Shameless - Sybil Bartel Page 0,81
The new hardware making me feel like a goddamn pussy, I cursed my idiocy.
“Fucking princesses.” I poured three fingers out of habit, but then I paused because every single thing I did now, I thought about her. Glaring at the glass, I cursed. “Fucking hell.” Looking for an escape, I took a swallow of the whiskey but it tasted like shit.
I couldn’t even enjoy a damn drink anymore.
My cell vibrated and I yanked the damn thing out of my pocket and glanced at the display. Setting my drink down and swiping my finger across the screen, I barked at Ronan. “What do you want?”
“She called Luna,” Ronan stated without preamble.
“Good for her.”
“You knew Vincenzo wasn’t going to let it go.”
“Not my problem. Is there a point to this call?”
“You didn’t want her to have to look over her shoulder.”
“Speed it up, Conlon. I don’t have all night.”
“No, you don’t,” he agreed.
Jesus Christ. “What the fuck do you want?”
“It’s what you want.”
Cagey EOD fuck. “You’re lucky I can’t reach through the phone.”
“Keep your door unlocked,” he stated evenly.
“You motherfucker.” Pissed, I strode to my front door and yanked it open.
Arm up, eyes wide, hand fisted like she was about to knock, Summer flinched.
“You’re welcome.” Ronan hung up.
I tossed my phone on the entry table. “How did you get my address?” I knew how. I wanted her to cop to it.
Her cheeks tinted. “Ronan.”
Hating another man’s name passing her lips, I didn’t step aside to let her in. I made her work for it. “What do you want?”
Holding her purse in front of her like a shield, she searched my face. Then she cleared her throat and squared her shoulders. “You were right.”
The woman with brass. That’s who I was looking at, but I stubbornly didn’t want that woman right now. I wanted the woman who looked at me like I was her entire fucking world. “If you came to kiss my ass, you’re barking up the wrong tree.” I didn’t have time for, nor did I give a fuck about that kind of shit. I just wanted honesty.
The corner of her mouth twitched. “So you’ve told me, repeatedly.”
I was done with the bullshit. “I’ve got better shit to do than stand here and listen to a woman who chooses to break bread with a Mafioso prick. So if you have something to say, have at it. Otherwise, find your way home.” I grabbed the door.
Her face twisted with remorse, and she blurted shit out like a kid caught red-handed. “I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t ask you to apologize.” Apologies were a shit excuse for bad decisions.
Her gaze darted to my hand on the door. “What do you want me to say?”
“You don’t have to say a damn thing.” Her actions spoke plenty. So did mine.
“Oh come on.” Her attitude came out in spades. “Quit being a jerk. I said I’m sorry. I’m here now. What more do you want?”
“You’re here now?” She was pissing me the fuck off. “I showed tonight for you, woman.” I put the fucking tux on for her. “And your move is to go off with Vincenzo?” Where the fuck was she a half hour ago? Oh that’s right, kissing fucking Vincenzo’s ass.
Throwing her hands up, she yelled. “You were being an asshole!”
“How?” I yelled back. “By giving a fuck about you?”
“If tossing me aside the first chance you get is how you give a fuck about me, then your version of caring sucks.”
My nostrils flared. “I’m not repeating myself, woman.” I made to shut the door.
“Wait.” Her hand shot out. “Why did you show up tonight?”
Irrationally enraged, I stared her down.
“Oh my God, seriously?” She shook her head in disgust. “That’s your version of communication? Just fucking talk to me.”
I didn’t say shit. I shouldn’t have had to.
Inhaling like she needed it for control, she brought her tone down. “Look, I don’t want to fight with you. I don’t even know what we’re fighting about.” Her throat moved with a swallow. Then her voice turned soft. “If you want me to understand what you’re thinking, Shade, you have to tell me.”
Schooled.
By a fucking woman not even twenty.
I turned around and walked into my place.
HIS DRESS SHIRT STRETCHED ACROSS his impossibly huge shoulders, he turned his back on me and stalked into his apartment without a word.
Taking it as a good sign that he didn’t slam the door, I followed him inside, but the second I crossed the threshold, doubt caught up to me.
He grabbed a drink off the