Page 133 of Ruin
I smile tightly, every muscle in my face aching with the effort, and extricate myself from him as quickly as I can. My heart is hammering. I need to find Tommy. He’s somewhere in this building, watching all this and hurting, I know it.
As soon as Aurelio’s attention turns to my father, I back up and slip away through the crowd. So focused on scanning the room for Tommy, I don’t realize Antonio has followed me until his hand clamps down on my wrist, and he yanks me into an empty room so hard that I stumble.
“Where are you going, huh?” His smile is sharp, cruel. “Be smart, Giovanna. You can’t just run off to your little fuckfriend when we just got engaged.”
I rip my wrist free. “We did not just get engaged. We put on a show, and since it seems like there’s a script that you, my father, and Aurelio are reading from, I’d love to see it, because I sure as hell didn’t sign up for this.”
His eyes narrow. “Don’t play dumb, Gigi. You knew this is where we were headed the whole time. If you don’t do this, we’re both dead.”
I don’t have time for this. I have to find Tommy. “Stop being melodramatic. You know the only person at risk here is Tommy, and while you don’t care about that, it’s a major fucking priority for me. Now get the fuck out of my way.”
Antonio grabs both my shoulders and turns me around roughly, pushing me into the wall. “Are you fucking serious right now? You do know better than that, don’t you? Don’t fuck around with your life and mine so you can get laid. You have no fucking idea who you’re playing with—”
“No, you don’t know whoyou’replaying with.”
Tommy’s voice slashes across the air as he grabs Antonio, an eery smile on his face as he shoves him so hard against the wall next to me that his skull makes a sick cracking sound when he hits.
Vin and Matti are right behind him, but neither of them stops Tommy as he leers at Antonio, ready for battle.
Tommy’s face is twisted, savage, as he slams Antonio back again, fist cocked. Antonio moves, blocking him, and tackles him, sending them both to the floor. I gasp and move out of the way as they roll, Antonio throwing punches into Tommy’s stomach, Tommy pounding Antonio’s face and slamming his head against the floor. Fabric rips as one of their suits is torn, but neither man stops.
Vin snarls at me. “What did I fucking tell you? What. Did I fucking. TELL. YOU. Don’t fuck with him. And what did you do? What the fuck did you do? You did exactly—exactly to the fucking letter—what I told you not to do.”
The words slice me open, and I flinch but hold his gaze. I deserve it. I’ve hurt Tommy far worse than he ever hurt me. Like some dumbass little girl, I thought I could save him by making choices for the both of us, and for years, I’ve just made it worse.
Matti shoots Vin a look and murmurs something sharp under his breath, pulling him back. Vin’s still fuming, but he shuts up. I dart a glance at Matti, and though he doesn’t smile, he acknowledges me with a short nod.
Tommy is still on Antonio like he’s enjoying every minute. He locks his hand around Antonio’s collar, dragging him up to standing, then drives his knee into his thigh. His fist cracks across his face once, twice, before he pins him hard to the ground.
Tommy’s voice is low, vicious. “If you ever put your fucking hands on her again, I’ll cut them off. Do you hear me? I will cut them the fuck off.”
Antonio spits blood and laughs, laying back on the ground. “Don’t worry about it. I have no interest in her. None. The only reason I’m here is your father. You want to take this up with someone, take it up with him. But keep me out of it. Both me and Giovanna are dead if this marriage doesn’t happen.”
The room falls silent for a moment, and everyone looks at me and then back at Antonio.
Vin’s voice rumbles with suspicion. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Matti is quieter but sharper. “Spell it out.”
Tommy is standing over Antonio, his chest heaving, and I reach for him, placing my hand on his arm. He won’t look at me, his jaw steel, but he doesn’t pull away from me, either.
Antonio smirks, the blood on his teeth dark and dangerous. “If you think I’d put up with all this bullshit for all these years just on the off chance that she might change her mind, you’re fucking crazy. This isn’t me. It’s never been me. Aurelio is behind this.”
Vin’s eyes narrow. “Then why not tell us? Why not come clean?”
“Are you fucking serious? You three have been up my ass for more than a decade. Why the fuck would I come to you? He’s my boss.”
Matti shakes his head. “The issue between us has always been Giovanna. If we knew why you kept coming between her and Tommy, we—”
“Bullshit,” Tommy snarls. “You’ve been trying to fuck her since you met her. But even though you had her for years, she still wouldn’t let you, would she? Even after I taught you exactly how to fuck her! You know why? Because she’s fucking MINE.”
My heart swells hearing him say that. He’s not wrong. I’ve never wanted to fuck anyone but Tommy.
Matti puts a firm hand on Tommy’s shoulder and glances at me. “You did what?”
Vin turns to me, smirking. “You never fucked Antonio even though you guys lived together all those years?”
Antonio scoffs. “Except for the time I had her naked with my head between her legs until she came.”
