Page 34 of Blood & Loyalties
“Maria, what the hell do you want?” He was very curt with her, so I knew for sure it wasn’t his mother, or she would have his ass hanging by his balls.
As much as I would love to hear the other side of the conversation, I kept to myself and tried not to let my heart feel the crush of what was falling around me.
“What do you mean? Zan came and said what?”
The air in the car changed quickly, and I looked around to see what was going on. Hulk’s shoulders were tense, and Jag looked as if he could spit nails and pound them into the ground at the same time. Something was definitely going to combust and I placed my guard fully up for the explosion.
“That son of a bitch. No. I’ll call Vinny and get him to stay with you. Can you keep your fucking legs closed while he’s there?”
My brows rose, and confusion was my main affliction. Who the hell was this chick?
“If I find out you fucked him, I’ll relinquish my protection and my fucking money. Got me?” He clicked off the phone, furious.
“Dan, call Brett and the boys. Meeting in the rush in thirty.”
Hulk nodded and made a call that was so hushed I couldn’t understand a word of it.
I was a glutton for punishment, so I asked, “Wife or girlfriend?”
Jag’s eyes flamed wildly. “Neither. Ex-wife. Been divorced for three years and she’s still a pain in my fucking ass.”
A small bit of the tension left, but not enough to relieve the coil inside me. Since I was just cheated on by Antonio, I was not a hundred percent certain I could believe him. That wound was a bit too fresh and whatever trust I had in him drifted away. Not to mention, he had just called a meeting inmyhouse without asking me. I decided to focus on that instead of my dumb feelings.
The car pulled to a stop in the drive, and I opened the door. “Next time you call a meeting, you ask me to use my house.” I paused. “You may be high up with my father, but it’s still my home, so you ask.” I stepped out then walked quickly to the door.
Footsteps crunching behind me came up quickly before Jag grabbed my arm to stop me.
“Sorry. I should have asked. I shouldn’t have assumed it was okay.”
I nodded, brushing his hand off. After entering the house, I headed to the living room before turning to face Jag, Scraper, Hulk, Blondie, and Dune, who had all decided to join the party.
“Scraper, you and Dune make sure everyone leaves when it’s done.” With that, I turned to walk up the stairs, done with this bullshit. If he wanted to treat me like shit, he had another thing coming. I won’t stand for it.
“Catarina!” Jag yelled sternly from the bottom of the stairs.
I stopped and turned around, giving him my attention, but no expression. There was no smile and no frown on my face; it was completely impassive, but looking at him made my heart crack.
“I’m not done with you yet,” he said, walking up the steps.
My body went stiff. “If you’re lucky, I’ll see you tomorrow night. It’s late, and I have to work tomorrow.” Back again to the lying. I didn’t want to see him again. Even if what he said was the truth, this will help me build up my wall and resolve where he was concerned.
I rushed the rest of the way up the stairs to the sound of his loud growl. I didn’t stop, and I didn’t answer his calls as I shut and locked my bedroom door. Then I flew into the bathroom, turning on the hot water, and scrubbed myself clean in record time. I wasn’t stupid enough to think he wouldn’t pick the lock to my room and come in. Something told me he was very efficient in getting what he wanted. Right then, however, I didn’t want to be anywhere near him or his supposed ex-wife. He had business, so let him go handle it.
I dressed quickly and took the back walkway over to Kiera’s wing of the house. It was one of the best features. It was merely a narrow walkway that spanned from my side of the house all the way to hers. Dad said it was a safety feature. I just thought it was cool.
I quietly knocked on the door as I turned the handle and walked in. Kiera looked up from her book and smiled.
“Tell me all about tonight.” The smile instantly fell with one look of my face. “Wait. Why are you here and not with Jag?”
I locked the door and climbed onto her bed, burrowing myself under her blankets and stuffing my face in her pillow.
She set her book down on the table next to her then snuggled down with me. “What happened?”
“It was a perfect night. He fed me by hand. I fell asleep on him after looking at the stars, and then we had sex like lust-filled teens. Then”—I paused and shut my eyes trying not to let the pain eat me—“when we got back in the car, Hulk said Jag’s phone was ringing like crazy, but he didn’t answer it because it washer.” Kiera tensed. “Yeah. He says it’s his ex-wife, but who knows if he’s telling the truth? Anyway, he got pissed at something this Maria—that was her name—said and called a meeting. They’re having it right now in the rush, and I told Scraper to make sure they all left when it was over, so now I’m here with you.” The knife in my chest decided to poke in and out a few times, shredding my insides.
“You never know, he’s more than likely telling the truth.”
“Antonio’s a little too fresh for me to want to figure that out,” I snapped.
