Page 123 of Devious Kingpin
“When I’m checking on you, you open the fucking door,” he said, his voice deep and angry. “Understood?”
I glared at him. “Fuck you, Dante. Don’t think for a second you get to show up here after the shit you’ve done and I’ll be all welcoming.” I pushed against his chest. “Get. The. Fuck. Out.”
“Not until you tell me why you were crying.”
“I wasn’t,” I said defensively. “I was sleeping. At least I was trying to, until your crazy ass slammed through the door.”
He raised his hand and I flinched, but all he did was run a thumb over my cheek, smearing the wet tears. He cupped my face gently, forcing our gazes to lock. His shimmering like a night sky and mine a teary one.
I couldn’t handle this shit right now. I couldn’t stand his touch, so I shoved his hand away. “Don’t.”
This timeheflinched. Raw pain slashed across his beautiful face and speared me through the chest. I ignored it, telling myself I didn’t give two fucks.
He’d broken my trust. He betrayed me.
He took a step back, stuffing his hands in the pockets of that signature three-piece suit. His brows were drawn tight over those dark, tired eyes. Stubble shadowed his cheeks and jaw. It must have been there this morning, but I was so pissed off, I’d failed to notice it. He didn’t shave.
“Can we talk? I want to—” He paused, his throat flexing with a hard swallow. “I don’t have an excuse, but at least I can explain what happened that night.”
A raspy laugh tore from my throat. “You want to explain? A bit late, don’t you think?”
I hated to admit that his betrayal slashed me deep. It was worse because I had started to trust him. To like him. To lo—
I shook my head. No! That was going a step too far.
“Yes, I should have told you sooner,” he stated calmly, his jaw ticking. His eyes grew darker, into unnerving obsidian. “Please let me explain.”
I sighed. I was tired. I didn’t want to argue, and truthfully, I wanted to know what occurred that night, if only to fill in the gaps from my memory. But I wouldn’t forgive.
“Okay.” Relief washed over his face and he tilted his chin toward the couch. “We should sit down.”
My eyes flickered to the door that hung off the hinge. “First have that damn door fixed,” I told him. “I’m not spending a night in this suite with the door wide open.”
He pulled the phone out of his pocket and typed a message. “Someone will fix it tonight.”
We walked deeper into the suite and I sat down on the couch. He took a seat on the chair.
“I love you, Juliette.” The dark timbre of his voice sent shivers rippling down my spine. I didn’t want to hear those words. They didn’t fix his betrayal. “I wanted you from the moment I saw you on top of that bar in that ridiculous orange dress. Then you bumped into me in Chicago and our lives became intertwined.” His breathing was sharp and his scent wrapped around me. “The more you fought me, the harder I fell.”
His words sent me spiraling. All of it was ridiculous. “So it’s my fault. I wouldn’t fall into your arms so you… what? Took matters into your own hands?”
“No. I waited, Juliette. I fucking waited.” He reached inside his suit and pulled out a stack of letters. They were neatly wrapped with a band. He handed them to me. “I waited for you to come around. For you to see that we were meant to be. Otherwise, why would destiny keep bringing us back together? First, that little girl with the ridiculous Victoria’s Secret bags.”
My heart drummed against my ribs. He remembered. He recognized me! Paralyzed by shock, my images of that night in the alley scattered through my mind.
They flashed like a camera.Click. Click. Click.
My dream—memory—came back to me and pain slashed through me. The same scent. The same dark eyes. How did I not see it sooner? The boy who saved me a decade ago. The boy who I promised I’d save.
He was Dante. Dante was him.
“It was you,” I murmured.
He nodded. “Why would we keep crossing paths? It had to mean something.”
“It’s a small world,” I stated, my voice slightly cracking. He’d saved me. I promised him that day that I’d save him. I hadn’t.
“I fucked up. But after waiting two years for you to see me—actually see me—I started to lose hope.” His breaths were heavy with regret. “I had my heart set on you since I met you as a grown woman. Yes, I made a mistake, and I am sorry. For betraying your trust. For not doing the right thing. For not waiting another two years.”
