Page 54 of Depraved

We’re gasoline set to a fire. We’re a beautiful fucking disaster.

“Goddammit,” I roar, pushing off the wall and running my hand over my head.

I wipe my face with one hand as I yank the shower door open with the other and step out, not bothering to turn off the water.

Fuck it.

I grab the towel off the counter and wrap it around my waist as I stalk out of the bathroom, dripping wet and on a mission.

Pulling my bedroom door open, I growl out her name. “Sarah!” My head swings around to take in the living room. When I don’t see her, I yell again, “Sarah!”

Her bedroom door opens, and she stands inside the frame, staring at me with red-rimmed eyes and no fight left in her.

I broke her. I did that.

It brings me to a full stop. We just stand staring at each other until the elevator dings and voices carry through the space.

“Billy,” I mouth, but she steps back inside her room and closes the door.

I can’t move, but I have to.

“Hey, boss,” Vincenzo greets, but I wave him off as I turn and head back to get dressed and turn off the goddamn shower.

We’ve been seated in my office for an hour and a half, and I haven’t heard one word being said.

“Dante.”

I turn my head to the guys all seated around my desk, not knowing who just called me.

“Over here,” Antonio calls from the arm of the sofa that’s in the seating area in front of my desk. “Where are you today?”

I lean my head back onto my chair and let out an exhale. “Jesus. Let’s just say my mind is on a stubborn girl.”

My face dips back to the crowd, and eyes drop, accompanied with sympathetic looks playing over their faces. Something about how everyone avoids looking at me tells me that’s not for me.

“Is there something someone wants to say?” I offer, opening my arms to the passive-aggressive assholes.

Nico shakes his head, holding up a hand and going back to his phone. Vincenzo mouths, “No,” but crosses his arms, choosing to look down at the couch.

“Matteo?” I question. He waves me off, clearly angry as he mumbles to himself.

But Antonio just stares at me, tapping the newspaper he always reads on his leg.

“Is there something you wanna say, Antonio?” I challenge, leaning in on my desk.

He tosses the paper onto the table in front of him and crosses his arms, narrowing his eyes like he’s considering his words carefully. Of all the men, he’s been the least convinced about helping her. Antonio’s more of a “none of my concern” kind of guy. But he would never go against me, so when he does, I listen.

He takes a deep breath, a crease forming between his brows. “That girl needed you. She asked for you, Dante. And we both know she doesn’t do that. So that stunt…with that chick. It wasn’t cool. She deserves better than that because she cares for you.”

The muscles in my jaw work overtime as I try and restrain my temper over what he’s just fucking said. He’s acting as if everything I’ve done isn’t in her best interest.

“You don’t have a fucking clue what you’re talking about. She’s done nothing but tell me to go to hell,” I bark, my head pulling back.

He stands and shakes his head, and I do the same. The tension in the room begins to brew as we look at each other.

“I know exactly what the fuck I’m talking about. But maybe you should listen instead of trying to bulldoze that girl.”

I rub my jaw, wishing I could break his, and laugh. “No. Fuck that. Apart from the chick being kind of a dick move, I’ve done nothing wrong here.”