Page 53 of Forbidden Cravings

“Don’t you ever call her a whore again,” I growled.

He got me in the kidney, and I rolled from him, in too much pain to move. He was no better, his face just as battered as mine.

“Why?” he asked as we laid there panting. In his voice, I heard the defeat. “Of all the things you could have done. If you wanted to hurt me, why use her like that?”

“I didn’t use her,” I wheezed. “I love her, Ty.” The words fell from my lips like they had been waiting for me to say them, reserved only for her because the depth of emotion that filled me when I said them was one I’d never experienced.

He looked over at me, his expression unreadable. His eyes held mine for what seemed forever before he picked himself up and walked away. I laid there, hearing the car drive away and wondering if he’d ever forgive me and if he’d ever see past his anger to realize the truth in my words.

The cutsand bruises on my face healed, but the pain in my chest, along with the guilt that was swallowing me piece by piece, only intensified as the days passed. Tyson moved out. His clothes and essentials were gone from his room by the timeI arrived at the house. Breck informed me he was staying in the apartment we kept in the city. I didn’t bother calling him, knowing he needed the time to cool down. And he didn’t reach out to me. The silence stung me and after a week of shaming myself for falling for Casey, the guilt turned to anger.

Tyson knew me better than anyone, better than even Riley did. He should have known I wouldn’t use Casey, that I wasn’t a player like he was, that if I admitted the words that I had finally released, words I had yet to admit to her, it was serious. Yet he kept his blinders on, seeing only the betrayal of what I’d done and not anything good about it. What was so wrong with me making Casey mine?

My phone rang as the car took me to the gym where I knew I’d find Tyson. He’d been avoiding me for over a week, and I was ready to put this behind us. Casey was still in Armina and with every day that passed, the need to bring her home gnawed at me.

“This better be good, Donelli. I’m in the middle of something.”

“You need to work on that temperament, Mason. It does you no service.”

“Fuck off, Donelli. What do you want?”

“I need a favor.”

They were words that carried a lot of weight in my business, especially since I’d done him several favors.

“And what do I get in return for this favor?”

“My loyalty.”

I laughed. “I have that already. I need something more.”

“My son may have leaked your relationship with Casey to her brother, but no one else knows because I shut him down and kept my mouth shut.”

So that’s why I had heard no rumblings.

“You have time to deal with your little mess because I kept the wolves from your door.”

I gritted my teeth, hating that things had gone down this way, that I hadn’t just confronted Tyson when he’d returned home, told him the truth then instead of having it revealed so that it left me vulnerable. Enough so that Donelli was using it to exploit me, leaving me no choice but to do his bidding. Tyson and I came as a pair and if there was friction between us, the other families would see it as weakness, an opportunity to strike while our rift had my attention diverted.

Greyson had assured me he would keep it quiet, and I was certain none of my men would talk, but that didn’t mean Donelli wouldn’t. Not only did that leave me weak, but it left Casey exposed. Now Donelli was her only protection until I could bring her home. I cursed myself for not forcing her to return with me.

“What do you want?”

“I need your help with my Angela.”

Cringing, I hesitated to know what kind of help he needed with the bitch. My distaste for her had grown infinitely after her comments about Casey’s weight. She was the last one I wanted to deal with right now.

“Why?”

“Tirenti has a son, older prick who treats women like shit. He’s the last person I want anywhere near her, but he’s taken a liking to her.”

“I fail to see why that’s my problem.”

He was quiet for a moment. The car had pulled up to the gym, but I motioned for Breck to wait. He left the car, Leo following, the two then standing guard while I talked.

“Tirenti wants my Angela to marry him.”

My laugh was vicious. It was perfect for the wench. I’d seen Tirenti’s son. He was a massive oaf who fucked everything in sight. Tirenti was a boss who ruled his territory with a firm grip, but his son terrorized every woman in it. When rumors of rape had surfaced, I’d threatened Tirenti to rein him in or lose myalliance with him. I didn’t tolerate that kind of behavior from anyone I associated myself with. Without me, his hold on the drug market there would have faltered and Stirk, the boss to the north of him, would have swooped in and buried him. As it stood, I held both of them in my network and Tirenti knew it. I could unleash Stirk on him within a matter of minutes.

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