How could I fucking forget them? They were the last thing I saw when I closed my eyes at night. The first thing I thought of in the morning. And once, they were the last thing I saw before I nearly died.All these years, she haunted me – consumed me. I couldn’t move on.

And now here she was, across the room, serving drinks at Renato. Part of me was delighted; it was like she was dropped into my lap. The other was furious she’d been working here this whole time; the elite club I’d been a member of since birth.

I searched for her foryears… And she was here all along. Right under my nose, knowing people I spoke to almost every day. Anger intoxicated my veins at the fact it took me this long to find her, to realize she wasright here.

She carried a soft expression. She was so calm… yet alert. I wondered what crossed her thoughts. She hid her feelings so well, someone had to observe her for a long time before even being able to guess what she was thinking. Her body language didn’t give anything away either.

This girl was fucking unreadable.

I didn’t like that.

But there was one thing I could tell from the start: something always seemed to be on her mind. Was it guilt?Yeah,right.

I continued to observe her from an armchair at the back of the club for far longer than I should have. The guys had left about an hour ago – we’d ended up spending the whole day talking business at the club. I stayed behind. And now, I couldn’t leave. It was like she had me in a trance. I just couldn’t look away.

I watched as she gave the same greeting nod to everyone –every man.

I was six-foot-five, but she didn’t notice me for another ten minutes. When her eyesfinallyfound mine, her eyebrows dropped and narrowed, before she returned toher job, making more drinks ordered by more men who only wanted an excuse to talk to her.

Maria was by no means a ‘people person’. She disliked small talk, ass-kissing and pretending to care. But she still remained professional and respectful.

She gave basic respect to everyone.Except me.

Although she kept an ice-cold expression on her face, every man in the room was salivating over her. Was that what she wanted me to do? Drop to my knees and beg for her attentiveness? No woman with that much male attention was anything but conceited and one-dimensional.

I had a reason for hating her.

But what was her excuse?

She disliked me the second our eyes met across the club. I chuckled – maybe it was her intuition.

I could see she liked to spend money by her black Jimmy Choo heels and Cartier watch. Guess that made sense since she worked here. I also made a note of the fact that the gold Bvlgari bracelet I’d returned to her the other night was not back on her wrist like it’d been every time before.

I would’ve been turned on if I wasn’t so pissed off. I liked a woman who knew what she wanted and wasn’t scared to take or ask for it.

I also liked a woman who wasn’t scared to spend my money. Every girl I’d ever talked to in the past made it a point to let me know she was ‘humble’. She wouldn’t spend any of my money because she wasn’t ‘that type of girl’ – whatever the fuck that meant. Five minutes later, they were blushing over the fact I’d paid for dinner before I fucked them in the bathroom.

Maria didn’t even blink or say ‘thanks’ when I paid for her drink or cab the other night.

I hated the fact that a part of me wouldn’t have minded getting on my knees for her, begging just like the rest of her admirers. It was a hard pill to swallow considering I’d never even had to ask for anything in my life before. Money, power, sex – they were all handed to me on a silver platter, without any effort on my part.

After a while, it got pretty fucking boring.

“What can I get for you tonight, sir?”

I looked up to see one of the waitresses. My eyes fell back on Maria who laughed loudly at something her co-worker said at the bar. Her voice flowed over the smooth jazz music, ran through my veins and settled in my groin. “Let Maria know I’m waiting for her.”

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