Did I read them? Yes.
Do they change anything? No.
I’ve been through all of this before—with my ex, Fiona. She was kind, sexy, and adoring. We were madly in love. Until I discovered it was all a lie. Until she wasn’t anything like the person she pretended to be for all of those months. If she could deceive me that thoroughly, then Ravenna can do the same.
Shehasdone the same.
I’d like to think that I’m wiser now, that I can tell when a woman is lying. But obviously I’m not, and I can’t. Ravenna didn’t just lie about an insignificant detail, she lied about hername, her identity. If she’s willing to go that far, what else is she capable of doing?
I’ve been through this before and I can’t do it again. The first time almost killed me. This time I’m sure it would mean my death.
That is why this stops here, before I get in too deep. I never should have taken a wife in the first place. But what’s done is done.
I’ll never let her or any other woman into my life again.
Ravenna and I are legally married for the sake of peace between our people. That won’t change. But I never want to seemy wife’s beautiful face again. I can’t stand the thought of being in the same room as her, much less trying to live together.
Fortunately, her father seems to understand. I haven’t demanded recompense for his daughter’s lies and the peace treaty stands strong. She’ll live at home with her family, while I’m free to live my life as I see fit. Free of her.
Far away from conniving women who are too good to be true.
I shut off the shower with more force than necessary. Resting my forehead against the tile wall, I groan.
Too good to be true. Too fucking perfect. That should have been a red flag from the beginning.
It was. I chose to ignore it. I just wish I could stop thinking about her, about us, about how goddamn angry I am.
Once out of the shower, I place my dirty clothes in the hamper and wrap a towel around my waist. A knock sounds on the door.What the fuck is it now?
“Can it wait?” I call out, drying my hair with another towel.
“No.”
Damn Wolfe. He’s so fucking impatient.
I open the door an inch and bark, “What?”
“You’re going to want to see this.” Judging by his tone, I’mnotgoing to want to see it at all. In fact, it’s likely to piss me off—more than I already am.
“What is it?” I step out of the bathroom and fully into my office, where Wolfe points to his laptop sitting on my desk.
I lift a brow, prompting him to explain what’s going on.
“So I’ve been keeping an eye on the various bratvas, just out of curiosity, and this caught my attention.” He wakes up the laptop’s screen. “One of them is hosting a pop up event, a flesh auction, tonight on neutral ground. I wouldn’t pay much mind normally, except one of the girls is described as a red-haired Italian beauty. I mean, how many beautiful redheaded Italianshave you seen around here? So, I took a closer look and found the pictures.”
As he speaks, my fingers curl into fists. Rage vibrates through every muscle in my body.
When he brings up the images of Ravenna in lingerie, shackled to a flimsy bed frame, I see red.
“Apparently, her father took it literally when you told him you didn’t ever want to see her again.” Wolfe shrugs like he’s not entirely sure what to do about the situation.
I pin him with a glare. “That’s my fucking wife!”
“She deceived you, Cian. She’s not really your problem any more. Are you sure you care what happens to her?” He eyes me, cool as a fucking cucumber.
“Motherfuckers!” With an animalistic roar, I hurriedly get dressed in today’s soiled clothes. “She belongs to me. What about that don’t you fucking understand?”
Wolfe chuckles. Bastard.
