Page 152 of Devil Mine

His fists clench when he notes my reaction.

“What?”

“At Callum Tellier’s gala a couple months ago, there was a woman there in a gold dress. I saw her hug you.” His eyes glitter angrily in the most palpable display of heated emotion I’ve seen from him. “I assume she’s one of yours. I want her.”

He leans forward and for the first time, I see the man behind the mask. Cunning, scheming eyes, determined set of his jaw, ruthless expression on his face.

Thisis what he came here for. This is what he set out to achieve, to walk out of my office with.

This is what victory looks like to him.

It’s not about a truce or an alliance. No, those are secondary objectives.

This is about Valentina.

The vehemence in his tone is completely at odds with his previously easy going demeanor.

Alarm bells go off at the way he speaks about my little sister. “How do you know her?”

He stands and stares down at where I’m seated.

“That’s not relevant, nor is it any of your concern. What is, is the fact that I want her and I will have her. Give her to me and you have my word that I’ll help you find out what happened to your sister,” he announces.

???

Later, I’m sitting alone at the bar beforeTantaopens for the night, trying to nurse my bad mood with a fifth glass of whiskey. No matter how much I drink, I can’t make the images of my wife go away. They’re engraved into the backs of my eyelids. Every time I blink, she’s there. Tempting me, luring me to her. Hitting me like a goddamn earthquake and jumbling all the pieces inside me.

My phone is in my other hand. I watch the blinking, unmoving dot that is her location. I’ve been staring at it for hours.

Meanwhile, I’m sure she hasn’t even spared a thought for me since I stalked out yesterday. I grunt angrily and bury my face back in my glass.

“What are you still doing here,jefe?” Arturo asks, walking up to the bar and sitting on a stool next to me.

“Drinking.”

“I can see that. Are you going to sleep here again tonight?” When I look over at him, he explains, “Marco told me, although I could have guessed based on the shit mood you’ve been in since yesterday.”

“Careful,” I warn.

He snorts and waves at Sofia, the bartender, to pour him a drink and refill mine. “Isn’t there a certain blonde anxiously waiting for you to go home?”

“Nope,” I clip, picking up my glass. The ice clinks loudly.

Silence stretches as he takes a sip of his drink.

“I don’t believe that.”

I twirl my glass haphazardly on its side, my eyes glazing over. Alcohol loosens my tongue until I’m doing my version of spilling my guts. Part of me feels like a frustrated teenager for being unable to resist talking about my girl troubles.

“We argued.”

“Because of her father?”

I glare at him. “How the fuck is it that you seem to know everything all the time?”

“I overheard part of their conversation,” he admits. He turns his head towards me, looking into my eyes when he adds, “He fired her, Thiago.”

My blood turns to ice, my features slackening in fury. “I beg your pardon?”

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