"Fuck love," I muttered, my heart racing as I moved over to my closet and pulled out the attire I’d need for tonight.
"I'm not about to let this man ruin me and everything my family has built with their blood, sweat, and tears.”
I flipped the bedroom light on, then started dressing. I slid on my black pants and black form-fitting shirt. Black socks came next, and black boots.
“And for what?” I muttered as I laced up my boots. “Because I’d rejected him. That was a weak ass reason to fuck with my stores,” I complained as I untied my head scarf and tossed it onto a dresser before returning to my nightstand to get my weapon.
“Or did he... did he know?" I paused, hand hovering above my gun.
Did he know?
Was he retaliating because of Marcel? If he was, then this shit broke my heart. Not because of my pain, but because of his. Because this wasn’t like the Rome Cattaneo I’d heard whispers of.
If he knew the truth, the whole truth, then he should’ve come at us with violence. Instead, he was attacking my shop, whichmeant... he didn’t want to hurt me. Not truly hurt me the way he would any other enemy.
“Damn it, Rome,” I groaned, lowering my hand away from my weapon and sitting down on the edge of my bed.
I didn’t know what to think right now. I didn’t know how to feel about this. Yeah, I was angry because my business was suffering. But Rome was suffering too. And he could do a lot more damage to me than this.
Yet, this was the route he’d taken to keep from really hurting me. I should be mad. I should want to go ahead and end him. Yet, all I wanted to do was hug him and apologize for what my team had done wrong.
But an apology wouldn’t fix this. I couldn’t fix this. Another notification chimed. I grabbed my phone and, as expected, it was another message from Rome. I checked it. He’d sent me a photograph.
A cold chill crept over me as I stared at a photo of Kelly's house. He knew everything. He had to because why else would he send a photo of Kelly’s house? Beneath the picture was one sentence.
Open the video link, or I'll open her fucking skull.
Fear threaded through my veins. I needed to call Kelly. I needed to make sure she was okay. I exited out of the messages and scrolled through my numbers. Then my phone started ringing, a video call, from Rome.
“Shit. Shit. Shit.”
I declined the call. I needed to talk to Kelly. But if I called and she was fine, I’d only scare her.
“Shit!” I yelled.
My phone chimed again. I clicked on the message. It was a video of Kelly pulling into her driveway. What was she doing just getting home? She’d left work over an hour ago. Damn it. With the video was a message.
If you call her, I’ll have her killed before she can get into her house. Click the link, Juliet.
I hated being fucking threatened. But Kelly’s life was on the line. And the Rome I’d heard rumors of was ruthless as fuck. He’d do it. He really would. Tears blurred my vision. I would not let him see me cry.
I swallowed, my finger hovering over the link. I took a deep breath, released it in a rush, and then pressed the button. It wasn’t long before an image of Rome, seated behind a desk, appeared on my screen.
He was dressed in a dark business suit, looking sexy as hell in those glasses. And I hated myself for noticing shit like that at a time like this. He leaned closer to the camera and for a moment, it was like his dark gaze was peering into my soul.
“Hello, Juliet,” he whispered. “Or should I call you Blossom?”
I swallowed before whispering...
“Hello, Romeo. And you can call me Pissed Off. Because you’ve officially upset me.”
He gifted me a sinister smile that sent dread through my veins. This was not the Romeo I’d fallen in love with. But that was okay. Because I wasn’t the Juliet he’d been searching for.
We were Rome and Blossom.
Enemies, not lovers.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
