Page 24 of Fortress of the King

I may have dropped some serious cash tonight, especially on the wine, but I deem it both purposeful and necessary.

“You were amazing,” I tell her.

“Maybe not after what just happened out in the front of the gallery.”

“My guys will take care of it, don't worry.”

“What does that mean?” she says, alarmed. “What are you going to do?”

“It means you have nothing to worry about. Now, tell me, what was a woman like you doing married to a guy like that?” I’m still dumbfounded.

She looks like she may not want to tell me, but then, “We met in college,” she obliges me. “We got married right after of graduation. He was my first love, I didn’t know any better. People change over the years, and he’s not the man I thought he was.”

I find her honesty quite refreshing, “What did that asshole want?”

She sighs and rests back while taking another sip of champagne. “I’ve no idea what he was doing or what he wanted, some lame-ass attempt to grovel for forgiveness, I suspect.”

I watch her pretty little mouth move and realize she’s nervous, she bites her lip and looks at me.

“You sure about that?”

“I haven’t seen the idiot in over a year. I thought I was rid of him, aside from speaking through lawyers.”

My mind flicks back, I heard her in the office only a few days ago declaring war on an extortion attempt at paying him more alimony. I suppose I am a stranger to her and the owner of her workplace, maybe she wants to keep it close to her chest about what's truly going on.

I would consider that fair under normal circumstances, but for some reason, this whole thing has me rattled and I’m going to dig up every fucking thing imaginable on this asshole.

I feel like killing something in her honor.

It disgusts me at the very thought of someone like her paying for his fucking upkeep, and I feel a protective surge for her rear its ugly head from absolutely nowhere.

She isn’t yours.I tell myself.Not yet.

“I could mess that fucker up. You do know that, don’t you?” I throw my shot down in one swig and circle the rim of my glass with my index finger. She watches the movement and flicks her eyes to my lips, seemingly nervous, and she ought to be. “If I thought you were in danger or anything untoward, I wouldn’t be happy, littleCarina.”

She thinks she has a clue, but she really doesn’t know shit about what I can do.

“Why? You barely know me.”

I raise my eyebrows at her boldness. “That doesn’t matter.”

“Angelo–” She laughs nervously. I think she’s trying to gauge if I’m serious. “There’s surely no need for that, he’s an idiot, yes, but I don’t want him harmed.”

“Why not? He hurt you, didn’t he?”

“Only a few times.”

“Physically?” I seethe out. So the fucker was violent in their marriage, another reason I get to cut him.

“He didn’t beat me up.” She defends him quickly, “Nothing like that, but he shoved me a few times, like tonight grabbing me when things got messy. He never hit me, not with a fist.”

Oh, how fucking wonderful, my anger just grows and grows. “So, he slapped you then?”

I’m not letting her wriggle away from this.

“Just once.” She nods, and I want to kill every motherfucker who’s ever done her wrong, not just this asshole. He’s already dead.

“Fucking perfect, so he liked to be the big man, did he?” I can’t wait to get my hands on him again. This time, I won’t give any mercy.

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