Page 54 of De Luca: The Saint

Mia comes up beside me with what appears to be a glass of orange juice. I’m guessing she isn’t drinking alcohol since she’s pregnant, “Is Damian coming?”

She shakes her head, “No. He was invited, but he never comes anymore.”

I take a tentative sip of my drink, and it’s good, a girl's drink. It’s sweet. You can’t taste the alcohol, although I know it’s in there. I drink it quickly, causing Mia to laugh, “Careful. Willow makes those much stronger than you might think. You don’t taste the alcohol, but she puts enough in to bench a quarterback.”

I laugh as I hear, “Brother, grab a drink.”

Turning away from the bar, I come face to face with Damian, causing all the breath to leave my lungs, but he’s not happy to see me.

His glare is intense, anger coming off him in waves, “Damian,” I gasp.

Through a clenched jaw, he growls, “Katherina.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Damian

Those ocean blue eyes that used to bring me peace now only give pain. As I glare at her, trying to keep my emotions at bay, I only hear her repeating, ‘Please don’t do this to me. Red. Red. Red.’

My brother set this up. He had to have. He wouldn’t stop bitching that I don’t come to these hang-out nights anymore. Domenic kept pushing, so I eventually gave in. Now I wish I hadn’t.

I have to get out of here, I can’t be here with her. It’s hard to breathe. I don’t say a word. I turn to leave. Kat chases after me. I’m taller, so my strides are longer. I’m sure I’ll get in my car and be gone before she catches up with me, but I’m wrong. She grabs my arm, “Damian please.”

I turn to her, blood boiling hot, “What do you want, Katherina?”

She chews on her bottom lip, those eyes begging me for what I’m not sure. I watch her cautiously as she nervously twists her fingers, “Don’t go.”

I sigh audibly, “I have to. I can’t stand looking at you, it makes me sick.”

Her head snaps back like I’ve slapped her across the face, and unshed tears fill her eyes, “I’ll go. These are your friends, not mine.”

Staring at her earnestly, I say, “Nah. You stay. I’m gonna go. They really aren’t my friends anymore.”

The sky opens up, and the rain falls. I take one last look at the person I want, need but can never fucking have. Then I turn away once again, my heart is left with her. She owns it completely, I’ll never get it back.

As I walk to my car, she says to my back, “Damian, I’m sorry.”

I stop momentarily as the rain soaks my face, “Don’t be. You did nothing wrong, Katherina. Nothing.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Kat

I watch Damian drive away before I turn to go back into the house. I’m drenched from the rain. I walk back inside and close the door behind me. Domenic walks over to me with a towel and hands it to me, “Can we talk?”

I nod, “Sure.”

After drying my hair, I follow Domenic to what looks like an office. He waves for me to sit on the large sofa, so I do, and he sits beside me.

“Katherina, I know my brother is pushing you away.”

I nod, “It makes him sick to look at me.”

He shakes his head with disapproval, “I don’t know if you blame him, but he is definitely blaming himself for what happened. I know you might be angry with Damian-”

I interrupt him, “I’m not. Domenic, he never would’ve done that if he didn’t have to. I know that and I believe he must know that as well. If he hadn’t, it would’ve been so much worse.”

He nods, “Yes, but now he’s coming unglued. We used to call him the saint because he had this need to save women from men like the Bianchi’s. This is something my brother never would have done if he had a better choice.”

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