Page 86 of Unruly Obsession
“You’re lucky it’s not your legs or neck. We’re overdue for a little chat.” I shove him toward the two bouncers who wait behind me. They catch him and drag him along as I lead them to a private booth where Luca often conducts his business.
“What the fuck, man? I thought we were friends,” he says nervously as he glances between the two men. “You came in right before I was going to win.”
“Don’t you think you’ve lost enough this week?” I ask, pacing back and forth, not at all inclined to take a seat across from a man like this. He might be Lily’s brother, but I despise him, knowing the crushing disappointment she’d feel if she knew about his lies.
A gambler.
An addict.
Scum.
My gaze slices to him, and he pales, the pieces slowly clicking together as his jaw tightens. “You’re not just in real estate, are you?”
I shoot him a cruel smile. “No, I'm not.”
“If this is about the money I owe you, I’m making it back. I’ll have it in a few days.”
“You know your father said a similar thing right before I killed him,” I tell him matter-of-factly, and watch as Vince’sexpression twists, but I see it in there, the thing he’s been trying to hide the most. The truth of what he can’t let slip from beneath the mask. “You two are more alike than you care to admit. I’m not the man you owe money to, but you certainly drew them to our territory, which is a problem. So let’s just say I’m a man who… holds personal grudges.” I remove my knife from my pocket, wanting nothing more than to carve his flesh for everything he’s put Lily through, whether his stupid ass is aware of it or not.
“Look, man, I don’t want to fight you,” he says, raising his hands and trying to lean back as far away as he can from the edge of my blade.
“It wouldn’t be much of a fight.” One of the bouncers laughs, but at my glare, he clears his throat and stoically stands in silence once again.
“I hold a grudge because you thought you were a clever man when you are not. You thought your spoiled little ass would dance in a playground where you don’t even understand the rules.
"Your father borrowed money from Nicholas Wayne, and when he was able to finally repay it with interest, you fucked it all up. You invested half into your company so you wouldn’t go under, and the other half you gambled away in hopes of earning it back, plus some, to impress your father. When things didn’t go to plan, you thought that was okay, didn’t you? Because you thought they’d go for his head, not yours, and it would solve all your problems. You’d finally be free of him.”
“What the fuck?” Lily’s voice carries over the music and snaps me out of my vengeful daze. I lower the knife from her brother’s throat. “Taking my father wasn’t enough for you?” she demands, a vision of red as she shoves past people to walk up the stairs. The bouncers step in her way until they notice the hound behind her, masked, hands casually placed in his pockets.
That little meddlesome shit.
“Lily! Your boyfriend’s crazy!” Vince yells as he tries to crawl over the chair. But I palm his shoulder, slamming him back down. Okay, his having a bleeding, broken nose right now is not a good look.
“Boss?” one of the bouncers asks.
“Don’t you dare throw me out or, so help me, Lorenzo Moretti, I will hunt you down and put a bullet in your brain myself.”
My cock twitches, and I look away, ashamed at how proud I am of her but also tangled with the anguish of seeing her again. I thought if I remained watching her from the shadows after today, it’d be enough.
But having her in front of me, her chest rising and falling, yet again in pain because of me? It’s enough to make any man want to drop to their knees and beg for forgiveness. I despise that she holds this kind of control over me, despite being the one to give her the collar and leash.
“Lily, he’s the asshole who killed our dad!” Vince begins, and I scoff at his theatrics. Slimy little asshole.
“Don’t pretend like you’re not happy about that. Isn’t that what you wanted all along?” I cock my head to the side. I don’t like the attention we’re drawing. If it were just Vince, I couldn’t give a shit about what type of display I make out of him, but having any type of crowd while Lily looks like that infuriates me.
“What are you talking about?” Lily asks me, angrily. She's no longer the woman who immediately has tears spring to her eyes; all that softness has been extinguished, and I’m proud but sorry to see it all the same. Only a few months in this world, and it’s already hardened her so much.
She now only has anger to hold on to.
I raise my chin to the bouncers in a gesture for them to clear the room. They immediately spring into action, the floorstaff following their silent order as the entire club is closed and everyone is shoved out. I’m going to pay for this later. Luca is not going to be happy, but at this point, I’m already past damnation for this woman.
“He’s a liar, Lils. You don’t know this man,” Vince exclaims, and goes to stand, but I force my hand on his shoulder again, shoving him back into place.
“Quit shoving him,” Lily says, coming to stand in front of her brother. I can’t help but find her cute.
Despite my yearning for her earlier today, she’s in a place now where we conduct business, and I refuse to let on that she’s my weakness in front of the few remaining staff.
“Be careful, sweetheart, or you might be punished next,” I warn her.
