Page 44 of Hostile Cravings
“I…he…we…”
“Spit it out, Anj. Did he touch you?”
“Yes.”
His anger boiled over, his hands clenching into my shoulders.
“But I wanted him to. It was consensual.” I shrugged his hands away and leaned against the closest chair, trying to rest my ankle. “I love him, Tony. And he hurt me.”
His face softened, then morphed back to anger. “He hurt you? I’ll fuck him up so bad?—”
“No, don’t. It was my fault. I let my guard down and I thought… I thought he was falling, that he wasn’t pretending, and he was. The entire time.”
“He slept with you as part of the sham marriage thing? That doesn’t make sense, Anj. He hates you and you…well I thought you hated him, but apparently not.”
I chuckled, thinking about his words. “But I heard him. He said he was tired of pretending, and that I was just a spoiled brat and being with me was killing him.”
Tony tipped his head. “Anj, what did you do when you heard that?”
“I left. We had a big fight, and I left him.”
He swiped his hand down his face.
“Time’s up, Angie. We’re leaving,” Joey barged into the office.
“Leaving?” I asked Tony.
He nodded. “You’re going with him. He wants a wedding asap. Tomorrow.”
This time, my jaw hit the floor. “Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow, baby,” Joey said.
“Don’t call me that,” I snapped, the word cleaving my heart.
“I’ll call you anything you want when I’m owning that hot body of yours.”
Tony turned on him, grabbing him by the collar and shoving him against the wall. His men pulled their guns, as did ours. “You talk about my sister like that again, and I’ll break both your legs before I cut your cockoff.”
“Enough!” my father’s voice boomed from the hallway.
Tony released Joey, who indignantly brushed at his suit. My father walked into the room, followed by Tirenti.
“Angela.” My father came over and gave me a kiss on the cheek, but I could see the disappointment in his eyes. I’d messed this up, put him in a bad spot, and now we were both paying the price.
“Hi, Daddy,” I said, unable to disguise the guilt that sat heavy on me.
“Your father and I have come to an agreement,” Tirenti said. “We’ll hold the wedding here tomorrow. His attorneys are working on annulling the marriage to Raines as we speak.”
I dropped my eyes, sensing Joey move next to me. His arm came around me and I cringed instinctively.
“Tomorrow still? I can’t wait to become part of the family,” he said, squeezing my arm.
“Tomorrow afternoon,” my father confirmed, his sight on Joey’s hands.
“But Daddy?—”
“No, Angela. The decision has been made.” His eyes narrowed, anger in them, and my father was never angry at me. “Leave us, all of you. Tony, please show our guests and their men out.”
