Page 31 of Ruined

“Fine,” I ground out. “You want a fucking loser? You’ve got one.”

I stormed out, my mind a whirlwind of violence. The hallway felt too narrow. My thoughts spiraled as I stormed toward the stairwell.

They didn’t even bother with a pretense. Loyalty didn’t mean shit in this family.

A door slammed behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder.

Dominic headed toward me. “Luca.”

I ignored him, picking up my pace.

A hand clamped around my arm, yanking me to a stop. Dominic shoved me into an empty office, slamming the door behind us.

“What the fuck do you want?” I snarled, spinning to face him. “Here to remind me to be a good lapdog?”

His eyes narrowed. “You’re pissed off. Don’t do something stupid and make it worse.”

“How much worse can it get, Dom? I’m their goddamned punching bag. Hell, you’re probably loving this. Another reason to call me a fucking failure.”

He stepped closer. “You done yet? Or do you need to keep throwing your tantrum?”

“This is me keeping it together. You wouldn’t want to see what happens when I stop.”

He smirked. “Go ahead, Luca. Show me how scary you are. Throw your punches. Or is it easier to storm out like a kid who didn’t get his way?”

“Fuck you.” I stepped closer, toe-to-toe with him now. “You think I’m scared of you? Of them? I’ve survived worse than this family’s bullshit.”

“Then stop acting like you’ve got something to prove,” he snapped. “You’re in, Luca. Whether they trust you or not, you’re here. So, what are you going to do about it?”

I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”

“You think you’re an outcast. There’s no place for you. People either want to use you to murder or kill you themselves. If you’re eager to prove them right, get on your knees and bark like the Bratva dog you think you are.” His lips twitched. “Or you could get on your knees and do something actually useful.”

“Fuck off.”

“You’re so obsessed with what everyone thinks of you, but you can’t even look at yourself in the mirror. You know who you are. You’re Luca-fucking-Costa, and that man is whoeveryoudecide to be.”

My chest heaved. “That man is ruined.”

He reached out, grabbing my jaw. His firm touch sent a jolt through me.

“You know what I think every time I see your hickey? I think about how much it eats at you. How badly you want to pretend it doesn’t exist, but no matter what you do, you can’t erase it.”

The pressure of his thumb increased.

My hands curled into fists. “Why do you keep pushing this?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because you’re gloriously fucked up, and I’ve got a weakness for fixing broken things.”

Heat rushed to my face. “I don’t need your help.”

“I think you do.”

Dominic’s thumb glided across my jaw, tracing a slow line to my lips. He brushed it over my mouth, and heat uncoiled in my stomach. I scrambled for something to shut him out.

Maria.

Her laugh, her perfume, her tits pressed against me. Dominic’s presence burned through every distraction, leaving nothing but the feel of his thumb teasing the edge of my lip.

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