Page 51 of Depraved

“That’s not what I asked,” I answer with a scowl.

He stares at me longer and nods. “He’s Dante. You’ve fucked him over. He needs to get past that.”

I draw my knees in, taking a sip of my wine. “How did I fuck him? He called me screaming like a psychopath. Demanding, being a bully. I needed him yesterday, not the other way around.”

He laughs, folding his paper and setting it aside. “You underestimate your place with him. You’ve kept him in the dark. And for people like us, information is a means for survival. You’ve made him go at this blind. And because of his history, he’s willing to do that for you. But I have a feeling he wants you to care about that even more than he needs you to agree with it.”

My glass rests against my lips as I listen, trying to see the bigger picture.

My eyes lift to Antonio’s, and suddenly, he doesn’t seem so reserved, so removed anymore.

“I do care, Antonio. That’s why I’m doing what I know I need to, but in another life, I think he could be a man who I…”

The elevator dings, and my head snaps to it as Antonio says, “He’s here. Remember what you were about to say, beautiful.” He stands and starts past me, giving me a hard look. “Especially in the next few minutes. Nobody said the job of queen would be easy, Sarah.”

Before I can say anything, the elevator doors slide open, and Dante’s hazel eyes meet mine.

Antonio blocks my view as Dante enters, so I take the moment to take another sip of my wine. I don’t know what to expect, and Antonio’s words aren’t making me feel any better either.

I turn to look back again as a squeal accompanied by an overenthusiastic giggle bounces off the walls, and I stop breathing.

What the fuck.

The scene in front of me comes into focus as my mind scrambles to process what the fuck I’m seeing.

Dante’s arm is wrapped around a leggy blonde who’s come to stand by his side, his hand resting on her ass.

I’ll break that hand.

Her boney fingers run over Dante’s lapel, and I have the extreme urge to yell at her to get the fuck off.

Antonio walks inside the elevator, not bothering to look at me as Dante leads his Barbie doll inside.

I wonder if she’s just as easily breakable as the real doll.

His face is buried in her neck as they walk, and I can feel my heart beating out of my chest.

I need to think straight. I blink my eyes a few times and look down, sweeping my eyes for the water I thought I had, but instead, grab my wine and down the rest of the glass.

“Sarah,” Dante greets, coming to a stop, trailing his hand up and down her hip.

I can’t look at him. My eyes are fixed on the movement of his fingers on her skeleton. That’s what she is. Skin and bones, no meat, no curves. Nothing. She couldn’t be more opposite than me.

“What are you doing?” I blurt out, tearing my gaze from Dante’s toy to his face.

“I’m going to bed. What are you doing?” he answers, coolly.

Motherfucker.

“You’re serious right now?” I snap, tapping my nail against my wineglass.

“As a fucking heart attack,” he sneers, tearing his arm in between them to point at me. “I can’t even fucking see straight. I tore the car apart. You should’ve just answered me…” he barks, his gaze drifting to the open area in the living room. “Or been on your goddamn knees.”

I huff, rolling my eyes. I can’t say anything for fear that it’ll give away how much he’s hurting me. Because that I won’t give him.

He grabs Barbie’s face and tilts her head, sinking his mouth onto her neck and letting her go just as harshly. “So, she’s here to do what you won’t…to fucking listen.”

I could kill him. His choice of words stabs me directly in the gut. I can feel the heat under my skin burning with my temper. He’s brought this girl here to punish me.