“Let her go, and then we can discuss this,” Sebastian said.
“You won’t trick me!” Sargetti jabbed the gun harder into my head. “Why don’t we start from the beginning? You’re the reason why my partner is dead!”
“What?” Confusion flitted across Sebastian’s face.
“She was there. At the hospital. When you were a child. She wanted to save you from your mother, so she went looking for your father in hopes that he would be able to take you in.”
Sebastian stared at him in shock.
“But you see, your father was trash, just like you. When he saw her, he thought she came for him and his little drug operation. So he killed her.”
“How is any of that Sebastian’s fault?” I asked, not following his logic at all. “He was just a kid! A kid who needed help!”
If anyone was to blame here, it was Sebastian’s father. Sargetti should’ve gone after him.
“What happened with my father?” Sebastian asked.
“The bastard ran away. Mexico, probably. Or who knows? No one’s ever been able to track him down. I watched you grow, and I know you’re exactly like him. You’ve killed people. You’ve destroyed lives. If I can’t take him down, I’ll destroy you, his spawn. Now put your gun down or your pretty wife gets a bullet.”
“All right,” Sebastian said.
“No!” I yelled. “Don’t!”
Sargetti was crazy.
He could kill Sebastian.
I didn’t want that to happen.
“Let her go and you can have me,” Sebastian said. “I’ll say whatever you want me to say.”
Sargetti’s arm slipped away from me, but his gun was still pointed at my head. If I moved, his finger could slip and he could kill me.
Sargetti tossed a pair of cuffs at Sebastian. “Put your gun down and put these on.”
Sebastian slowly lowered his gun to the floor, his eyes constantly on Sargetti and me. Then he picked up the cuffs and locked them around his wrists.
“Now let her go,” he said.
Sargetti pulled me with him, and then he shoved me to the floor. I fell down, my knees scraping against the cold tiles.
When I looked up, Sargetti was approaching Sebastian with his gun pointed at him.
“Maybe I should just kill you. So your lawyers can’t get you out,” Sargetti said. “The world would thank me and it would be worth it, even if it was the last thing I did.”
He aimed at Sebastian’s head, and I screamed.
Sargetti jerked back a little, probably distracted by my scream.
Sebastian moved. Even with his hands cuffed, he jumped on Sargetti, wrestling the gun out of his hand.
Sargetti ended up on the floor, and Sebastian pointed the gun at him.
“It’s you who should die,” Sebastian said through his teeth.
“No! Wait!” I pushed myself up and raced toward him. “No! Sebastian, don’t!”
“What are you waiting for, boy?” Sargetti grinned. “Do it.”
“Don’t. Please,” I said. “We’re going to call the cops and tie him up. Let them take care of him.”
If he killed Sargetti now, we’d have a huge problem. He had to be aware of that.
“Do it, you piece of shit!” Sargetti yelled.
“Call my guards,” Sebastian said to me. “We’ll call the cops after that. We don’t want him to escape.”
I nodded.
Too bad the guards had stayed downstairs and hadn’t expected our enemy would be able to sneak inside. But then again, no one could’ve known what Sargetti had planned to pull.
My shoulders were still tense, and I knew I wouldn’t relax until Sargetti was far, far away from us.
Chapter 34
NOT PUTTING A BULLET in Sargetti had to be one of the hardest things I’d ever done. But the look on Isabella’s face was everything I needed to stop myself from making a huge mistake.
Because killing Sargetti would’ve been a mistake.
There was no doubt about that.
A dead detective wasn’t the same as a dead drug dealer or a dead thief.
Calling the cops and handing the detective over to them was the right thing to do, and not just because it made me look perfectly innocent in everyone’s eyes.
Sargetti had been recording our conversation, and after Isabella and I listened it over, we’d decided it was only incriminating the detective and not me. I couldn’t believe he’d blamed me for something I’d had no control over at all.
But he’d been desperate and angry. And he’d had to direct his anger somewhere or it would’ve driven him crazy.
I was just the easiest and closest target.
“Are you okay?” Isabella asked, looking at me with her big, concerned eyes.
“I should be the one asking you that.” I was impressed that she hadn’t been completely freaking out, even with a gun pointed at her head.
“Why?” She cocked her head at me. “You’re allowed not to be okay too.”
I watched her for a few long moments, and I knew there was something I had to do that couldn’t wait.
I’d been wrong.
Not putting a bullet in Sargetti was easy compared to what I was about to do.
“You’re free to go,” I said.
She blinked at me, as if she couldn’t understand what I was saying. “What do you mean?”
“I’m letting you go. You deserve better than all this.”
“Oh, come on. We’ve been through that before. You deserve nice things too. Don’t let Sargetti get in your head.”
“It’s not about Sargetti. It’s everything. We tried and it didn’t work. We’re not a good match. If something happened to you because of me, I’d never forgive myself. If Sargetti figured it out, then someone else will too. I can’t give you everything you need and deserve without putting your life in danger.”
It was a lie.
Partly, anyway.
What she was feeling for me wasn’t real.
It couldn’t be.
She’d been through a lot of trauma because of what I’d done to her. I’d kidnapped her and held her captive. If she stayed with me, she was never even going to know the truth.
That was why I had to let her go.
For her own good.
Once she was truly free, away from me, she’d be able to move on.
It might hurt her now, but she’d get over it.
She was strong.
She’d be fine.
“Can we postpone this conversation for some other time? A lot has happened today, and we’re just not able to think clearly,” she said.
“No. My mind is clear. Crystal clear.”
She sighed. “Why are you doing this to me again? Why are you doing it to yourself? You know it’s not about my safety. I was fine. Yes, Sargetti slipped through, but that doesn’t mean someone else will.”
I pulled out my wallet and handed her one of my credit cards. “Take this. There’s enough money on it for you to buy whatever you want. I’ll call a taxi for you, and you’ll go home.”
“But I don’t want to go to my apartment. My home is with you.” She reached out for me.
“It’s not. It never will be.” I walked away from her, because if I didn’t, I would probably change my mind.
That weird sensation in my chest was back again.
Only, this time it hurt a thousand times worse.
I barely registered getting in the car, and when I got back to my empty, cold room, I let out a roar of anger.
With a swipe of my hand, I brought everything on my nightstand crashing to the floor.
I ripped the sheets off the bed.
I punched a hole through the closet door.
And when I sat down on the floor, looking at the blood on my knuckles, I knew I’d made the right decision, even if it destroyed me.
Isabella’s place would never be with a man like me.
Chapter 35
I HATED HIM.
I hated him so m
uch that I’d ripped all my paintings into pieces.
Being back in my old apartment didn’t fill me with joy. Yeah, I was free, but I missed him, and pretty much everything reminded me of him or the things we’d done together.
I tried painting, but I didn’t have any inspiration. The world had lost its color, and now everything was just gray.
I should be glad.
I should celebrate that I’d gotten away from him alive and more or less fine.
But I couldn’t do it.
Moving on sounded completely impossible. But I’d have to do it eventually, wouldn’t I? What choice did I have?
Sebastian certainly hadn’t left me any.
I needed something to occupy my mind so I wouldn’t think about him, but nothing was interesting or made me happy.
It was as if I’d fallen through a black hole and couldn’t find my way out.
It was stupid.
Sebastian probably didn’t even think about me. He’d gotten rid of me so easily. I’d been a fool. He must’ve been toying with me after all.
But why hadn’t he killed me then?
I knew some stuff that could hurt him if I talked to someone.
A part of me wanted to go to the cops, just to get a little bit of revenge, even if the whole thing would only be a small inconvenience for him.
But that wasn’t how I was going to forget about him, was it?
I needed to find a way to let go.
I just didn’t know how to do it yet.
WEEKS HAD GONE BY, but I wasn’t getting any better. I’d gotten a job as a waitress, but even when I got home exhausted, I still thought about him.
He must’ve found someone better than me by now. I’d never be anyone’s first and only choice.
Closing my eyes, I leaned my head against my pillow.
There was a tiny spark of hope inside me that wanted me to believe that Sebastian missed me too and hadn’t moved on either.
That he was pining for me.
Maybe I should extinguish that spark for good, and I had an idea on how to do it.
Sebastian was supposed to attend a business party. I’d found out about it by accident. It was related to the legal part of his business. One of his many fronts, I supposed.
If he had a girlfriend or a new wife, maybe he’d bring her with him. It would only prove that he’d lied when he’d said he couldn’t keep me safe.
Or, if he didn’t want a serious relationship, he’d hook up with one of the hot women there.
My plan was entirely stupid, but I knew I had to do it, so I got dressed and went out.
Maybe I’d finally get some closure that I desperately needed.
I found the restaurant where the party was held, and I immediately spotted Sebastian’s guards close by.
Getting inside shouldn’t be a problem, since it wasn’t a private party and it was open to everyone, and anyone wearing formal attire could get in.
My black dress was good enough because the guy at the door didn’t even bat an eyelash when I passed him by. I supposed no one really wanted to crash boring business parties.
Now I needed to make sure Sebastian didn’t see me, but I had to be able to see him. I found a table in the corner of the room.
A group of people was in the way, which was good because it would be harder for Sebastian to spot me, especially when he didn’t expect to see me here.
If he figured me out anyway, I’d come up with some stupid excuse or just tell him it was none of his fucking business what I did.
I craned my neck and took a quick peek through the crowd.
The moment I saw him, a shot of electricity rushed through me.
Dammit.
I still felt about him the way I had weeks ago.
And he was still his annoying, handsome self.
But there were no women with him. I had to duck my head so he wouldn’t see me. A beautiful blonde made her way to him, swaying her hips.
I watched them as she leaned closer to him, whispering something to him, her hand lowering to his leg.
I gritted my teeth so hard I thought they might crack.
But Sebastian caught her hand and pushed it away. He said something to her, and she left with an angry expression on her face.
She wasn’t his type.
That was all.
But a few moments later, another woman showed up. She wasn’t all over him, and she seemed somewhat nice and innocent.
I waited for him to make a move, but he didn’t.
She left too.
He stared down at his glass, his face serious. When some guy approached him and greeted him, Sebastian smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
Shit.
Once he headed for the exit, I followed him as carefully as I could.
I didn’t think he’d seen me.
It was dark outside when we got onto the street. A woman in a short, tight pink dress strolled toward him.
“Hey, handsome,” she said. “Want to have some fun?”
“Leave me the fuck alone,” he snapped.
“Asshole!” she shouted after him.
I watched him as he went to his car, and then he drove away.
Huh.
Maybe he wasn’t happy either.
But that didn’t mean it was because of me.
Something else could’ve happened.
I let out a groan.
I was never really going to be free of him, was I?
Chapter 36
SHE WASN’T HAPPY.
Every time Vico gave me a report on what Isabella was doing, it didn’t sound like she was fine. The few photos of her that I’d seen horrified me.
She never smiled in any of them. Her eyes weren’t full of joy anymore. It was as if she didn’t give a damn, and she only moved through life because she had to.
She could have anything she wanted, but she never even touched the card I’d given her. Instead, she had a job that she didn’t seem to like.
Why Isabella?
Why?
What had I done?
I couldn’t say that I was happy either. Not that it mattered what I felt like.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I thought that, after some time, I’d be able to get back to the way I’d been before I met her.
But it was impossible.
No woman could capture my attention or make me want her. Even one-night stands were out of the question. I didn’t want to touch someone else and pretend that it was her.
And it wasn’t just sex that I missed.
Far from it.
I missed everything about her.
I missed her.
It was lonely without her. And cold without her fire.
I’d made a mistake again. One that was hard to fix.
But if there was one thing I was sure of now, it was that I loved her.
I loved her more than I could’ve possibly imagined.
And I’d never thought she’d love me back.
Not truly.
But maybe she did.
If only I could go back and change everything.
Chapter 37
I WAS ABOUT TO CLOSE the curtains when I spotted someone standing outside and looking up at my window.
Sebastian.
It was definitely him, but I had to be hallucinating because there was no reason for him to be here. I blinked, but he didn’t disappear.
He was real.
What was he doing here?
I pulled away from the window, unsure what to do.
A few moments later, my doorbell rang. My pulse sped up, and I looked down at myself.
Shit! I was wearing a pair of old pants and an old sweater, and I probably looked like a mess.
But I couldn’t have known I’d be having a guest, and I didn’t even know why he was here. Maybe he’d finally come to take his credit card back.
I ran my fingers through my hair and took a deep breath. When I opened the door, my heart was thudding loudly in my chest
.
“Hey,” Sebastian said softly, his hands in the pockets of his black leather jacket that looked so damn good on him. “Can I come in?”
“Um, yeah.” I stepped away from the door, letting him inside.
He looked around, taking in every little detail.
“What do you want?” I crossed my arms.
His credit card was in my wallet, so I’d have to go find it.
“I have a gift for you,” he said.
My eyebrows shot up. “I don’t need any gifts from you.”
“I know, but I want you to have this.” He pulled a set of keys from his pocket and offered it to me.
I furrowed my brow. “What is that?”
“Remember that place you mentioned? The one where you wanted to have your little gallery? I got it for you.”
My jaw hit the floor.
“I thought you’d have some of your paintings on the walls,” he said before I could ask him what the hell he was doing.
“Well, I did, but I tore them all down. Someone killed my joy and inspiration. It’s just not the same anymore.”
“Maybe focusing on your gallery will help.” He offered me a small smile.
“Why? Why are you doing this?”
“Because I made a mistake. The truth is, I can’t live without you. I love you, Isabella.” He reached for my hand and took it in his. “I’ve always loved you, even when I didn’t know what it was and when I refused to believe it.”
I just stared at him, my mouth opening, but words weren’t coming out.
“I know it’s too late, and it’s taken me ages to figure this out,” he said, caressing my hand. “Believe me, I tried denying how I felt about you over and over again. I just thought that there was no way you’d want me. But maybe you did. Maybe you still do.”
“Of course I do, you idiot.” Tears filled the corners of my eyes as I smacked him lightly on the shoulder. “But you hurt me so much. I don’t know if I can do this again. If I give you a second chance, will you pull the same shit eventually and send me away?”
“I’m sorry, but I needed to be sure. You were my prisoner. If I hadn’t let you go, I would’ve never known if it was all real or not.”
Only His: A Dark Arranged Marriage Mafia Romance Page 11
