Chapter Thirty-Two
Devious
Past
T he last few months have been fucking hell. Shelby found out six months ago she was pregnant, and she isn’t happy about it, so I’ve been trying to cheer her up, taking her out on dates, but nothing seems to make her happy. Maybe she’ll be a lot better once Santo arrives. When she holds him, she’ll want him. I walk through the lobby with a fresh bouquet of flowers, and I take the private elevator up to the penthouse. Once I’m inside, I find all of the lights are off. I set the flowers on the dining room table. She loves lilies. She says it reminds her of her aunt who died in a plane crash last year.
Some baby shit I bought is scattered all over the tacky-ass couch she picked out. I’m so happy she’s pregnant. I always wanted a child of my own. Kids don’t spook me the way it spooks her.
I had a long day at the brothel, making sure the women’s health records are up-to-date. I glance down to where Shelby’s bra and panties are scattered on the marble floor. Sometimes she lives like a slob. I remove my shoes and go into the kitchen, opening up the cabinet door to pour myself a glass of bourbon.
I hear a loud giggle and laughter from down the hallway. Then I hear moaning and her begging for more. She’s fucking someone in our bed. Whoever she’s fucking is a dead man. My heart seizes in my chest. I grab my gun from under the couch and check the bullets, then as I creep closer, his thrusts become louder.
The door is slightly open, and I peek through the crack as I watch her bounce up and down on his dick. She throws her head back in ecstasy, and he grips her hips.
“Ride my dick harder, baby.”
“You need to hurry up and come. Devious will be home in an hour.”
“Fuckkkk!”
Rage hammers in my chest. I know his voice. It’s Cashel. My own best friend. When the fuck did they start fucking each other? I can’t believe what my own eyes are revealing to me. How both of them smile in my face and betray me. My mouth is dry and my throat grows tight. I grip the handle of the gun so hard that I think it will break. Kicking the door open, I aim the gun at Cashel.
“Get the fuck off of him!”
She turns around, holding the blanket over her naked body, and both of them look at me with shock in their eyes. Shelby gets out of bed and throws on a long T-shirt.
Her eyes fill with fear, and her bottom lips trembles. “Please, Devious, don’t kill him. I can explain. You know we haven’t been in love for a while.”
Cashel gets up from the bed, sliding on his jeans.
“Shut the fuck up before I slap the shit out of you,” I tell her.
Tears fall down her cheeks. Slowly, she walks up to me and touches my forearm. “Please, Devious, don’t kill him. I’m begging you.”
“Don’t fucking touch me! I gave up a lot of shit for you, and this is how you repay me?” I grip her by the neck, and I’m ready to squeeze the life out of her, but she’s pregnant and I don’t want her to go into labor prematurely with my child, so I let her go.
Aiden warned me about them. He tried to tell me they were betraying me. He told me to watch my back, and I didn’t listen. I thought he was bitter because things didn’t work out between him and Maya, but he was right.
“We didn’t want you to find out like this,” Shelby says.
Cashel was my best friend since we were toddlers, and he does this shit. Fuck him and his loyalty. He rushes for the nightstand which has my gun, and I pull the trigger. Bullets fly, putting holes into the wall, and he jumps out of the way.
Shelby grabs me by the arm. “I’m not in love with you anymore.”
We’re not allowed to get a divorce and I’m supposed to kill her if I want to end my marriage, but the only reason why I’m sparing her is because I love her and she’s carrying my child.
“Get the fuck out of here. By the time I’m done killing him, me and you will be done. I’ll pay child support and be in Santo’s life, but I don’t want to have anything to do with you.”
I cock the gun, aiming it at Cashel as he runs through the bathroom door, and I pull the trigger. Shelby jumps in front of me, and her body falls to the ground with blood coming from her mouth. Cashel takes one last look at her in shock, and he runs out of the bedroom.
I lay Shelby on her back, her breathing ragged, and she coughs up blood.
“D-Devious.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t want to die.”
“You won’t,” I whisper.
“Please… take care of Santo. I’m—I’m—” She coughs again, getting blood on my white shirt. “I’m…” Then her eyes roll back, and the life leaves them.
I lay her down on the floor and blow air in her mouth, placing both of my palms on her chest and getting blood on my fingers. I push as hard as I can, trying to get her heart beating.
“You’re not dead, baby. You’re not dead.”
My throat closes and my vision becomes blurry as I blow air into her mouth and start the compressions again on her chest.
“Come back to me, baby. Don’t leave me.”
Tears wet my eyes as I pick up her lifeless body and hold her tight.
“No, no, no, no! I’m going to make this right, baby. I’m so sorry.”
I carry her down the stairs and put her into the front seat of my car and drive her to the closest hospital. I take her to the ER. As I pace the floor, I grab my phone from my pocket and dial her mother’s number.
“Devious?”
I don’t respond for a few minutes.
“Are you there?”
“It’s Shelby. We’re at the ER.”
“Oh my God. Is she okay?”
The doctor walks out into the lobby.
“I’m sorry, but Shelby Vitali didn’t make it. She had too much internal bleeding.”
“What about the baby?” I ask.
“The baby didn’t get enough oxygen to the brain, so he didn’t make it either. I’m sorry.”
I hear Shelby’s mother screaming at the top of the lungs through the phone.