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“Hey, Man. I’m glad you could make it,” Konstantin said with a playful smile, one Lev had never seen on him before. Konstantin was usually all smile, way too serious for his own good. It was surprising to see him looking so bubbly. He was a good actor; Lev could allow him that much praise.
“I’m glad I could too.” Lev waved to the waiter who froze seeing him. He lifted his brows, daring the waiter to do anything stupid, like call himChief.
Fortunately for the waiter, he behaved and quietly walked over to Lev. “What drink would you like, sir?”
“A bottle of mezcal and three shot glasses.”
The waiter did exactly as Lev ordered, then he walked away to attend to the other customers.
Lev passed two of the shot glasses to the ex and Konstantin. Opening the mezcal, he filled their glasses. “So, who’s your friend?” he asked.
Konstantin sighed as if he suddenly remembered something important. “Forgive me, my friend. This is Owen. We became friends just an hour before you came in.” He turned to Owen. “This is my good friend, Lev.”
Owen stretched his hand out to shake Lev. “Nice to meet you.”
I can’t say the same thing about you, you fucking piece of shit,”Lev wanted to say. Instead, he looked away and gulped down his drink, groaning as heat rolled down the bile in his stomach.
He hated the man sitting beside him and despised him for hurting his wife. He couldn’t bring himself to pretend he liked him.
Konstantin’s chuckle broke the awkwardness as Owen retracted his hand. “Forgive my friend. You see, he’s a snob, but he’s got a nice heart once you get to know him.”
Lev snorted because Owen would get to know him very soon. Very, very soon. There was nothing nice about him, and chaos followed him everywhere, which he would bring to Owen.
Owen chuckled and waved off Konstantin’s apology. “It’s fine.” He turned his head in Lev’s direction and looked at him from head to toe. “He looks rich.”
“He’s the second son of one of the richest families here in Chicago,” Konstantin answered. “So, yes. He’s rich.”
Own chuckled. “I guessed that much. It’s understandable why a rich guy won’t be so quick to let anyone in his circle.” He took a swig of the mezcal in the shot glass in front of him and groaned. “This tastes fucking good.”
“So, Owl,” Lev started, intentionally calling Owen the wrong name just to piss him off. “Are you married? Dating?”
Owen tsked. “Just got out of a relationship with a dumb bitch. I’m not in a rush to get into another one.”
Dumb bitch.
Lev’s fists curled, hearing the asshole beside him call his wife that name. Zia was far from dumb; she was smart, intelligent, and a treasure. He was the dumb one for not recognizing that and hurting her.
He was even dumber for attacking her.
“Dumb?” Konstantin asked with furrowed brows. “You didn’t love her, did you?”
Owen chuckled, filling his glass with drink. “I did find her interesting at first. She was pretty and innocent. I was thrilled with being the first person to fuck her. I even allowed that stupid bitch to live in my apartment, and she didn’t pay a dime for it. That is how much I was into her. But she was using me. She didn’t even let me go past kissing her.”
Into her, a less annoying way to say he didn’t love her. Lev understood that word perfectly because that was close to how he felt. He liked Zia so much that he didn’t think he could live without her, but he didn’t love her. Not because he didn’t want to, but because he couldn’t love her or anyone else for that matter.
But he would never hurt her. Not in the way Owen did. He cherished her and would die to protect her. That was the difference between him and the idiot sitting next to him.
Lev’s nostrils flared. His teeth bared, but he did a good job of hiding the rage he felt. “So, you broke up with her because she wouldn’t let you fuck her.”
Owen sort of recoiled at Lev’s accusation. It would have been smart of him to deny it, but he wasn’t very smart. Heshrugged instead. “I guess so. A man has needs, so I cheated, and she left because I didn’t care to hide it. She had just one use, and she couldn’t even fulfill her role.”
Lifting his drink, Lev swirled it, watching tentatively as the clear liquid danced inside the glass. His heart pounded in his chest with rage. He imagined all the ways he could hurt Owen. Owen’s screams and pain were the only things that could satiate the violent hunger in Lev’s veins.
“Was that all you did?” Lev asked, taking a sip of his drink.
Owen’s eyes narrowed on Lev. “I don’t understand.”
Of course, he wouldn’t. Assholes like him loved to play dumb when they couldn’t play smart.
