Page 116 of Sinful Sacrifice

Pippa doesn’t carry the same level of attitude with Antonio as she does me.

He’d never hurt her. He knows if anyone ever laid a hand on her—boss or not—I’d become his worst enemy.

Her response reminds me why we’re in this situation, to begin with.

Because she fucking left.

I stop behind her, the urge to tug her ponytail and make her drop to her knees in front of me strong. “Maybe if you didn’t, I’d be marrying you instead.”

She waves her hand in the air. “Good riddance I did then.”

I’m so close, and she shudders when I lower my lips to her ear.

My dancer might believe she hates me. Her body says otherwise.

“You left because you’re a fucking coward,” I sneer.

“That’s enough,” Antonio barks. “Pippa, go home.”

Pippa pushes herself away from me while steadying her gaze on Antonio. “Fine. I don’t want one of your men following me.”

“It’ll be them or me,” I say coldly.

Keeping her back to me, she lifts her hand and extends her middle finger over her shoulder.

I snatch her wrist, give it a twist, and turn her to face me. “Flip me off again, and I’ll hold you against the wall and shove that finger inside your pussy until you stop with your fucking attitude.”

She jerks from my hold. “I hate you.”

When she heads for the door and I attempt to follow, Antonio blocks me.

“Leo will trail her,” he says. “We need to talk in my office.”

Leo is Antonio’s cousin and is just as involved in this life as him.

I might be Antonio’s underboss, but he’s still the boss. So, while I have plenty of freedom, if he says we need to talk, then we need to talk. As long as someone trails her, I’m okay.

Pippa gets into her car, and I call Leo.

“Make sure you watch Pippa until I tell you otherwise,” I instruct while following Antonio into his office.

“On it,” he replies.

Did Pippa actually believe I’d remove her trackers?

I’ll keep one on her until the day I take my last breath.

Hell, I’ve arranged for someone to do it even after my death.

“Do you want me to break off your engagement?” Antonio asks.

I massage my temples. “We can’t. Koglin isn’t a man you breach contracts with. We’re trying to get back on our feet. If we break this contract, we’ll have even more enemies.”

Antonio strolls to the bar cart, grabs two tumblers, and pours double shots of whiskey. When he passes one to me, I drink it in a single gulp. Rather than pouring me a refill, he hands me the entire bottle of Johnnie Walker.

“You’re off for the rest of the night,” he says. “Stay here. Leave. Do whatever you want. If you leave, wait to finish that until you return.”

I’ve been sleeping here lately, watching Amara when he’s working. Now that Pippa no longer lives in the brownstone, it’s lonely as hell, and I have a deep-seated hatred for silence.

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