Page 22 of His Gilded Cage

For a moment I wanted to reach out and pull her towards me. I wanted to fuck on the floor of the bathroom until we both cried out.

I closed my eyes, willing myself to remember the details of the hours we spent at the costly hotel. “I tried to pay for the room and you told me not to worry about it,” I said, speaking faster as adrenaline coursed through my veins. “I should have known something was wrong then. None of it made sense, but I was so happy to see you I pretended not to notice.”

“Marco, nothing was wrong.”

“Yes, it was,” I shouted. I took a breath, my hands balled into fists. “There is no way you got to Cabo on your own. No way.” I stared at Carmella as she stood before me. Her face frozen in a tense smile, her chest rising and falling a bit faster than normal. A sickening thought clicked into place and there was no going back. I could no longer hide from the truth. “My father helped you didn’t he,” I said. “Luis knew you would distract me for hours. He had to get my mother alone, he couldn’t have me as a witness to her murder.”

“I can’t listen to you,” Carmella said, her voice steely. She pushed past me reaching for a towel on her way out. “You’re talking like a madman.”

“I’m finally talking sense,” I said. “Your job was to distract me and you did. You’ve distracted me for years. Even now, I have to ask myself why you are here Carmella?”

“I’m here because I love you,” she said, spinning on her heels. Her face red, tears filled her eyes as she shouted. “I love you and I am trying to save you from your goddamn self.”

“You’re trying to save me,” I whispered. “Does Luis know the lengths you go to distract and save his fucked up son?”

“Stop it,” she said, pulling on her underwear. She turned her back to me and slipped her bra on and pulled her white blouse over her wet head. She picked up her shoes and walked out the bedroom door refusing to meet my eyes.

“Does he know that you sleep with me when he sends you out on these errands?” I said. “He doesn’t, does he. Did he force you to break off our relationship when he offered you the job on his staff, or did you do that on your own?”

“I’m not listening to this.”

Just then, another realization hit me smack in the solar plexus. “Jesus Christ,” I leaned over struggling to breathe. “You’re in love with him aren’t you?”

Carmella stood in front of me fully dressed now. Her glasses on, she looked like the hardened and angry woman who had shown up at my door the day before.

“You are either in love with him, or you are fucking him, I’m not sure which, I’m not sure I care,” I said, trying to keep my breath steady.

“You don’t know what you are saying.”

“I am just trying to figure out if you ever loved me at all, or if you have always been entertaining me, fucking me when it suits my father’s plans though I doubt he would approve of your methods now.”

She glared.

“When you give Luis your report on me, will you tell him that I made you come three times last night?”

Her lips tightened into a line and her breathing changed. She looked cornered and angry, all traces of her beauty and softness disappearing.

“He doesn’t know how much you love spreading your legs for me, does he?” I walked towards her, my breath coming in angry bursts. I was aroused and angry. I wanted to hurt her with my words.

She reached out running her fingers along my jaw. “I loved you, Marco,” she said, her voice full of sorrow. “Please stop. It’s not too late for us.” She stood on her toes and kissed me but her lips felt cold pressing against mine.

I didn’t move. I didn’t respond.

“Get out,” I whispered, not moving.

“Marco, you don’t understand. I didn’t mean for it to be this way.”

“And I wasn’t sure I was right until this moment.”

Her mouth opened and closed as if she had lost the ability to speak.

“Get out of my sight,” I said. I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t have to watch her leave, then I locked the door and fell to my knees.

In the hours that followed my rage transformed into something I could no longer control.

I kept the lights off, my eyes closed as I plotted my next move.

My phone rang several times.

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