Page 49 of Hostile Cravings
“Maybe.”
I looked at him, seeing the concern etched on his features. The invitation on the phone was still sitting there, a reminder of what I’d let slip through my fingers.
“I need to hit something, and Casey will kick my ass if I hit you.” I looked around. “Where is she, anyway?”
He gave me a guilty grin. “She went to clean up. I told her she should walk down to see you with my cum dripping from her just to irritate you, but she said she’d cut me off the rest of the night if I even thought about it.”
“You’re a real shithead. I don’t know why I keep hanging out with you.” I tossed the phone at him, his laughter trailing me out of the house.
I spent the next few hours pounding my fistsuntil they were raw, my body was drenched with sweat, and the gym had closed. It was mine, so I could have stayed there the entire night, but I knew I needed to return. No matter how much I tried to punch the image of Angie leaving from my mind, I couldn’t erase it. The more I punched, the worse it became. Images of her smile, her body, her eyes, plagued me until I finally gave up.
Mason and Casey were nowhere to be found by the time I walked into the house. Grabbing a bottle of water, I made my way to my room, ignoring the scarf on the bed until I’d showered. I sat in the chair across from my bed, my eyes fixed on it. Midnight had come and gone, but I wasn’t ready to sleep. I didn’t even think I could. At this time tomorrow, Angie would be Joey Tirenti’s. She would be in his bed, his grimy hands touching her body, hurting her and making her do things I only wanted her to do to me.
Sweeping my hand over my face, I leaned forward, staring at the rings in my hand. I’d picked them up when I’d packed, pocketing them. I should have left them there, leaving the memories behind, but I’d been unable. How had things changed so quickly? A woman I hated, one I had despised for years, had suddenly become a craving I couldn’t resist until I’d given in and let her overtake everything I was. Letting her change me until she’d unraveled me into pieces I couldn’t seem to reform now that I’d lost her. Lost her over an idiotic misunderstanding, something she’d assumed, and, in my anger, I’d validated for her.
The rings danced in my hand as I rolled them around, thinking about the situation. About Angie. One misunderstanding, one wrong decision on my part, and now one day. I sat back, my brows knitting as I thought back to my conversation with Mason. Everything about this seemed wrong. Donelli was caving, but Tirenti was pressuring him. But why so fast? Why tomorrow? Even with as entrenched in security and violence as the families were, they celebrated things like weddings. They were careful, discreet about them, but they were still celebrations. One daydidn’t allow for guests, for family, for the things that were usually involved.
Tirenti had been suspicious of how quickly Angie and I had gotten married when we’d given him the story. Now he was doing the same thing with Joey, hastening a wedding. There was something there, something going down. My instincts were on edge, screaming at me that I was missing something. Rising, I dropped the rings on the bed where the scarf sat and headed to Mason’s room.
Banging on the door, I heard his grumbling as Casey answered. Her cheeks were flush, her curls messy.
“Do you two ever stop?”
She stuck her tongue out and I ignored Mason’s comment about using it the right way. He was sitting up in bed with no shirt on, his pants unbuttoned and the bulge below looking uncomfortably hard.
“Keep that erection in check, buddy, or I’ll change my mind about letting you have my sister.”
Casey reached up and smacked the back of my head.
“That’s my girl,” Mason said as she hopped back in bed with him.
“You two are gonna kill me.”
“Then leave,” she said, snuggling into his hold. She looked blissful and, to be honest, I’d never seen her as happy as she was when she was with Mason. Nor had I seen him as happy before Casey.
“Something about tomorrow doesn’t feel right,” I told them.
“Aside from the fact that the love of your life is about to marry another man?”
“A slimy weasel who disrespects, rapes, and murders women,” I growled.
“It’s rumor, Ty. We still don’t have proof,” Mason said, but I could tell from the way he’d unconsciously pulled Casey further into him he believed the rumors as much as I did.
“Still, he’s a creep,” I groused. “And she’s not the love of my life,” I added, hearing the mistruth in my words.
“Keep telling yourself that, Ty,” Casey said.
“What do you want to do, buddy?” Mason asked.
I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to stop this, to steal her away from this debacle, and make love to her the way I’d avoided, because that was something I didn’t do. Making love was emotional, and I didn’t do emotion. Sex for me was raw and dirty, emotionless, without commitment, without attachment. At least it had been until Angie. Now all I desired was to hold her in my arms like Mason was holding Casey.
“I want to go to Armina. I want to get Angie and make her mine.”
Casey beamed, her excitement reflected in the way her hazel eyes glittered and how she was nearly jumping out of the bed. I glared at her, not needing her sunny disposition, even if it usually made everything better.
“Then we go. I had the plane fueled up, and the crew is on standby.”
“You knew?” I asked, my eyes wide with surprise.
