Page 42 of Twisted Games of Revenge

“Congratulations, lovers. How exciting,” she coos. “I’m going to call Onyx, help us check Geovani’s gym, see if we can’t locate him. Maybe Alessandro can be a darling and go check Geovani’s apartment for you,” she suggests.

He mutters something under his breath as she walks away. He doesn’t like having a female tell him what to do.

I chuckle to myself while I get to work wiping up the mess Sloane just made. Rinsing the cloth and hanging it over the tap, I turn back to him. “Is this really going to work? It has my stomach in knots.”

He closes the gap between us, wrapping his arms around me, his lips finding mine. “Start trusting me to take care of you, princess. I wouldn’t let you go through with it if I didn’t think it was a good idea. My parents want me married off, my papa thinks you are his little spy, and my mother adores you. This is going to work.”

I stare up at him, getting momentarily lost in his dark eyes. “It’s just a fake engagement, Alex. Fake, you do understand that, right?”

He grins at me, and I know he’s no longer taking me seriously or listening to a word I’m saying. Fuck, I’m going to end up married to him, aren’t I?

Twenty minutes later, we pull up outside of Geovani’s gym. The original one I was training with him in when I thought he was an undercover detective. The front glass door is wide open, and I get a horrible sinking feeling. I leap from the car before Onyx even has time to kill the engine and run toward the building in a panic.

When I get inside, the stench of stale alcohol hits me in the face. Then I see the mess. Discarded pizza boxes lie open on the combat mat with half-finished pizza hanging out. Empty bottles of whiskey and beer are scattered amongst them. I push my way through the rubble and head for his office. There flopped over his couch, head down, is Geovani. And I pray to whoever will listen that he’s just passed out.

I go to him, shaking his shoulder, trying to get him to budge. “Geovani, it’s me,” I say quietly, not wanting to startle him. He doesn’t move, and I really start to panic.

“Looks like he’s out cold,” Sloane comments from behind me, sounding less worried.

My anxious eyes rise to meet hers, and I know she can see I’m starting to freak the fuck out.

“He’s just passed out drunk, if the mess we walked past is anything to go by.” She shrugs it off like it’s no big deal.

“Geovani,” I call louder, trying to snap him out of it, shaking him more vigorously, but still nothing.

Next thing I know it, Sloane’s marching past me with the jug out of the water cooler. She turns the bottle on its head and ice-cold water rushes out over his face.

He sits up in a rush, coughing and spluttering, scrubbing his hands over his face as he tries to get his bearings. “What the fuck,” his gorgeous voice croaks out.

I throw my arms around him in a hug, so happy to see he’s alive, regretting it immediately when my clothes get all soggy. I give him a tight hug then pull back to study his face. His lip is busted up and he has a black eye, but that’s nothing new for him really.

His eyes narrow like he’s trying to work out who the hell I am.

“Geovani, it’s me, Red,” I say, remembering I look a fuck load different to when he saw me last.

He blinks a few times then his head sways. “Red, what are you doing here?” He looks between us, his glassy eyes trying to focus. “With Sloane Stryker?”

I offer him a goofy smile, knowing it makes no sense at all. “It’s a long story. What the hell are you doing? You’ve been missing for days.”

He scrubs his hands over his face, then holds on to the couch like his head is spinning while he is trying to gather himself.

While I wait for him to get his shit together, I pull out my phone and call Alessandro. “Found him. He’s been hiding out at his gym. He’s a mess. I’m going to take him back to my apartment and get him fixed up if you want to meet us there.”

“Marco, never mind, he’s been located,” I hear him call down the line to my brother. Fuck, he must be at Geovani’s place right now. “Bring him to the mansion.” He disconnects the call before I have a chance to say no. And I get it, it’s probably safer to take him there, and at least he will have stuff there to change into, so there probably wasn’t cause to argue, but still.

I return my attention to Geovani. He takes my hand. “I couldn’t see you anymore, thought I lost you. Is it really you, Red?” he asks me softly. He looks all kind of dazed.

“Sure is, just had a little makeover so Enzo couldn’t find me, you know the drill.”

His eyes narrow in, trying to focus on me. He’s really out of it.

Guilt eats at me. I close my eyes and inhale deeply. When I open them, I notice the computer that normally sits on his desk is smashed to pieces, and his knuckles are also all cut up. If I had to guess I would say he lost his shit when he realized I destroyed every way of him finding me. I hold a hand out toward him, and he takes it and stands on shaky legs, wrapping his arms around me, before pulling my face to his for a kiss.

“Why do you look like one of the Iron Strykers? Don’t tell me you married one of them while I was out of it.”

I laugh at his dramatics. “You know my thoughts on marriage, Geovani.” Then I remember the ring on my finger and my heart sinks. It’s all for show, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to hurt him. Fuck. “This get-up is to help me blend in with my new friend.”

He looks over to Sloane and offers her a nod. “Oh yeah, hey, Sloane, been awhile.”

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