Page 86 of Beautiful Devil

"Si, Capo."

He quickly stands and exits the room. Once alone, I find it harder to control the rage engulfing my body. I want to wreck this place. I need a punching bag. Or a fucking drink.

An unexpected knock at the office door interrupts my thoughts. Before I can answer, Marco’s head peeks around the door.

"Boss?"

I don't reply.

"I, ah…I heard what Luca found out about Gia’s parents. You alright?"

I don't say a word. I can't, because if I do, I'm going to unleash all hell. The atmosphere in the room is beyond tense. I'm about to explode, and he knows it. He continues walking over to the bar and takes down a bottle of whiskey along with a glass, pours a drink, and then sets it down on my desk.

"There's bound to be a reasonable explanation for this. I'm sure if you ask her about it, she'd tell you. She's not like that, Fab, and you know it."

I remain silent as I down my drink in one large gulp, welcoming the burning sensation that follows. I slam the empty glass on my desk, and when he finally takes the hint that I don't want to talk, he doesn't say another word, turning on his heel and walking out of the office.

The morning passes quickly as I bury myself in work, and everyone has had the sense to leave me the hell alone. Eventually, I decide I’ve had enough and the need to release some of this tension becomes too much.

As I leave, I come face-to-face with the one person I don't want to see right now.Gia.A blush tinges her cheeks and a flirtatious smile spreads across her face as her eyes rake over my body.

"Hey. I was just coming to see if you're free?"

My anger rages worse than ever. If she doesn't get out of my sight right now, I'm going to break my rule and lay hands on this woman.

"I'm busy," is all I can somewhat manage to grit out through clenched teeth.

"Oh." Her face falls, and her happy posture dissolves in front of me.

I haven't moved a muscle, afraid I'll spiral out of control if I do. Instead, we stand staring at one another. It doesn't take long before she breaks.

"Is everything okay?" she asks, confusion in her voice.

I try to take a few deep breaths, but I'm not sure it does any good.

"Everything is fine,Gia.”

She visibly flinches as I use her real name and not one of the two nicknames I usually call her. Hurt flashes briefly across her face before she schools her features and pretends she’s okay. Seeing that emotion on her face, knowing I’m the cause, doesn’t sit well with me. I almost reach out to touch her and soothe her, but then I remember that she might be hiding something from me, and my anger slams back into me at full force.

Without saying another word, I turn on my heel and walk away from her, moving through the house, headed in the direction of my home gym. I need to blow off some steam and there are only a few ways I can do that: sex, beating someone up, or working out. Seeing as how mywifeis the one I’m pissed at, and I’m not a cheater, that one is off the table. Luigi and my men have already taken care of anyone we had at the warehouse that we thought could have had a hand in the fire and car accident, so that only leaves working out. Let’s hope I can work off this aggression.

Lost in my head, I don’t hear her delicate, fast-paced footsteps or her hurried voice as she tries to keep up with me until I reach the gym doors.

“Fabi, what’s going on? Why are you walking away from me?”

Stopping at the glass doors to my gym, I take a couple of breaths to try and calm myself down, but it doesn’t work. I don’t respond or even turn to look at her. I can see her reflection through the glass as she stares back at me, assessing me, while she waits for my response. It’s that sad, confused, but hopeful look on her face that has me moving forward, opening the door, and heading straight for the free weights. I can’t believe I let her get under my skin, when all this time she could have been lying to me. I’m such an idiot!

When I turn on the stereo system built into the wall, it blasts “In The End” by Linkin Park through the speakers,and it couldn't be a more fitting song. Although, as the song plays, every line that is sung and I almost feel like it’s mocking me.

Stripping off my shirt, I move to the free weights and let my mind spiral as I think about what I’ve learned today.

How could I be so fucking stupid?

Ididput my trust in her.

Ididpush as far as I could go. But in the end, it doesn’t even matter.

I realize Gia has followed me into the gym when I faintly hear her screaming my name. I choose to ignore her. I’m completely engrossed in the lyrics and my workout, checking my form in the mirror with every rep I do. My arms begin to shake from the weight. Not giving my body a rest in between each set, I keep going…until the music is gone and I instantly stop. Lifting my head, I see Gia by the sound system. She meets my eyes in the mirror. The murderous look on my face causes her to hold her hands out in surrender while she begins to talk so fast, I have to replay every word in my head twice in order to understand what she said.

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