Page 238 of The Wicked

My eyes widened. “Oh, oh shit, that was—Elio, they’re kids, they see two people kiss, and they imagine they are both in—”

“You knew.” He ignored my explanation. “You knew how rocky my relationship with Elia was, yet you lied. You made me touch you, and like you; you fooled me, for what? Hm? Because I shot you when we first met or because I tried to drown you?”

“Elio—”

“You ruined every chance I had of ever building any relationship with him, and that’s fine. It’s also why I want you all gone. Ever since Street arrived, my life has been inconveniently eventful.”

This was going downhill so fast that I couldn’t catch the damn rope. “That kiss wasn’t—it didn’t mean anything; I promise you, it was nothing like that—”

“I already made my decision.”

“That wasn’t the deal,” I snapped. “We were supposed to be here to find the original painting, the gold, and your stupid fucking flash drives.”

He took a step back. “I can handle my business. If you want the gold that badly, I’ll have people send it to your preferred location when I find it. By morning I expect you and Street to be out of my compound.”

“Elio”—fuck—“can we please just double back and talk about this? You’re angry, I am angry, and we both can’t be hotheaded at the same time while we try to find common ground.”

“No.”

“It doesn’t have to be like this.”

“It does.”

I watched him, and he watched me. For seconds, minutes, I don’t know how long we stood there.

I could say many things to fix this, clear his doubt about Devil and me, but I didn’t know how to say them. I didn’t know if I wanted to say them.

But I didn’t like this. Not one bit.

When he spoke next, it was in Spanish.“You can mess with me all you want, Zahra. I will take it, but involving Elia, the only family I have? That is something I won’t take.”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“I can’t choose between you and my brother.”

I took a step closer to him, switching back to English. “It really wasn’t like that, Elio. I wouldn’t purposefully ruin your relationship with your brother; what the fuck would I gain from separating family when I don’t even have anyone of my own, nor will I ever?”

“I don’t care how it was, neither do I care what your intentions are. This thing between us shouldn’t have happened in the first place, and unlike you, I am willing to admit when I have made a mistake.”

“That mistake being me?” I asked quietly.

He hesitated seconds too long before he said, “Yes.”

I looked away from him, biting inside my lips, feeling like someone had dropped a weight of emotional baggage in my chest and ripped it out along with my heart.

I nodded. “Right.” I swallowed, unable to look at him. “When am I—when am I allowed to leave here?” I asked.

“Anytime you want.” He gestured to the file. “That’s the contract. Whatever clause I didn’t fulfill, you can take it up with Angelo; he will pay for it.”

“Elio—”

“I wouldn’t want to apply force when you and your team do not leave the compound by tomorrow, so make sure to do what’s needed,” he said without looking at me before he turned and left the cell without a second glance my way.

I let out a shuddering breath, returned to the bed, and sat down when the door closed behind him.

One would think I would jump at the opportunity to be out of this cell, and many would think I did precisely that the moment he left. But no. I sat there for two hours, knowing there were a thousand ways this day and this conversation could have gone, but with the result at the end of the day…

I knew I had taken the wrong path.