“And now you have.” My heart beats a painful thudding rhythm in my chest. “Are these the last books I’ll ever read?”
He shakes his head.
“Is that because it’s like C thinks? It’s more satisfying to destroy my life?” I ask, taking a step back, letting the depth of his vengeance sink in. There’s nothing romantic about this. I need to get a grip. Sasha Stroviak’s a cold-blooded criminal. Everyone knows that. “By taking my virginity, you killed three birds with one stone. I guess that was the plan? Get even with me. Get even with Berto by taking my virginity that he wanted to take as my husband? Get even with Frank by destroying my engagement?”
“Guess so,” he says, his trademark stone-cold expression back on his face.
It couldn’t have hurt more if he’d punched with one of his massive fists.
Chapter Four
Anvil
She sits on the mattress on the floor. The one I fucked her on.
She’s pretending to read, but she never turns the page.
My rage is back. This time it’s directed at myself for letting her get to me again. When the burner phone rings, I jerk and then stalk over to it. I was so distracted I left it on. It’ll be a bullshit call. No one has the number. I bought it so I could check an anonymous email account I set up to communicate with Leone and Frank.
When I look at the screen, I recognize the number. I shake my head. Fucking Trick.
I swipe the screen. “What?” I say.
“What’s up, ‘Vil?” he says.
“You called me.”
“Yeah, on your secret burner. So again, I say, what’s up, ‘Vil?”
“How’d you get it?”
“You bought it on Aberdeen. Word got around.”
I shake my head. Usually Trick gets the burners in Boston. Never at the same place. Never somewhere that one of us would be recognized. I should’ve gone to Boston to get it, but I was running out of time.
Also, just because he heard a rumor I bought it on Aberdeen, doesn’t explain how he got the phone’s number. But I guess I’m not surprised. That’s Trick all over. He finds shit out. And no doubt he’s been asking after me, since I’ve been disappearing without explanation.
