Page 40 of Selfish Desires

Without another word, she hurried out of the office, her heels clicking against the concrete floor before the door shut with a soft thud. I let out a sigh I didn't realize I had been holding.

I walked over to the window and stared out at the city below. It was a mess, just like me. There was a time when I loved this life when the thrill of the gamble made me feel alive. But now...now it all felt empty. Pivoting from the window, I stormed over to my desk, hitting the extension for my head of security for the games. “Hi, can you come in here? It’s an emergency.” I released the button and waited for Dominic to appear.

The seconds passed like molasses, my heart pounding a heated rhythm in my chest, each beat echoing Wendy's name like a mantra. She was the reason I was trying to change, and it fueled my raging determination to prove to her that I had.

The door clicked open, revealing Dominic, dressed in all back and built like a mobile brick wall. “Boss?” His voice buzzed like a chainsaw, low and with an edge that made most men flinch.

“Dominic, the games are over,” I said without preamble, my hands fisting on the desk. “Tell everyone to leave. Give them back the money they put in for tonight, and we’ll figure out the rest to settle everyone up.”

His eyes narrowed on me, his body rigid as he processed my words. “What? Why?”

“And not only that,” I began, snapping twice in the air. “I want a list of everyone who has open debts against me. I want to wipe them clean and forgive their debt.”

“Are you outta your mind? That’s millions of dollars.” Dominic took a cautious step closer as if frightened to wake up the bear in me.

“I don't care about the money, Dominic,” I said sharply, my gaze held steady on him. “I'm done with all of this. Done with the games, the debts...this life. I'm finished.”

“You’re scaring me.” A stuttered laugh escaped his lips; it was the first time I had witnessed Dominic nervous. “Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m feeling great. For the first time in years, I feel fantastic. Don’t worry. I will cut you a nice severance for all your help these last three years.” I collapsed onto my chair, swiveling back and forth slowly, but Dominic remained frozen and stunned in place. I chuckled softly at his confusion. “No worries, big guy. You’ll be fine, I assure you.”

Dominic stared at me, jaw clenched and fists balled at his sides. He looked like he was on the verge of exploding, but I knew him better. He’d never harm me. I was his superior, and Dominic always operated as a loyal soldier. Plus, he was a dirty cop at the end of all this. He’d never cross me. Otherwise, his badge would melt through my fingers.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he nodded slowly. “If that's what you want, boss.”

“It is,” I confirmed with a nod. As Dominic made to leave the office, I added, “Thank you, Dominic.”

The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving me alone in my office once more. I let out another sigh, this one of relief. I opened up my laptop that was neatly planted in the center of my desk and booked a one-way ticket to Newport because if Wendy thought I’d be dumb enough to take the whole week to figure out if I wanted to spend the rest of my life without her, I was ready to prove her dead wrong.

Twelve hours later…

I touched down in Rhode Island, rented a car, punched in Wendy’s address, and zoomed to her house. She had no idea I was doing this, and I hoped to God I wasn’t going to scare the living shit out of her when I showed up practically in the middle of the night at her doorstep. It wasn’t the smoothest of plans on my part, but it was a huge step toward my progress to rebuild what we lost. Also, I didn’t bother to check Newport weather and how fucking freezing it was compared to the sizzling Miami heat I bathed in hours ago. I wore the suit from earlier with the matching jacket. That was it. To say I was cold was an understatement.

I pulled up to Wendy’s house at almost 2 AM. I killed the lights on my car when a heavy frown swallowed my face. Where the fuck was her car, and was she really not home? My first instinct was to call her, but I had this big surprise in my head and would not spoil it. Maybe she had a late night at the cafe. It was a Thursday, so maybe there was a huge dinner rush, followed by those lazy tables who wanted to keep drinking and talking the night away. Sure, that was it.

Or perhaps I was a fool filling my head with these maybes. I swallowed the doubt building in my throat and stepped out of the car. I closed the door and walked to the front entrance, peering through the windows to see if anyone was home. I rang the doorbell five times like a stalker, knocked on the door, and finally on the window’s glass.

Yep, no one was home. I huffed out a white breath of air, watching it pool before my face as a sudden chill wracked my body. Not the end of the world, I thought. I would just wait in my car until Wendy returned. When I walked back to the maroon rental and pulled the door handle, only to be met with resistance, the first wave of panic settled in my body. I grabbed at all my pockets, patting myself down. Squinting through the dark glass, I spotted the keys to the car on the dashboard and tried all the door handles one more time.

Of course, I locked myself out of the car on a fucking frigid night. Freezing wind whipped against my face as I cursed under my breath, pulling the collar of my light jacket tighter around my neck. In Miami, we never needed heavy winter coats and gloves, just a light jacket and the occasional scarf on a cool day. But this was New England in December, and it felt like being in the middle of an arctic storm. I paced back and forth, tucked close to Wendy's house, where the wind was slightly less punishing. The lights were on—no one was home. I occasionally rang the doorbell with a frostbitten finger, hoping she'd miraculously appear. It was all pointless but better than succumbing to the bone-deep cold.

I slumped onto the rocking chair that wasn’t here a few days ago as I wrapped every piece of exposed skin I could manage under my jacket, hoping I wouldn’t die out here tonight. What a tragedy that would be, or would it? No, no. I was going to survive this. If I died on Wendy’s front porch and she found me dead, she’d never forgive me. Tipping my head back, I slowly rocked until I fell asleep, my body trembling. The last thought I remembered was to please stay alive.

“Vincent?” A faint voice cracked my dreamless sleep.

I woke up with a jolt, disoriented and chilled to the bone. My teeth chattered inside my mouth as I tried to stand up, my legs stiff from the cold. My body stiffened from the air, and when I went to stand, I fell onto the wooden porch with a deadening thud. The cold must have numbed every limb in my body because I felt nothing, but I'd definitely feel something a few hours from now.

“Vincent!” The voice was clearer, sharper this time.

Blinking through the blinding light of the porch, I squinted at the blurry figure standing over me. Wendy. Her hand clutched over her mouth in shock, her sparkling eyes wide with disbelief and concern.

“D...damn it, Wendy,” I tried to say, but my tongue felt heavy in my mouth. My skin prickled as if a million tiny needles were piercing me.

“What…the hell…are you doing here?” she stammered out, her voice unsteady.

“Wendy, babe…” I reached into the empty dark air, and Wendy’s warm hand cradled mine, bringing it to her smooth face.

“Talk to me, Vin.” She bent, her face inches from mine, her warm breath blanketing my mouth.

---