Page 17

With business in the back handled, I made my way back through the club towards the VIP section where I left Tia.

Despite the music and the usual bustle of the place, I focused solely on getting back to her with the hope of having a decent time with her.

She seemed to be feeling off, or there was a chance it was just her resistance coming through again; if that was the case, and she was only humoring me for the sake of it, I couldn’t be entirely upset about that.

Even if it wasn’t ideal, time spent with her was exactly that, and in one way or another, it could contribute to her warming up to me.

Like Yuri suggested, I needed to give her time. And if I was just patient enough, maybe that trust would soon come.

I knew there was at least a spark between us—an undeniable attraction on both sides. If I gave her what she needed while also testing the waters, then I would have a higher chance of being able to prove myself to her.

Before I got up, Tia had been prying a bit, and I didn’t know if that was because of genuine interest or a deeper curiosity that bordered on risky for both of us.

I wanted to be completely honest with her about the truth of my work and her father’s deeper involvement with the club, but it seemed she wasn’t at all versed in the way my world worked. If I were to unload everything on her, it would likely freak her out.

I had the feeling it would be detrimental to us both, and I didn’t want that.

I wanted her to see me for the real man underneath…not the blood, violence, and illegal undercurrent of it all.

Letting out a breath, I rounded a corner with my sights set on the private section, only to pause.

I caught the sound of Tia’s voice, veiled by a touch of reluctance and what I could only assume was fear.

Glancing down the hall, I found her standing there. But she wasn’t alone.

My brows furrowed immediately at the sight of a man with her, with his hand on her wrist, slowly moving up her arm.

A feeling of betrayal threatened to overcome me immediately, but the wave of it froze in its tracks the moment I picked up on how rigid her frame looked. How she looked thoroughly uncomfortable.

Then, that betrayal shifted into anger.

It flooded my system when I realized who it was.

Tommaso Gallo.

I vaguely knew of the idiot, given that he belonged to a fairly wealthy family of his own. His dad had made a name for himself through a real estate scheme, allowing the rest of his family to coast among the other elite in the city.

As far as I knew, Tommaso was an arrogant socialite with nothing better to do than frequent the usual crowds. He always had this air about him, like he was always searching for something to occupy his time. Like enough was never enough.

From what I could tell, my wife was in his sights, and I wasn’t about to let that slide.

“You should lighten up, you know,” Tommaso said with a slick smile, not once pulling his eyes away from her. “This is a club…you should have fun.”

My stomach twisted at the way he stood there, claiming her attention while mindlessly touching her as if it were his right.

I hated it. Loathed it.

A rage-inducing cloud of wrath surrounded me, making me clench my fists instinctively.

That possessiveness felt foreign to me, but it wasn’t about to let up anytime soon. Not while I watched him act far too friendly with Tia.

“Look, I’m just trying to get back…” Tia said, sounding in need of a break from his persistence, letting me know she likely had to bear more of him than she wanted to.

“What, can’t spend a little time with me?”

More discomfort spread through her features, and I’d had enough.

I didn’t care who he was—I wasn’t about to allow him or anyone else to assume they could swoop in and take what was mine, not after everything.

Stalking towards them, I clenched my jaw and tried to temper my anger as best as I could, despite wanting nothing more than to throttle him then and there.

“Tommaso,” I said sharply, eyes set on him with an unrelenting force. “I see you’ve met my wife.”

At my entrance, recognition moved through his eyes, and he took the slightest step back, letting go of her arm.

“Val…I was wondering when you were going to show up.”

Despite the attempt at civility, his tone was far too forced. He was a terrible liar.

My fingers twitched at my side, and I glanced at Tia to see the subtle hint of relief in her features.

That was a good sign, at least.

“I had business to take care of,” I said plainly, not offering any kind of further explanation. He didn’t need it, and he certainly didn’t deserve it.

He hummed and nodded, but the lingering amusement in his smile didn’t get past me. “Right. I’m sure you have much to tend to with the new establishment. Congrats, by the way.”

I gave a sound of acknowledgment, not wanting to offer him more than I needed to.

Frankly, I wanted him gone, and as far away from my club as possible. I didn’t know why he was there in the first place.

“You know, I was just letting Tia know how impressed I am by her ability to handle herself in such a chaotic environment. Not every woman could deal with finding themselves in a place like this,” Tommaso went on, putting far too much sweetness into his words for my liking.

It was far from a compliment; if anything, it was a jab at me for even bringing her there in the first place.

I wanted to knock him out so badly, but I couldn’t in front of Tia. She wasn’t used to casual violence. It would only cause more problems, and I knew that.

“Right. Well, she’s more resilient than you might think,” I said, subtly moving closer to Tia, acting as a wall between them. “She is my wife, after all.”

He huffed his amusement at that, but his grin never reached his eyes. “Of course. With the dangerous life you lead, I’d hope she can stomach it.”

The words nearly cracked me across the face, and I could feel the conversation edging toward dangerous territory.

No…he was pushing where he shouldn’t.

Tensing inwardly, I did everything I could to steel myself. But I could feel the immediate shift in the air.

My heart clenched, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at Tia’s face.

Regrettably, Tommaso cocked a brow at me, glancing between the two of us. “Wait a minute…don’t tell me she doesn’t know.”

My eyes closed for a moment, forced to accept the fact that there was no walking it back anymore.

He did the one thing I needed him to not do…and so callously, too.

There it was, hanging between us like a heavy thing, and there was no way for me to shield Tia from it anymore. I could already feel her eyes on me, questioning.

When I didn’t say anything, Tommaso chuckled and crossed his arms, looking so pleased with himself that I was surprised he didn’t follow it up by congratulating himself.

“I’ll be damned…you’ve kept all kinds of secrets from that pretty wife of yours,” he continued, grinning nearly ear-to-ear. “And here I was assuming she already knew this whole thing was just a way to cover up your dirty money. You know what they say about assuming things.”

As much as I could feel the temptation to shove his head into the drywall behind him, I couldn’t look at him.

Instead, my gaze landed on Tia, and I could see the slight widening of her eyes while she processed his words. The way she looked between me and Tommaso with disbelief coloring her features.

Immediate guilt washed through me, and despite myself, I couldn’t find the words, despite how badly I needed them at the moment.

Tommaso was well aware of what he’d done and the mess he had just made for me. He knew it, and it was obvious he had hoped for something of that nature to happen.

He was savoring it like the rat he was.

“That’s my cue, I guess,” he spoke up, words dripping in satisfaction. “I’ll let you two handle this…debacle on your own. Take care.”

Before I could snuff the light from his eyes, Tommaso walked off, disappearing without another word.

I wanted to bask in his absence, but I couldn’t ignore the chill between myself and Tia, the reality of how entirely wrong the whole ordeal was.

Even letting him walk away thinking he won for the time being sent me into a furious state, but I had to keep it down. I had pressing matters to tend to.

I had to defend myself, even if she likely didn’t want to hear it.

“Tia,” I murmured, taking a small step towards her. Instinctively, I reached for her. “Please…just let me explain.”

But seeing that disbelief and distant sadness in her eyes nearly killed me. She pulled back in an attempt to put space between us again.

When she didn’t say anything, my words hung in the air, and I couldn’t stand the way they threatened to close around my throat.

“I know how this all sounds, but…I’m not what you think.”

“Dirty money?” she questioned, gaze and tone sharper than usual.

With a sigh, I scrubbed a hand down my face and tried to keep the pieces from falling apart as best as I could, despite how they were already crumbling.

“I didn’t want you to find out this way…I wanted to explain it eventually, but I wasn’t sure how much you could stomach,” I admitted, feeling the weight of dread and guilt to an extent I had never known before.

A pained look moved through her features, and the tension in her shoulders only became worse. “It doesn’t matter what you planned to do…you didn’t.”

She was right. One hundred percent right.

I didn’t explain, and I withheld even more from her.

Despite knowing that, those words hit me hard, and I could barely find it within myself to explain it as thoroughly as I should’ve.

“Tia, please…”

“No, Val,” she snapped, shaking her head while taking several steps away from me. “I don’t want to hear it.”

That was the last thing I needed. I needed her to listen, and I needed the chance to lay it all out for her.

But before I could say anything else, she slipped away, leaving me to deal with everything falling apart on my own.