“Meg told me when Mia would be at the bakery last year. I showed up the week of Mia’s birthday and Meg saw me. She told me you never fixed the blind spot, so I should park there and wait for her. Meg knew I wanted to take Mia away from you; she sold you out.”
His expression doesn’t change. That’s disappointing, but he’s always had a strong poker face, so I probably should’ve expected that.
“That’s it?” he asks.
“What?”
“That’s all you’ve got? I already knew that,” he says, simply.
That drags a frown out of me. “Bullshit. You know she sold Mia out and she’s alive and living under your fucking roof? Bullshit.”
He shrugs, unconcerned with whether or not I believe him. “I don’t know why I thought you might surprise me. You never do.”
This pisses me off more than I expect it to and I want to hit back. “Wow. You just let people walk all over you now, huh? Betrayal is just casually accepted now, huh? So much for the great, ruthless Mateo Morelli.”
His eyes dance with real amusement. “Which is it, Vince? Am I an evil, manipulative bastard, or a big, soft teddy bear? You can’t have it both ways.”
It pisses me off that I’m not fazing him. “You’re fucking empty, is what you are. You don’t deserve her. You never have,” I fling at him.
“Your temper will always be your greatest weakness,” he tells me. “You’re too impulsive. Too explosive. You don’t think before you act. I hope Dominic doesn’t get that from you.”
“Better than not acting at all, which seems to be what you favor these days.” I just want to get in one good hit. I want to reach past his armor and deliver one swing that connects. “Does Mia know? She still looks at you like you’re God; does she know you won’t even protect her from your ex?”
He smiles. “Meg is no threat. If she ever tries to be again, she’s dead. Mia knows she’ll always be safe with me.”
“Oh, yeah. You’ve kept her real safe.” His eyes narrow ever so slightly. He catches himself after only a split second, but I get the impression this is probably a weak spot. “How safe did you keep Mia when I drugged her and hauled her ass halfway across the country? When I put her in my bed and pumped her full of my cum? But hey, I took your advice. Kissed her neck. Pulled her hair. Made her come for me.” His expression doesn’t change, but there’s fucking fire in his eyes now, so I throw some more gas on the flames. “Do you know how easy it was to make her doubt you, Mateo? One more week was all I needed. One more week and you’d have never fucking seen her again.”
“Get the fuck out.” His voice is level, but with an unmistakable undertone of menace. I can see the anger flickering in his brown eyes—not just anger, barely reined in loathing.
My hit landed, so I push up out of my seat. I probably should get my ass out of here before he really does kill me. Mia obviously doesn’t want him to, but all he has to do is lie to her—say I threatened her, threatened him.
“Enjoy having a wife you’ll always have to look after,” I toss out, as I back away. Mostly I just don’t want to turn my back on him, because I know how much I have to be pissing him off.
I slip out the door and down the hall, heading for Carly. It’s time to get the hell out of here.
Chapter Thirty Four
Mateo
Rage moves through me, tempting me to lose any fucking semblance of my carefully held control. I want to walk out there, put my gun in Vince’s mouth, and blow a new hole in the back of the little bastard’s head.
I can’t do that, though.
There’d be no hiding that from Mia. I haven’t done all this work just to blow it in a fit of rage.
No. I need to calm my ass down.
Leaning back in my chair, I take a deep breath and drain my glass. Vince didn’t touch his, so I lean forward to grab his glass and down that, too. I’m feeling better, but still I rise and head for the alcohol cart. I grab my favorite decanter, pour a little liquid into the glass, and slam it back.
That should do it.
I swallow, placing the glass down with a dull thud, and turn to leave my study.
I know exactly what I’ll do. I have to find Adrian.
It’s not a short walk back to the drawing room where everyone is assembled. There’s an adequate chunk of time to talk myself out of any drastic action, but I’m tired of restraint. I’m tired of compromising. Yes, I want to make Mia happy, I want her to have peace, I want her guilt-free, but this particular loose end has needed to be snipped off for years.