Page 59 of Thorns of Deceit

The woman owed me five fucking years of anguish, self-loathing, and nightmares.

“And did you?” Amon asked, drawing my attention back with a raised brow. It took me a second to process the question, recalling what the fuck we were even talking about. Ah, that’s right, we were talking about Luca and his idea that I should come to this shitshow rather than him.

Slower than molasses, I dragged my eyes away from my wife and exhaled through my nose.

“Maybe.” I found it hard to speak and not look back at the stage. “I’m actually glad I caught you alone.”

He cocked a brow. “And why’s that?”

My gaze was back on Raven. She was glowing and happy, and that made me even more angry. While I mourned her, she’d moved on.

Amon cleared his throat, and I mentally slapped myself. I had to stop staring at that woman before someone got wind of it. So I turned to look at him, keeping Raven in my periphery.

“Margaret told me you helped her find Luca when Marchetti kidnapped him.” Luca and Enrico had a falling out, and the latter insisted on a marriage arrangement between my niece and his own son. Needless to say, it was a sore subject among our families. “I won’t forget it.”

“I’d rather you did forget it,” he replied with an impassive face.

“Why did you do it?” I asked him absentmindedly, watching him for another beat before a certain model on stage pulled my attention back.

But Amon deflected with a question of his own. “Where are your brothers? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without them by your side.”

“Probably stirring up trouble somewhere.”

I changed the subject, knowing exactly what would distract him from my business. “You know the Romero girls?”

“Not really.” His jaw clenched. He was lying, but I didn’t care enough to call him out on it. “Excuse me,” he said, but I didn’t spare him a glance.

My focus had already snapped back to the stage and the wife who’d crawled out from the ashes.

Grinding my teeth and glaring at her from the shadows like my life depended on it, I was already scheming how to make her pay.

TWENTY-FOUR

RAVEN

My best friends—Isla, Reina, Phoenix, and Athena—and I were living in Paris and finally found ourselves in a spot where things felt relatively normal. Reina’s show was a major hit, and earlier this week I even sold a few of my paintings.

No dead bodies to handle. No threats. Although we still had broken hearts. However, I’d learned by now, it was impossible to have it all.

Life was good, and I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.

Far away from New York and the Callahan family.

After the fashion show, the girls and I found ourselves celebrating at the nearby club. Seated around the table, we clinked our crystal glasses and drank alcohol like it was water. In between it all, we’d even found time to dance.

Tonight was all about our achievements.

Athena nudged her shoulder against mine. “Do you think Isla is off getting laid?”

We’d lost her at the last bar. She decided to entertain a man who wore an Italian suit like it was his second skin.

“We should have gotten his information,” I grumbled. “He looked like sin and danger all wrapped in one. That never bodes well.”

“She’s a big girl.” Athena wasn’t wrong, but he’d given off vibes that reminded me of another.My husband.I quickly pushed him into the darkest corner of my mind, determined not to think about him, much like I hadn’t for the past five years.

“Let’s dance,” I suggested, taking Athena’s hand.

We found a spot on the dance floor among the crowd and let our bodies move to the music, rolling our hips and laughing whenever someone tried to approach us.