Because the second Dante had uttered the wordschild brothel,he deserved every ounce of agony Stan could deliver unto him.
And I had to come to terms with believing that.
TWENTY-TWO
STAN
Playlist recommendation:
Do you really want to hurt me? - Nessa Barrett
I half-expected another guard dog to be on the front door. But Cade and Lucas weren’t waiting for me when I arrived, and from the stillness of the building, I didn’t think anyone else was in either.
Maybe not even Kitty.
The prospect of her leaving home to avoid me, considering her state, had me wishing I’d double-dosed Dante with C-L-O. That I’d made his death take days, not hours. That I’d really made him suffer.
I might have swiped her keys earlier, but she could have put the chain on her door. Her barring me entry wasn’t an issue I’d have forced. Not after what she’d heard.
Fuck, I could only imagine what she thought of me.
And underlying the tension that set my teeth on edge was the fear that this would be it.
Her breaking point.
Utilizing enough caution that I didn’t jostle the tray in my hand as I took the stairs three at a time, I thought I was home free until I found Raisin sitting outside her door.
“I don’t have time for this,” I snapped.
She bounced onto her feet. “Make time.” Her finger jabbed me in the chest. “I don’t trust you, Valentini.”
“That makes you a wise woman.” Her lips parted at my admission. “I don’t need your trust, Raisin. I just need you to back off so I can go and take care of your sister.”
“I’m watching you?—”
I gritted my teeth. “I only want the best for her. No matter what you think.”
“I trust you with her for a night and she comes back to us half-dead?—”
“No,” I spat. “I understand you want to put the fear of God into me. Fuck knows the rest of your family has lined up to do it too. But no matter how many times your ma threatens my balls, your brothers promise me death, and you vow towatchme, it’ll never stop me from loving her?—”
“Loving her? Ha! You barely know her. Or… don’t you?”
Her sneer had me looming over her. “We met in the hospital. Once in the ER. Once when I was being discharged from a ward. Once in the airline lounge and then we were seated together during the flights to Mexico. Look for conspiracies elsewhere, Raisin.” I reached around her and shoved the key into the lock. When she still didn’t budge, my shoulders drooped. “You’re a good sister. A loyal one. And if I were in your shoes, I’d make the same threats.
“I fucked up with her safety. But I’ll never let it happen again.”
“You can’t promise that.” I wasn’t surprised that her voice broke.
“I know. I can’t. And that’ll be my waking nightmare for the rest of my life.” I bowed my head. “I don’t deserve her but I’ll spend whatever time God gives me trying. That’s all I can promise.”
Silence hovered between us until, eventually, she sniffed and stormed over to the staircase, stomping away without another word.
Taking that as a reluctant acceptance or, if not, a momentary lapse in judgment, I braced myself and turned the key.
When it clicked and unlocked, I pushed my forehead onto the door.
Half-expecting the chain to be there, I felt only relief as it opened.
