3. Matteo
Matteo
MATTEO
bail me out if I get arrested?
ELLINGTON
always
as if you’d even have to ask
Ididn’t particularly think this through and that’s proven as I stop outside Evie’s apartment and realize I didn’t get a key from her. The only thing that was going through my mind like a broken record was, I’m going to fucking kill him.
Hard to think about anything else after seeing Evie so broken.
And so cryptic.
What did she mean they knew? Knew what? The reason she’s been avoiding everyone for close to a year?
I’ll just tell Ellington I did what I’m about to do because I knew he would want me to. I certainly can’t tell him it’s because his little sister has been the only woman to ever make my heart stop beating.
“What a shame about the key. I’ll just have to kick his door down.”
Stepping back, with the mental image of Evie downstairs crying, it feels almost easy to lift my leg and send it careening into the door. The sound it makes as it’s flung open, wood splintering and smashing into another object, is music to my ears.
Especially as a scream fills the living room.
My lip curls back in a sneer as I step inside and watch Felicity scramble up and off the couch, using a pillow to cover herself. Not like I’d look anyways. I don’t usually find women other than Evie attractive. It’s honestly a problem, one a therapist would no doubt love to pick at to understand.
“What the fuck?” Carter bellows, the veins in his neck throbbing.
“I see getting caught didn’t slow you down,” I say dryly, leaning against the doorframe, crossing my arms and not allowing a flicker of emotion pass over my face.
I know it can be menacing to appear angry, but it’s nowhere near as intimidating as a six-foot-five, stone-cold man.
The ice king.
I’ve been told all my life I’m heartless, grumpy, moody, a bastard.
I’ve never admitted to anyone that I hate the labels, that I’m nothing of the sort.
Grumpy, perhaps, but I’m not heartless. I’ve just had to protect my feelings, and the best way to do that is to not give a hint of the torment of emotions swirling through me.
I’ve never liked being told I’m intimidating until now.
I’d love nothing more than to watch Carter piss himself.
“Get the fuck out of my apartment,” Carter yells, running around the living room trying to cover up his tiny dick.
“No idea why any woman would ever throw away a longtime friendship over a dick that size but here we are.”
Carter’s jaw drops as Felicity gasps, genuinely looking offended. Taking a slow step toward me, something glitters out and dies in his gaze.
Gotcha, bastard.
“What the fuck did you just say to me?”
Squinting, I pretend to be searching as he slowly closes in on me. “Quick question before you come any closer, have you brushed your teeth today? Or did you forget because Evie wasn’t around to remind you?”
His eyes flash as his lip curls back with a sneer. “You have some fucking nerve—”
Pushing off the wall, I quickly crowd his space, standing a solid head and a half taller than him, and I don’t miss the way he flinches.
“No, you have the fucking nerve, you lowlife piece of shit.” My hand snaps out, wrapping around his neck.
Ignoring Felicity’s scream behind me, I drop my voice as I pin Carter to the wall.
“Now listen up and listen fucking good, because I don’t repeat myself, let alone to pieces of trash.
You will call your landlord and take full responsibility over this apartment and immediately remove Evie’s name from the lease.
Next, you will send her ten thousand dollars to cover the furniture loss.
She’s going to have to leave everything behind considering you two dickheads contaminated it all. ”
With every word, anger simmers in his gray eyes, his stupid fucking hair falling in curls around them, the sweat from fucking Evie’s best friend glistening on his chest.
I’ve never hated anyone more than I do him.
How could he have someone as perfect as Evie and treat her so horribly? How could he have the woman I have craved to experience love and affection from, only to throw it in her face?
“So help me God, Carter, if you don’t, I’ll send those adorable photos of you and Leanne to your company.” My grin is murderous. “Make them aware of your little parking lot lunches you both seem to adore so much.”
“Your what?” Felicity screeches.
I don’t let go of Carter, savoring every bit of panic flooding his features as Felicity’s furious bare feet stomp this way.
“You fucked Leanne?”
“No, baby—”
My hand tightens around his neck, choking off whatever else he was about to spew.
“You cheating piece of shit!”
“The irony is not lost on me,” I mutter before craning my neck behind me. “But it clearly has been on you and your two brain cells, you fucking moron.”
Before I decide to murder him and truly go to prison, I let go of Carter and quickly head down the hall in search of the master bedroom, eavesdropping on him gasping for air while Felicity screams at him for cheating on her.
Growling under my breath, I quickly locate the closet, grab the nearest suitcase, and begin to shove everything and anything I can get my hands on that is hers.
I only need her to have enough until tomorrow—I’ll organize movers to come in here and clean out her belongings—but I wouldn’t put it past Carter to ruin her items.
Even though he’s the one in the wrong.
Something tells me he’s the type to twist reality until you’re both standing their questioning what your own name is.
Heading into the bathroom, I stop in my tracks when I see the multiple condom wrappers in the trash. “You have got to be kidding me,” I mutter.
Even quicker, I grab any and all items from the bathroom that look feminine and stuff them into the suitcase. I can’t be here right now. I’m two seconds away from sending my career down the toilet with how much damage I want to inflict.
Wheeling the suitcase behind me, I glower at the pair of them as I reenter the living room.
I push it through the front door, then spin on my heel, feeling their eyes on my back as I move into the kitchen.
Grabbing the largest vase I can find, I shove it under the water dispenser on the fridge, my gaze locking on the photos stuck to it.
Photos of Evie and Felicity, Evie and Carter, Carter and his friends.
A life.
These two have acted so carelessly with no concern for the life they were experiencing with Evie, the one they both played an active role in building.
Once the vase is full I make my way back to the front door, ignoring them and their questioning gazes. Quicker than a snake, I dump the vase full of ice-cold water over Felicity’s head. She’s too stunned to scream, the cold no doubt shocking her system.
“That’s for being a bitch to Evie.”
Then I turn to Carter, his mouth slightly agape as Felicity sputters and wipes water out of her eyes.
Pulling my arm back, I throw everything into the punch I send his way.
The resounding crack and spray of blood that splatters the floor doesn’t feel nearly as satisfying as I had hoped it would, but he cups his nose and screams.
Getting into his space, I spit through gritted teeth, “And that’s for being a piece of shit.”
The pain radiating down my hand is worth it.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long fucking time.” Laughing to myself, a deep, rumbling laugh, I grin down at him. “Dreams really do come true, I suppose.”
Carter pushes himself up. He wipes his nose with the back of his hand, flicking blood to the hardwood floor.
My strides are clipped as I spin toward the suitcase and the front door, my temper holding on by a thread as it demands more.
And that’s when I hear his grating voice.
“I knew you wanted her the moment I met you, Valenti. Clearly too much of a pussy to go after her.” He chuckles dryly. “Enjoy my bitch while you can, because the second I want her back, I’ll fucking own what’s mine. Just don’t bang her up too much. I don’t want a whore.”
The suitcase handle drops from my hand.
I turn, ever so slowly. The rage simmering in my eyes makes the smug smirk on Carter’s face drop, and the depths of hell rumble in my voice as I growl, “What did you just say to me?”