Page 43 of Heartless (Scathing Hearts #1)

Sienna

Five days after Jake had barged in here, I was still replaying our altercation. The freaking nerve. Calling me names and acting like I’d hurt him. He’d looked so sad before he... Oh screw him. I headed to the bathroom.

Ignoring his t-shirt, mocking me in the hamper, I got dressed. It was hours before I was supposed to start working, but I couldn’t sleep, and I didn’t have to go to the office today, so I grabbed my laptop and plopped on the sofa. I might as well look for a place to live.

My cell pinged with a text from Matt.

Matt: Next time you come to N.Y.

Last night, we’d had another writing session, which ended up with us watching The Cabin in the Woods, a film that Matt had kind of enjoyed.

After texting him back, I returned to my search.

When someone knocked on my door, my heartbeat went instantly into hyperdrive. I opened the door for Silas, whose expression was harder than I’d ever seen before.

In an eerie repeat of the other morning, I whispered, “Silas, what’s wrong?”

Continuing in the weird almost déja-vu, he stepped in the hallway and kicked his foot back to shut the front door.

Curling his hands around my shoulders, he said, “Sienna, Jake needs you.”

I gaped at him for a few seconds before my brain started working again.

“Silas, I promise you, Jake doesn’t want to see me. He made that very clear when he called me a whore.”

I hadn’t meant to blurt that out, and I realized my mistake when Silas’s gaze turned homicidal. “He fucking what?”

I wrapped my cardigan tighter around me. “It’s fine. Now, I know where we stand.”

Silas cupped my cheek to tilt my chin up. Why couldn’t I have fallen in love with him instead?

“Sweetie, I feel like an asshole for asking, but he really needs you, right now.”

Dozens of horrific scenarios zapped through my mind, and my pulse jumped. “Why?”

“His father died three days ago, and today’s the memorial service.”

Oh God. Oh no. Only then did I notice he was in a black suit and shirt.

The memory of Jake telling me about his parents made my nose sting. “I’m really, really sorry, but—”

“Sienna, he was coming to get you.”

“And then, he called me names and stormed out.”

Silas’s tone softened. “We need you there, sweetie. Please.”

I moved then. I closed my laptop and shoved it into my purse. On my way to my bedroom, I said, “I’ll be five minutes.”

“Pack for a couple of days,” he replied to my back.

After a quick scan of my wardrobe, I snatched a black dress I tossed on my bed.

Keeping the same rhythm, I pulled my suitcase and dumped four outfits in.

Shoes, underwear, comfortable clothes, and.

... What else? Ah. Sleeping stuff. Once that was done, I got dressed, rushed to the bathroom, and lobbed stuff in my toiletries bag.

Rolling my bag out in the living room, I found Silas half-seated against the back of the sofa with his arms crossed on his wide chest.

“Ready?”

When I nodded, he took the case from me, and I slung my large purse over my shoulder.

I waited until we were on the road to ask, “How did James die?”

“He just went to sleep.”

Too sad to be angry, I cleared my throat, but my voice still came out raspy. “How is Jake taking it?”

“He’s not. He’s just a robot.” After a short pause, he added, “Bianc is there.”

Why hadn’t she called me?

As if Silas had heard me, he said, “Jake ordered us not to call or text you.”

I gaped at his profile. “So, what am I—?“

“I didn’t call or text.”

I couldn’t help but return his grin, but the short reprieve didn’t stop me from fretting. I fished out my cell and pre-ordered an Uber. When Jake kicked me out, I’d need a ride back. I would have taken my car, but truthfully, I didn’t think Silas would have let me.

“It’s going to be fine, sweetie.”

Well, that remained to be seen. I called work. “Sherry, it’s Sienna. I’m sorry to call so early, but I might be offline for the next couple of days.”

“Are you all right?”

“There’s been a death in the family, so I’ll be out of town. I’ll check my emails, but—”

“Take the time you need to be with your family. We’ll manage.”

Best boss ever. “Thanks, Sherry. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Take care, Sienna,” she said before disconnecting the call.

As I slid my phone back in my purse set at my feet, Silas’s voice was low. “Death in the family?”

I nodded. “You’re all my family.”

“Fucking right.”

After long minutes of comfortable silence, I turned to Silas’s profile. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

The corner of his mouth hitched. “You can always ask.”

“I could be way off, but I’ve noticed how you look at Bianca, and I think you’d make a gorgeous couple. Why aren’t you together?”

The muscles of his arm flexed, and his jaw tightened. Shoot. That was none of my business. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“I’m not good for her.”

Lord knew why, I pressed on. “If you like her, shouldn’t you give her a chance to make that decision for herself?”

More clenching of his jaw ensued. “She deserves the moon on a platter. I can’t give her that.”

Boy oh boy. Filing that tidbit of information for my next conversation with Bianca, I changed the subject. Or I was about to when Silas spoke.

“Jake’s deep into you.”

No, he wasn’t. I didn’t know how to respond to Silas’s statement, but I didn’t need to because he continued.

“He told me what happened the other day.”

That snapped me right out of my funk, and anger knotted my voice. “Doesn’t he always?”

Silas’s tone turned gentler. “Not like that, sweetie. Not since he took you to the house. And about what those women told you, one wanted to keep him interested and the other asked to be tag teamed.”

I didn’t understand the logic in sleeping with a man’s best friend to keep that said man, but maybe there was none. “Tag teamed?”

His nod was slow. “Yup, tag teamed in bed.”

Understanding dawned, and lava engulfed my face. “Oh. I... oh.”

He threw a quick glance my way. “He’s a good guy, Sienna. He’s been in a fucked-up place for a long time but he’s a good guy.”

I breathed out the twinge in my heart. “That might be true, Silas, but being hurt doesn’t give him the right to lash out and be cruel.”

To my surprise, he agreed. “Damn right. But must admit, sweetie, if I found my woman in bed with another guy, I’d be going for blood, too.”

Firstly, I wasn’t Jake’s woman. And secondly, if that was the way he treated them, it was no wonder they hadn’t stuck around.

I had to deep breathe twice before I was able to speak.

“Jake saw Matt coming out of my bedroom, fully dressed, and he drew his own messed up conclusions. I know he’s your brother, but Jake Rhodes chooses to be an ass who persists in seeing the world in black and dark grey.

He can choke on his own stupid assumptions. ”

Silas whistled low, and his shoulders shook with silent laughter. “Sweet with a side of spice.”

****

At the house, Silas beeped the gates open, and my heartbeat accelerated.

As he reached for his door, he turned to me. “You’re right, but my boy’s in a world of hurt right now, and you’re his fucking light.”

A little taken aback by his comment, I silently got out of the truck. He grabbed my bag with one hand, my shaking fingers with the other, and we headed for the heavy front door. I stepped over the threshold, and my throat clogged. My whole life had changed here.

And it was still as beautiful as I remembered.

The sound of the door closing brought Camila and Bianca out of the kitchen.

Camila’s hands flew to her mouth to muffle a shriek while Bianca gaped at me and Silas.

Then, they hurried through the small distance separating us, and I was engulfed in a three-way hug.

Bianca cupped my cheek. “Dio, cara, you’ve become even more beautiful.”

“I told you,” Camila murmured.

While my face heated under her praise, she glanced over my shoulder at Silas.

“Jake said—”

“He said ‘no call, no text. Didn’t do either.”

Both women grinned. Taking my purse from my shoulder, Camila snagged my hand and tugged me toward the kitchen. We pivoted, and I froze.

Jake.

Dressed in a black suit and shirt opened at the collar, he was heartbreakingly handsome. He’d stopped halfway between what used to be my quarters and the kitchen, and his angry expression skewered me into place.

Then, the severity of his stare gave way to something that made my heart flinch. I let that something guide me toward him.