Page 27 of Final Installment
“Your fiancée?I mean, just assumed,” she said with a little smirk.“You called me her name four times last night.”
Oh, shit.
Fuck.
FUCK.
“Let me guess,” the blonde interjected with a dramatic eyeroll.“We were a mistake, right?This is where you get post-nut clarity and tell us you’re not like this, that you never do things like this with girls like us.”
He hated that term, but he had to admit, it fit his situation perfectly.He was seeing this awful situation with stunningly painful clarity.“I shouldn’t have disrespected my fiancée or the two of you.”
“Honey, after the things you did with your tongue last night?You can disrespect me anytime.”The redhead noisily kissed his cheek and patted his chest.“Good luck being a one-woman man.”
Luka couldn’t shake the shame that hung over him like a storm cloud.Not even a quick scrub at the sink could wash it away.Out in the living room, Devil greeted him with a travel mug of hot coffee.“Thanks.”
Devil stared unnervingly.“Last night, you were talking a lot about the other sister.Alot.”
Luka’s face burned.“Loudly?”
“Loud enough.”Devil slapped his back in what must have been meant as a supportive gesture.Instead, it felt like a baseball to the spine.“My advice when you leave here?Say as little as necessary to the boss and nod so he knows you’re paying attention.And whatever you do—stay out of striking range.He’s got a mean backhand.”
Luka bristled at the notion his uncle would strike him, but considering what he’d done?It wasn’t outside the realm of possibilities.He might be a grown man, but he was still Besian’s nephew.
Not a word was said when he opened the door of his uncle’s car and slid into the passenger seat.Besian’s attention was glued to his phone, and his mouth had settled into a firm and disapproving line.After a few tense moments, Besian dropped his phone into the empty cup holder and shifted into drive.Finally, he said, “You missed your brunch date with Dafina.”
“Fuck.”Luka had woken with the nagging sensation of forgetting something.At Besian’s mention, he grabbed his phone and scowled at the broken screen.“I need a charger.”
“You need a shower.”Besian wrinkled his nose in distaste.“You smell like cheap tequila and pussy.”
Luka grimaced.“I didn’t intend to end up in bed with two women.”
“If you wanted one last wild night, you should have gone to Alina’s.She would have provided you discreet, vetted and very clean girls.God only knows what you picked up with those two.”He looked absolutely disgusted.“I don’t even want to know where you found them.”
“Devil took me to a biker bar.”
Besian swore under his breath.
“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
“Then why did you go out drinking with Devil?Why didn’t you come home and discuss business with me?Or spend time with the sister you haven’t seen in months?”
Uncomfortable with being forced to face his shortcoming, Luka glanced out the window.“I don’t know.”
“I do.You’re a spoiled shithead kid who has never sacrificed a goddamn thing for anyone else.”
“Hey!”Luka glared at his uncle.“That’s not fair.I’ve sacrificed a lot.”
Besian laughed harshly.“No, you haven’t.”
“I lost my father and my mother and I was forced to take over as head of this family—.”
“And you’ve done what with that power?Besides consistently fuck things up?”Besian braked hard as they approached a red light.“Should I keep going?Maybe we can talk about the crypto scam?Or that leather factory you accepted as collateral for the defaulted Shehu family loan?The one we can’t sell or use?”
“I’m trying to find a way to use it,” Luka weakly defended.“Kristo is in Asia right now looking for cheap products we can sell as cover.”
“Kristo called me a few hours ago looking for you.He failed to find a partner.He’s on his way back to Tirana—and that’s not all.There was a raid on one of our warehouses back home.One of our legit warehouses,” he clarified.“They’ve impounded all the inventory and chained the doors.I suppose this is something to do with your ex-girlfriend and her father?”
Luka’s already sour stomach churned painfully.It was another black mark against him.With a heavy sigh, he rubbed his aching head.Feeling vulnerable and low, he admitted, “Every time I try to make things better, I fuck them up even harder.”
