Page 41 of Kiss of Ruin (Brutal Empire)

I haven’t been to the house since the night I was taken by Elena. When we pull up out front, it looks the same yet different. I realize it’s not the house that’s different. It’s me. I’m a different person since I was last there. I step out of the car and walk to the front door, pushing it open. I’m instantly hit with many familiar scents. The only thing missing is the delicious smells that always came from the kitchen.

The house is quieter than I expect. Andreas’ voice is loud as it echoes through the foyer. “Get some sleep. We’ll see you in the morning.”

The order is clear. I take the stairs up to the room I occupied before leaving. I push the door open and stop dead in my tracks. The room is a disaster. Men’s clothes and shoes everywhere. I reach for the bottle of cologne on the dresser and realize that this it’s Nico’s. He must have decided to sleep in here after I’d gone to Miami. I drop my bag by the dresser and reach for the clothes on the bed. Usually the housekeepers would have taken care of the mess in here, unless he banned them from the room.

The dark woods that surround me in this room, give it a closed in feeling. Like I’m being trapped by the furniture. I designed every one of these rooms for luxury and comfort. Now, after spending months in Miami, I find that the dark woods and carpets no longer suit me.

These are the trappings of a place I’m not sure I belong any longer. Did I really purchase these items because I liked them? I lift one of the knickknacks off the table. Or did I chose them because I thought Luis would like them.

Being with Nico has put my entire relationship with Luis in a whole new light. I remember things that I’ve done, places I’ve gone and I wonder if I would have done the same thing with anyone else.

I think I knew from the very beginning that Luis married me out of obligation. Maybe I hoped that one day he would fall in love with me. Now that I know what being in love and being loved truly feels like, I know that was never a possibility.

I shake my head and reach for the stuff on the bed. That is a problem for another day, if I ever feel like figuring it out. I scoop a handful of clothes from the bed and put them in the hamper in the bathroom. The rest I can worry about in the morning. Pink light begins to stretch over the sky out the window. It must be close to six in the morning when I finally climb between the sheets. Sheets that still smell like Nico. I breathe in his scent and let myself drift to sleep.

When I wake up again, the sun is high in the sky. I can hear more activity than I’m used to downstairs. The shower calls my name after the long night. I walk into the closet and it’s as if I never left. All of the clothes that hadn’t been packed still hang exactly where I left them. I search through my options until I find the perfect black dress. It won’t do for a night in the club, but it will work for a day of strategic planning.

I don’t waste time taking a long shower or leaving my hair down. A low ponytail and minimal make-up, I’m ready to face people I haven’t seen in months.

Awareness of eyes on me tingles my senses as I take the stairs down to the main floor.

“Mrs. Romero.” One of the housekeepers stops in her tracks. “I didn’t know w you were back.”

“I only flew in last night.”

“It’s good to see you.”

“Thank you. I’d appreciate if you could make the room upstairs your first priority.”

The housekeeper looks around, wringing her hands together. “Mr. Acosta told us to leave that room alone.”

I understood why he would. It had been comforting to have Nico’s scent surrounding me. Hopefully, after tonight I’d have the real thing again. “I understand, but Mr. Acosta is in Miami now, so please have the room cleaned.”

“Yes, Ma’am. I’ll have it done within the hour.”

“Thank you.”

A brief stop in the kitchen, I understand why Nico had lost weight in the last two months. Everything was empty. They hadn’t bothered bringing in another chef when they sent Camila to Miami apparently.

Deciding to order something in for breakfast, I head to the office to start putting my plan in place.

When I step inside, I see that this room has fared any better than the room upstairs.What was Nico doing?There’s paper and glasses everywhere. I can’t work like this. I collect the laptop and take it to the living room. Nico usually avoided that room when he was here. Hopefully, it remained unscathed. I’d deal with the papers later so that the housekeepers could take care of that room too.

The living room isn’t empty when I arrive. Antonio is sitting in one of the chair drinking what looks to be a cup of coffee.

“Scarlett!” He practically leaps from the chair he is sitting in. “I thought you were in Miami?”

“I was until last night. I flew back with Carlos and Andreas late last night.”

He wraps me in his arms, and I return his hug. “I was so worried about you. All we had were brief updates from Nico.”

“Thank you for worrying about me, but I’m fine.”

He lets go and steps back. That’s when I truly get my first look at him. The man who always watched over me. To check in on me when he knew I wasn’t all right after Luis’ death. The man standing before me is as different as the house. I know it’s Antonio, but I can see the toll the war has taken on him. His eyes have a harder edge to them, not the sparkling light I saw there before.

“I can see that. What are you doing here? Where’s Nico?”

My chest aches at the thought of the pain I caused him. The pain I caused everyone. No. I didn’t cause any of this. Luis did. “Nico is still in Miami. I’m here to see what I can do to end this war.”

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