Page 12 of Ruin

“He’s protective of me. He wouldn’t—”

“He’s protective of you, but he’s fucking your best friend?”

The words hit like a physical blow. “What?”

“Lexington Barrow.”

My world tilts. While Lexi has been trying to fuck Tommy as long as I have, it’s impossible she succeeded withoutgloating. She would have tortured me with the details immediately.

Still…

“Why do you say that?”

“Because they disappeared together from the party, and I saw her in the Dragovari Tower lobby hours later when I left. Smudged makeup, wearing one of his hoodies like a dress.”

Rage explodes through me like shrapnel. I grab my phone, texting Lexi with shaking hands.

Did you fuck Tommy?

The response bubbles appear immediately.

Is he bragging about me? Aww…

That dick is soooo gooooooooddddd…..

I want to scream. Instead, I turn away so Dad can’t see me fall apart and toss my phone on the bed like it’s contaminated.

“That’s none of my business. I’m dating Antonio anyway.”

The lie tastes bitter. I’m not dating Antonio, but if Tommy is fucking Lexi and I want to lose my virginity before I go back to school, Antonio is back to being my best bet.

Dad considers this. “At least he comes from a decent family with no criminal ties. If he can extract himself from the Demonio family, he will be acceptable.”

“So Antonio can change, but Tommy can’t?” The hypocrisy is staggering.

“Tommy is the son of a mafia boss. Killing is in his DNA.”

“That’s reductive as hell. People are products of natureand nurture, not just—”

“Being a mafioso is in Tommy’s blood and his upbringing. He has two ruthless brothers, and he’s the worst of them all.”

I want to inform my dad that I didn’t get anything from his DNA, thank God. He’s a shady businessman who does God knows what for his money and fucked every nanny and tutor I ever had. Meanwhile, I graduated in the top 1 percent of my class, crushed every sport I ever played, and got a full scholarship to NYU, none of which got his attention at any point. But for some reason, who I date is his obsession.

“For fuck’s sake, I’m not trying to get married,” I snap. “I don’t even want a relationship, and who I fuck is none of your—”

The slap comes swift and shocking, over before I even realize that it’s happening. I gasp and hold my stinging cheek, staring at him. My father has never hit me before. In fact, this may be the longest conversation we’ve ever had.

My father’s eyes flash angrily. “Don’t you dare, Giovanna. Sleeping with anyone named Demonio would destroy our family’s reputation.”

“Ourreputation?” My voice climbs higher. “What kind of old-world bullshit—”

The second slap is somehow more shocking than the first. Confusion replaces rage as I stare at this stranger wearing my father’s face. What the fuck is happening?

“Don’t do it,” he snarls.

The irony twists in my gut. After 18 years of benign neglect, of letting me raise myself while he played house with his mistresses, now he wants to be a father?

I set my jaw and pick up my phone, opening the text threadwith Antonio.