Page 144 of Fortress of the Heart

I dread turning to look at him, despite my fury with our enemies and the fact she left.

I have one too many problems all rolling into one. I am well aware that lines have been crossed and I need to at least attempt to straighten things out.

“What the fuck was that?” he bellows at me.

“Angelo, I will explain everything, just not out here on the fucking street.”

He walks straight up to me and grabs me by the shirt, shaking me hard. “Well, you’d better fucking get inside!”

I shake him off and push him back just as hard. “Back up, Angelo.”

“Don’t fucking tell me to back up.” He grabs me again. I brace for impact when he makes a fist and pulls his arm back because I probably fucking deserve it. Maybe he might knock some sense into me. Instead of knocking my lights out, he shoves me into the wall with force, and I don’t even try to stop him.

“Easy,” Dante tries to reason coming between us, which isn’t a very smart move on his part.

Even Rocco stands aside, smart enough to let us have at it. It’s not the first time he’s seen us come to blows; I doubt it will be the last.

“You shut your fucking trap,” Angelo yells at Dante, pointing his finger and turning back to me.“If you want to keep your head on your shoulders, little brother, I’d start walking.”

I can’t even look at the other guys. It’s not even that I feel guilty, I just haven’t had time to even process any of this. I wasn’t prepared for all this to blow up in my face.

Just as we reach the door, Fynn and Jonas come charging through to see what the commotion is about.

Fynn stares at Angelo and me, trying to make sense of what's happening.

“What the fuck did I miss?” he asks in disbelief.

“The shows over, sunshine.” I shrug, nudging past him.

I’ve no idea how I’m going to explain this to Angelo. He’s so pissed right now, and I don’t entirely blame him for it.I don’t genuinely think that he’s going to understand that it just happened between Katiya and me. He’s going to want to know why I couldn’t keep my dick in my pants when so much is at stake. I have asked myself that same question many times this past week, yet I still don’t have an answer.

We walk down the hall, his rage radiating off him as he stalks ahead. I follow him into one of the conference rooms, where he slams the door shut once I step inside, leaving the others outside.

“Angelo, you need to calm the fuck down,” I say. “Hear me out, then punch me if that makes you feel any better. I’m sorry you found out this way.”

“Found out?” he yells. I haven’t seen him this mad at me in a long time. “What the fuck was going on at your house all week long? I guess I don’t have to be a genius to guess!”

“It really wasn’t like that. Not at first. She hated my guts, for fucks sake, then, things changed.”

He paces the room, oblivious to what I’m saying. “And why is it that she miraculously doesn’t hate you anymore? Honestly, Marco, I expected more than this from you. She’s the fucking enemy!”

I balk at his words. “She’sthe enemy? Her uncle is the enemy, Angelo. Not Katiya, she’s an innocent pawn in all of this.”

“Don’t give me that shit.”

“Look, this whole fucking thing has caught me off guard too. I don’t even know what to tell you.”

He just shakes his head. “Of all the people that you had to go and stick your dick into, it has to be thenieceof the Russian Bratva. I mean, are you actually kidding me?”

I ball my fist at my side at his words. It’s more than me just sticking my dick in, but he doesn’t know that. I take a long sigh and run my hands through my hair.

“She’s not like them, Angelo.”

He glares at me. “So, you don’t deny it?”

“I didn’t mean for it to be this way. I know that sounds lame, but it honestly just happened.”

He balks. “You’re fucking right it sounds lame. Marco, you can go out and fuck whoever you like. I would never try and stop you from doing anything … except this.You know as well as I do the implications. I mean, we just got over one messy situation involving my impending demise. We don’t need this shit right now.”

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