Page 104 of Made to Sin

I wondered what caused him to love his. The urge to ask for more was tempting, but I didn’t know if I could handle hearing it.

Tori gave me an understanding nod as if she could read my thoughts. “This place and the organization are special to him. It was in memory of his mother, and a fight to stand up for himself. He wouldn’t just bring anyone. Believe me now or not, but you mean something to him, Katarina. Don’t break his heart, or I might have to break you.”

I let out a meek laugh at her not-so-joking warning. I didn’t know how to tell her it wasn’t me who was going to break his heart.

He already broke mine.

The conversation moved on, but I couldn’t pinpoint much except that I left Tori’s room with a bigger crush on Luciano than I started with.

KATARINAWASGOINGTHROUGHSOMETHINGand needed her space. I tried to give her that space for the past week or so, but it was hard not to drag her to my bed every night we were apart. She had been purposely ignoring me, and my patience was wearing thin. I had to know why.

I told myself that if there were two things I would do right in this lifetime, it was to rule my family to success and not hurt her.

Everything was going great up until the charity event. I knew it was too ambitious to make her go with me, but like the selfish fucker I was, I did it anyway. I wanted to make a public statement that we were together. Wanted everyone to know she was mine.

I knew there was going to be judgment, but I was ready to kill anyone who hurt her. Yet she fearlessly stood up for herself before I could step in. So if the mob wives weren’t the problem, it had to be something after she left the table.

By the time I realized she didn’t leave to go to the bathroom, I was stuck with company. Sofia came over, and everyone was invested in our future plans.

I thought I was being crass when I told Sofia I was never going to love her any more than a friend when she confessed at the club.

“Sofia, you already know that I will always love you as a friend, a sister even. If you’re looking for something more, it will never be with me.”

A fresh set of tears brushed her cheeks. “It’s because you’re in love with Katarina, isn’t it?”

Love. It was easy to throw the word around without meaning it. My father told my mamma he loved her but then turned around and beat her with his belt. To what extent could I love? If that was what being in love meant, no, I did not love Katarina.

All I knew was that she was stuck running through my head like an endless treadmill, and I wanted it to remain that way. My waking thoughts were about her. I ended the day by making sure she was safe. From morning to night, she plagued my mind like a virus that kept replicating with no remorse.

Was that love? Or was it my obsession turning into madness?

I swallowed the bitter pill of reality. “We’re not talking about Katarina right now, Sofia.”

“Yeah, we never do.”

Hurt flashed through her eyes as she ran out of my office to throw yet another temper tantrum.

“Sofia,” I called out.

Something in me told me it would be the right thing to do if I ran after her. I thought about it. I chose not to. Sofia and I needed to separate from each other for a while, and I had more shit to worry about than comforting another heartbroken woman.

Since then, she kept her distance and even moved her stuff out of my house. But somehow, her influence brazenly remained in the social aspect of the Underworld.

The useless conversation dragged on longer than necessary, and I was fed up by the fifteen-minute mark. Irritation simmered in my veins as I harshly clarified there was nothing between us.

I got up from the table with widened eyes and searched for Katarina. She was the one person who effortlessly calmed medown, and I needed to be near her before I blew up.

Unfortunately for everyone in my path, she was nowhere to be found, and my anger exponentiated. I snapped at potential business, glared at gawking onlookers, ignored meddling women.

I stormed over to the bar, confronting Dante since he was the last person I saw her with. “Where’s Katarina?”

“Hello to you too, cousin,” he stated dryly.

“Where’s Katarina?” I repeated impatiently.

“She just left.”

“Left?”

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