CHAPTER 91 - MARIA
CHAPTER
Maria
IHAVE NO WISH to follow in Arianna’s footsteps and venture outside of the Scorpio Lounge.
As much as I don’t want to intrude on her and Red’s personal space, especially now she’s pregnant, I prefer being inside.
Going downstairs to the lobby or into the casino on occasions, is my limit.
Even the occasional meeting I’m included in breaks the monotony of being cooped up.
Reaching the top of the stairs, I make my way to my bedroom, stopping when I round the corner and see Liam.
“What are you doing here?” His face moves into the usual sneer specifically reserved for me.
“I live here,” I snap as I continue walking past. “At least for now.”
“Yeah, more’s the pity... Have you never considered finding somewhere else? Somewhere of your own, perhaps?”
Stopping, I turn around and face Liam as he leans against the wall; his expression showing how determined he is to wind me up. “I will wait until I’m told it’s safe to do that.”
“You’re determined to linger around, cramping everyone’s style, aren’t you?” he continues. “The way you act, I’m surprised you can even use a bathroom on your own.”
My face heats, but I won’t give this idiot the satisfaction of upsetting me. “Why exactly do you hate me so much?”
“Hate you?” Liam shrugs his big shoulders.
“Hating you implies that I care one way or the other, which I don’t.
” He closes the gap between us, effectively blocking my escape route.
“What I don’t like is your game of playing the virgin queen and being scared of your own shadow.
It’s pathetic. You’ve taken hours of my brother’s time demanding to be taught to fire a gun when he’s got 1001 other things more important to deal with.
” His eyes narrow. “If you’re trying to tempt him away from your sister with your ‘little girl lost’ bollocks, then you’ll lose.
Let him and Arianna get on with their fucking lives. ”
“Tempt Red away from...” My mouth drops open and then I shut it quickly, resenting that I’ve given Liam Bateman the knowledge of hitting a nerve. “I don’t have to listen to this. Let me past, please.”
“You listen to nothing you don’t want to.” Liam chuckles, moving aside so I can continue along the landing. “No one wants you here, Maria. Go back to Daddy, and let everyone else get on with things.”
I keep walking, letting the words he shouts after me bounce off my back. Tears burn behind my eyes as I hasten back to my room, relieved to round another corner out of sight and grateful I didn’t trip under Liam’s scrutiny.
What he said about tempting Red away from Arianna is untrue. I would never do that. Could never do that. Arianna has always been the one everyone wants, never me. I’m used to that.
As for no one liking me. That’s not true either.
At least, I don’t think it is.
I slam my bedroom door shut behind me. Liam is a pathetic, jealous, manipulative...
Seeing something flutter to the floor out of the corner of my eye, I freeze.
What’s that?
My skin crawls at the distinctive envelope on the floor, similar to the one that accompanied the ring from Luca.
I begin to call for Liam. Even though I don’t like him, he can check to see if there’s been...
No wait!
My eyes dart around the room. Is the window open?
Has Luca been in here?
The window is firmly closed and nothing appears to have been touched, so where did that envelope come from?
It fell from somewhere - dislodged from behind something. Above the door, maybe? Where?
I take a deep breath. I don’t know where it came from, but it’s here now, which means someone has been in here.
I tentatively pick up the envelope.
I won’t call Liam. It will only back up his theory that I can’t deal with anything.
Tearing open the envelope, I read the note inside.
Sitting at the end of the bed, my heart pounds. My first instinct is to phone Arianna, but she’s at that meeting with Red and I don’t want to interrupt her. I must start dealing with things myself.
I stare at the note once more, a headache thumping in my temples. They said there were no more moles aside from that Dave person, and Luca could not have got in. The entire workforce is primed to watch every angle of this building, I know that much, so how...
I gasp and flop back against the pillow in disbelief.
Of course.
My eyes narrow as they track back to the door, half-expecting him to be peering through the keyhole at this very second and chuckling over my meltdown.
And when I say “him”, I don’t mean Luca Bristoni.
This is down to Liam.
It’s so bloody obvious, and I almost fell for it. Not anymore. “No, Liam,” I mutter under my breath. “You’re not going to win. I won’t run to Arianna or Red, freaking out about Luca because it’s not him. It’s you!”
Even though this isn’t funny, I can’t help but smile. That’s why Liam was up here. He put this envelope in my room, expecting me to freak out and prove his point that I’m a lost cause who hinders everything.
Getting to my feet, I screw up the note and toss it into the wastepaper basket.
Liam Bateman will never accept or like me, but that’s okay. If he thinks I’ll stress Arianna out further by mentioning this, then he’s mistaken. Like Red keeps saying, Luca is a nobody. He won’t get anywhere, and he will not get in here. He will certainly not get me or Arianna.
And I believe him.
Liam can try to drive me away all he likes, but he’ll eventually give up his antics when he fails to eke the response he expects.