Page 137 of Wicked Rivals

“So what happened? She forgot about you? You don’t matter to her like she matters to you? Does she even know your name?”

The asshole’s face turned fifty shades of red. Sweat soaked his hair and dripped down the sides of his face. Spittle flew from his mouth as he shrieked again.

“You don't know what the fuck you're talking about!”

“I do, but you got what you wanted anyway. You told me to break off my engagement to Benedetta, and I did that. It's not my fault she doesn't know your name while you're waiting by the phone to hear from her. I mean, what makes you think you’re good enough for either of these women?”

“Because I'm a real man. I can provide for them. I can?—”

He stopped mid-sentence and looked around the space. He’d heard Enzo drawing closer through the shadows.

Fuck. I had to draw the psycho’s attention back to me.

“Provide for them?” I scoffed. “On a teacher's salary? What exactly are you going to provide… this rundown old house that should’ve been demolished years ago?”

His sneer trembled, and I hoped to hell I had him snagged.

“You've seen the way Benedetta dresses,” I continued. “You couldn't afford one of her handbags if you saved for a decade.”

Now his arms trembled. The pistol in his hand shook.

“You don't know what you're talking about,” he repeated. “I work at a prestigious academy.”

“You work in an overpriced shithole, where the principal is so underpaid, she took a bribe to hire you. Benedetta needs a king. She would never love a pauper like you.”

I shook my head andtsked.

“You are no king,” I added.

A sound like a shoe scuffing against the side of a box came from the stacks of junk in the corner. Cozza whipped his head in that direction.

Taking a couple of steps forward, I dragged my feet, making a similar noise as I moved.

“And what about Valerie? How are you going to support her and her child, Cozza? You said you wanted more children. So how will you get the money to feed them?

“Both women need a real man. Someone in charge who can take care of them in the way they deserve. You can't even take care of yourself. You don't deserve these women. They’re far beyond your means.”

“Nothing is beyond my means,” he snapped.

“Nothing is within your means,” I countered. “Look at this place. It's falling apart all around you. And I know for a fact you didn’t pay for this shithole. You inherited it.”

He blinked several times like he realized I knew his real identity, that I’d uncovered all his secrets.

But he still hadn’t lost it. I had to push him harder.

“And even still,” I said, “you're about to lose this house. I know you're behind on the taxes. And you have one month tops before this place goes into foreclosure. Pretty sure the only reason it’s been delayed is because the bank took one look at this dump and realized they couldn't even sell it.”

“If I had a wife, she would?—”

“If you had a wife, she would kill herself,” I said.

That one hit a nerve.

“You don't deserve them either,” Cozza shouted. “Why don't I just take care of this one for us both right now, huh? Then we'll go find Benedetta and make sure she knows a real man will marry her if you won’t.”

“And who the fuck would that be?”

“Me,” he screamed. “I'm the real man! I deserve her!”

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