Page 7 of Tormented Diamonds
So, I follow behind him at a distance, keeping my footsteps light. Their winding maze ends at a door they enter and—of course—immediately close. I’ve come too far to back out now, so I press my ear to it and listen for movement. When I’m fairly certain they’ve moved to the opposite side of the room, I close my eyes and turn the doorknob. I only open it a crack—just enough to remove the wooden barrier between my ears and their mouths.
But before I can hear a word, the guilt rises up.What am I doing?I demanded trust from Gianni, yet here I am, giving him nothing but doubt. It all feels so underhanded and wrong, I almost turn and walk away.
Then I hear a female voice, followed by onename that turns it all to stone.
“Cathalina…”
Everything goes completely still. I hear nothing else. I don’t need to.
Turning around, I walk back down the hall, and up the staircase. I make a stop to grab the half-used tube of Fire Queen lipstick, then walk to the last room on the left. The moment I push the door open, I know it’s Gianni’s. It’s dark, brooding, and dangerously tempting, just like him. Ignoring the enormous bed in the center, I walk to the dark mahogany dresser and write two heartfelt words on the mirror in red lipstick.
Grabbing a bottle of whiskey from his personal collection, I close the door behind me and climb a second set of stairs. I don’t know where it leads, but I have a feeling it’s somewhere I’m not supposed to go…
Which makes it the only place I want to be.
Chapter Three
GIANNI
Ifill my second glass of whiskey and down it faster than the first. The burn is nowhere near strong enough, so I pour a third while contemplating how many bullets I should fire into Anton.
It’s my wedding night. I should be balls deep in my wife. Instead, I’m standing here getting drunk while trying to calm down the woman my father tried to force me to marry.
You can’t make this shit up.
“Well?” comes a shrill voice from behind. “Is it true?”
“Which part?” Returning the decanter to the wet bar, I lift my glass and glance over my shoulder. “You’ve demanded many answers in a short amount of time.”
Cathalina’s cheeks flush, her tense posture deflating. I’m not sure how, but she looks younger than the last time I saw her. Maybe it’s the lack of makeup and straight dark ponytail, or possibly that simple prairie dress that makes her look likeshe’s cosplaying as an innocent, law-abiding citizen. “I knew coming here was probably a bad idea…”
“Probablya bad idea?” Whipping around, I sweep my hand down the length of my body. “I’m in a fucking suit at eleven o’clock at night, Cathalina. There’s no ‘probably’ about it.”
I slide a sideways glance to where Anton leans against the wall with his shoulders lifted in a permanent shrug. If it wouldn’t be a waste of perfectly good liquor, I’d throw my glass at his face. I had a lot of plans for tonight, and none of them involved Cathalina Damiano. While I can’t fault my underboss for rerouting them, my dick isn’t so forgiving.
“I didn’t know you were having a party,” she says softly.
I palm the back of my neck. “Again, tell me what you’re doing here.”
Besides cockblocking the fuck out of me.
She rounds her lips and blows out a soft breath. “I overheard my father on the phone say that Marcello lured you out of Witness Protection and was blackmailing you into a truce.”
“Faketruce,” I clarify. “It was a ruse he kept going until he could properly gut me.”
The corners of her mouth turn down. “What was he blackmailing you with?”
“Why are you so concerned? The man is a pile of ash.”
“I’m not. I just…” She stares down at her clasped hands. “All I heard was the estate burned to the ground and Marcello was dead. My father didn’t say if you’d gotten out, or…” She trails off, drawing out a long exhale before looking up at me. “You’re my friend, Gianni. Is it so wrong for me to be worried about you?”
“I appreciate your concern, but as you can see, I’m fine.”
She cocks her head. “Are you?”
“Was barging into my house notenough for you, Cat?” Pushing off the bar, I yank my tie loose and unbutton the top two buttons. “Now you have to question me?”
“I’m not questioning you,” she insists, clasping her hands tightly in her lap. “We’ve known each other since we were kids. I know the sick mind games Marcello liked to play, especially with you. For you to be pushed to the point of taking his throne, you would’ve had to have been given a strong and compelling reason to…” She shakes her head. “All I’m saying is that if you need someone to talk to…”
