She thought he’d be too late. He’d arrived hours earlier. She thought she’d planned this so carefully to spare him…
“Yes. But, Achilles?—”
“Let me guess, instead of telling me what you were worried about, you drank yourself half to death, as usual, then tried to off yourself instead of fucking TALKING TO ME.”
She flinched. He was right. But she was still new to loving someone. She’d never done it before.
“I thought I was doing you a favor,” she whispered.
He snorted derisively. “How do I look?”
“W—what?”
“How. Do. I. Look?” He enunciated each word.
“You…” She looked away from him, not because she was disgusted but because his face was a reminder of what she’d done. “You look like the love of my life.”
“The TRUTH,” he roared.
“You don’t look good,” she admitted. When she chanced another look at him, she saw the unwavering cruelty in his expression. The one he gave everyone but her until today. “You look…you look bad.”
“Funny.” His lips twisted in a bitter curl. “You look just as gorgeous as the last time I saw you. If not a little pale.”
She hung her head in shame. She wanted to just tell him the truth. That she wanted to die because she couldn’t be the woman he was destined to marry. Vello would never ever let them go through with the wedding.
And even if he did, Achilles would feel betrayed. No offspring. No heirs. If Achilles didn’t have children, he’d never become don. And that was all he’d ever aspired to be. It was his dream.
Maybe he’d have stayed with her anyway. He was a good man. But he’d take a mistress. Another woman who could bear his children. And those kids would run between her legs in Camorra weddings and funerals, a constant reminder she wasn’t good enough.
But it was too late now anyway. Luca was going to rip the world to shreds if she didn’t break up with Achilles. He’d made it clear.
“Tell me why you almost killed me,” he demanded.
“I…”Tell him the truth. Tell him how much you lost in Siberia.Open up to him. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” He was so shocked, it came out as a whisper.
“I guess I…” She pushed each word out of her mouth like it was poison. “I guess I just needed to get rid of you somehow, and that was as good way as any.”
He stared at her, shocked.
“You got too clingy.” She forced herself to shrug. “And I knew you’d save me. I kind of hoped…”Say it. Just say it and get it over with.“I kind of hoped you’d die saving me.”
He closed his eyes. “We’re over.”
This hurt her so badly she couldn’t breathe. She felt the words in her bones. They scorched through her. She squirmed on the chair.
“I’m so sorr?—”
“Don’t,” he snapped. “I don’t want your pity.”
“Achill—”
“Don’t feel so bad, Piccola Fiamma,” he cooed. “Once I get out of here, I’ll ruin your life, too. That way we’ll be even. Now, truth?”
“Truth” she found the courage to whisper.
“I will always fucking love you, but I’ll spend every waking moment of my life making sure no one else ever does.”
