Rocco nods once to the bedroom door. “What’s going on, Alarie? Got something you need to tell me?”
I have two ways to play this. If I tell him Ava and I lied about knowing each other, we’re both fucked. If I lie and tell him nothing, I’m fucked. The man is a human lie detector. We have to be in this business. One wrong shift of the eyes, one wrong turn of the head, you’re a mole. You die. But I’m willing to go down as long as she’s safe.
“Well?” he pushes. “Cat got your tongue?”
“Listen, Bianchi—” I start but get interrupted.
“He was the love of my life, Rocco,” Ava chimes in from behind me.We’re fucked.
She goes quiet, letting Rocco take in the information, gauging his reaction. Smart woman.
“I’m not okay with being made a fool of, Ava.” He towers over her, but she doesn't budge.
Rocco puffs his chest out and straightens his stance. He leans into my face, not breaking eye contact. “So Alarie, you’re telling me you fucked my girlfriend?” He points to Ava.
“No.” I feel zeroed in on my enemy. “You fucked mine.”
AVALYNE
I
watch as two dangerous men continue to stare at each other with lethal hatred and it’s because of me. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying it. I’m entangled in this world of danger and death with my past, present, and possibly future.
Damien is my past.
Rocco is my present.
But will either of these men be my future?
I inhale heavily, my gaze bouncing off of the tension between Damien and Rocco.
“Alright.” Rocco breaks the deadly, deafening silence. His voice is cold and stern and his facial expression is hard to read. “May the best man win,” he states before his dark eyes lock with mine. “Meet me in my office, Ava.” He turns on his heel and disappears down the elegant bright hallway.
I must admit that went far better than I’d expected. I hear Damien letting out a deep sigh. I don’t dare to look him in the eyes. The moment we just shared in the bedroom. The fact that I fell asleep in his arms. The feeling of security his presence gives me is terrifying. I still remember the pain after he broke my heart. I can’t forget the months I’ve suffered because of him and the trust in him I’ve lost. I’m so lost right now. I wish he’d never come back into my life because now I’m afraid I won’t be able to forget him again.
“Ava,” Damien whispers softly as he tries to grab my hand, but I move back, avoiding his touch.
I cast my eyes upward and meet the gorgeous deep honey eyes that I once fell in love with. “I appreciate you saving my life, but you should leave now,” I say dryly. “I need some time to…”To unbreak my heart.“To rest.”
Damien nods slightly and his sad gaze drops to the marble floor. “Of course.” For a short moment, our eyes lock and he forces a smile. A smile that is supposed to hide his pain. “I’ll see you before I leave for home.”
Wait. Is he going back home soon?
Damien bends his head and walks away, unaware of how much I want him to stay.
I take a long cold shower, hoping the cool waterstreaming down my naked body will help me distinguish the fire Damien’s mere presence is awakening inside of me.In vain.I throw a short hoodie over my naked body and put on my favorite jeans. My hair is still wet and my body temperature is slightly lowered before I head to Rocco’s office.
I gently knock on the decorative wooden door before I enter a large imposing study with a heavy mahogany wooden desk in the middle, surrounded by a vast library. Rocco looks at me from behind the impressive desk as he sits on a cedar-brown padded leather chair.
“Thank you for coming, Ava.”
“Damien?” I ask as I step halfway through the door and our gazes lock. “What are you doing here?”
“I called for him,” Rocco says dryly.
I close the door before walking past Damien, who’s standing with his arms folded across his chest. I take a few more slow steps, moving closer to Rocco. His behavior has clearly changed after he learned who Damien is to me.Or was.
“Do you want to talk about Damien and…?” I ask quietly.
