Page 26 of Broken Prince

LUCA

I woke up hangover-free for the first time in… Actually, I couldn’t remember the last time it happened.

My anger yesterday had been so overwhelming and exhausting that I hadn’t needed to numb the memories with alcohol.

I’d hated that I thought she’d lied to me for the meal. I’d put her on such a pedestal, I’d been disappointed, and then I’d taken a bite of the food and it felt like my mother had been in the kitchen, and I’d just flipped.

I felt the betrayal at that woman’s trick, the pain of the memory of the last time my mother cooked that meal. I could almost hear Arabella’s laugh, and for a few minutes, just for a few minutes, I hated Cassie for making me like her, for exposing my pain so blatantly in front of her.

I acted out like a madman, terrifying her. Once Dom interrupted my trance, I’d left and checked the com system, and Dom had said the truth; he had been the one tricking her to have dinner with me.

I went back downstairs but hesitated. I’d been so angry, I’d shown her my face, and she’d gasped. This rejection had been like fuel on the fire of my rage; I somehow expected more from her.

Once I was calmer I went back to the salon, unsure what I would find and what I could say. I was thankful that Dom had stopped whatever I’d been about to do or say to her.

The room was empty. I looked at the corner where she’d cowered and a new wave of guilt washed over me… Like I needed any more guilt in my life.

I cleaned the mess I’d made as if it could also erase the mess I made with her tonight.

I waited a while in the room, hoping she would come and clean. Maybe I could apologize in some way, but she never came back, and I gave up after a while, not sure how I could even make it better.

After waking up more or less normal this morning, I grabbed a granola bar and a bottle of water from my room and took the back stairs to the home gym. I’d been too drunk to visit it for a while but today I wanted to use all this energy and anger against a punching bag instead of lashing out at the girl. I was quite surprised she didn’t go packing last night.

I found Dom sitting on a bench, curling some weights.

I was angry at him for what he did. It was all his fault at the end of the day; he had no right to trick me the way he did.

I scowled at him silently, not sure where to start.

He stood up and put the weight back on the stand.

He rolled his eyes at my glare. “I’m going back up in a minute, have at it.”

I pointed an accusing finger at him. “You had no right to do what you did!”

He nodded. “I agree. I didn’t realize that—” He grabbed his T-shirt from the floor and put it on. “Never mind, I’ve got to get ready.”

“No, finish what you’re saying. And you’re not working this morning.”

“I’m not, but I have to drive Cassie back to town. She’s leaving.”

I should have been relieved and yet, the unfamiliar stabbing in the middle of my chest stated otherwise.

I frowned. “What do you mean ‘leaving’?”

He let out a humorless laugh. “Did you think that poor girl was going to stay after the fear you caused her?”

The betrayal at him taking her away was so powerful even if unjustified. I wanted to hurt him right back. “Ah, and you know all about instigating fears in poor women, don’t you?”

That was a cheap shot and I knew it. It was my knee-jerk reaction except that I was both the knee and the jerk.

He reached for his bottle of water on the floor and took a drink.

“Once upon a time you were a mafioso with ethics, with morals. This was why you were so respected and butting heads with your father every day and it is also why they all admired you, me included. But you see, the more I tried to convince her to stay, the more I was telling her how you used to be, the more I realize that you may never be that man again.”

Ah, he too was giving up on me, just when I needed him to tell me to go to her. When I needed him to convince me I could get some forgiveness from her.

“What happened to you thinking she was good for me?” I sneered. “Wasn’t it why you pulled that stupid stunt?”

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