Page 33 of The Diávolos: Part Two
I glance at my friend from the corner of my eye and find him glaring at Evan.If looks could kill…
Gianis jumps off the bed and runs his hand through his hair multiple times, cursing, which only seems to amuse Evander.
“Think about what you’re proposing for a second. She’s spent an entire year trying to get over you and you’re going to just, what? Get married and fucking play house?” Gianis hurls thewords at him, lips curling in a grimace. “Isn’t that the reason you’re both in this predicament in the first place?” he continues, gesturing between us with both hands in a frantic manner.
Evander turns to me. “Is that what you’ve been doing this entire year? You’ve been trying toget overme?” His words are sharp and cutting.
He’smad, mad.
“What? I don’t know!” I blurt out, shooting Gianis a piercing glare. “It doesn’t matter. Evan, I’m not going to marry you. I’m still trying toget overthe fact that you were trying to coerce me into a marriage a year ago. That you wereusingme!”
“This isn’t the same. This time, we’d both be in on the plan. You want to find out the truth, don’t you?”
How is he acting so nonchalant about this? Marriage is a sacred thing and he’s treating it like a business proposal. Then again, he was willing to enter a marriage with me just to bring my father down. I’m fuming, my emotions rising like steam from a boiling pot.
“The answer is no!”
Gianis cuts in. “This was not part of the plan,poutánas yos,” he says to Evan with a venomous edge.
“Well, there would be ground rules,” Evan grumbles, almost sounding exasperated that we’re not going along with his crazy suggestion.
But that piques my interest, and I furrow my brows. “What kind of rules?”
So far, he hasn’t really said much about his proposal, which makes me a little nervous, though I can’t help my curiosity. The unbalanced part of my brain thinks this is his way of getting closer to me, regaining my trust.
“For starters, this would simply be a business interaction. A means to an end,” Evan grits out. “I need you to get hands on your father’s empire, and you need me for legitimacy. Yourfather probably doesn’t believe you actually want in on the business right now, so I can help. It’s a win-win situation.”
The harshness in his tone hits me in the face, and I recoil. I’m reminded of how I felt when I found out about his initial plan for me a year ago. “So that’s what this is. Just a way to get back to your main goal,” I snarl.Why do you care, Ang?
Evan turns around, no longer facing me. “Gianis, can you give us a minute?”
My best friend doesn’t spare me a glance and stalks out of the room, slamming the door in his wake. I’ll have to deal with him later.
“If we do this, we’d both be in on it. No deceit, no lies. I’d get peace of mind that my business and clan will remain untouched and you’d get your answers and closure. We could shut down the Sisterhood once and for all. We’d both get what we want,” Evan breathes out, still not looking at me.
“You don’t know what the fuck I want, Evander,” I utter, venom lacing my tone.
“Then tell me, Angelica!” he shouts as he whirls around, clasping and unclasping his fists in an attempt to regain control.
I’m not used to him being so brusque with me. Even as theDiávolos, he had a warmth that I know was reserved only for me. But this time, I don’t feel that heat. He’s distant and can barely look me in the eye.
“I don’t know,” I mumble.
He throws his hands into the air.
“I’m going crazy, Angelica. I can barely sleep, eat, or function. It’s like I’m standing at the edge of a cliff, staring into the abyss of the unknown. I’ve never felt so lost. I’m haunted by the uncertainty of not knowing where we stand.” He starts pacing around the room, his uneven steps echoing the erratic beat of my heart. He stops.
“You want to know therealreason I want to marry you, Angelica?”
He suddenly marches over to me and halts a few inches away, lowering his face to meet mine, his breath kissing my cheek. The warmth of it makes me shiver.
“It’s because I fucking miss you,” he says, running a finger down my jaw. “Because I can’t fathom being apart from you any longer.”
He cups my chin and lifts my head, and our gazes meet. There’s a hint of hope in his eyes, burning with determination, but it’s quickly masked by the same heat that’s traveling down my body, settling into the pit of my stomach. My center pulses with need, and I feel I could combust on the spot.
Our lips hover a mere centimeter apart.
“You said it was just mutually beneficial,” I mutter.
