Page 141 of Duty

She wanted to say it wasn’t worth it.

The pain wouldn’t be worth it.

Something else said it just might.

“You can talk to me,” Valeria said.

“I know.”

“Then talk.”

There was a lot of things she could have said; how she felt, and the way things seemed to be shaking out for her and Andino at the end of the day. The inevitable end that she felt was coming, and soon.

Instead, Haven settled on saying, “I think I fell in love with a man who can’t or won’t love me back, Val.”

Her friend sagged a bit against the island. “I’m sorry.”

Haven shrugged. “I don’t know how to tell him that, though.”

Valeria nodded. “They have a way of doing that to us—men like him, I mean. They sweep into your life, and they’re enigmatic. Electric, even. A complex walking, you know? Everything about them is something you know you should stay away from, and yet, the same things that scare you are the same shit that draws you back in time and time again. I get it, Haven. Really.”

“That’s what it was like for you, too?”

“Yes,” her friend replied, “and no.”

“Sounds complicated.”

“It’s all complicated when you love a bad man, Haven. It’s when he starts to love you back that you need to be careful.”

She wondered …

Did he love her back?

Did it even matter anymore?

“I don’t want to keep being hurt,” Haven said. Even if Andino didn’t mean to hurt her, some of the things he had done still did exactly that. “I’m allowed to be the one who says that I don’t want to be hurt anymore, right?”

Valeria gave her a look. “Who else is going to do it for you?”

NINETEEN

Andino nursed the glass of red wine he held, and let his gaze drift over the sizable crowd that had come to celebrate Valentine’s day at his grandparents’ mansion. Usually, he liked this type of thing—the wealth, respect, and standing. He liked everything that being a Marcello provided him, and he took great pleasure in knowing that other people recognized his privilege, too.

Tonight was … different.

Or it seemed that way.

His three-piece black on black suit with a matching tie and vest felt too snug—especially around his throat. The Cartier watch on his wrist was ticking down, and he felt acutely aware of the sound even if he didn’t know what it was ticking down to. Every time someone else’s gaze would drift in his direction, Andino was quick to look away. He didn’t want to be stared at tonight; he didn’t want to be here at all.

He would much rather be on the other side of New York indulging a blonde, blue-eyed woman with a masterpiece inked all over her body. It was fucking Valentine’s day. It wasn’t like he had ever had a reason to want to be with someone on that day before, but he did this year. He’d rather be normal with Haven for five more minutes and not the little Marcello king in waiting that he felt like tonight.

He’d never been more on display with his family than he was now—Andino was never more aware of that fact than now.

All eyes on him.

How well will you rise?

He could practically feel them asking that question of him in their minds. He didn’t need to actually hear them say it when he could see it written on all their faces. Their expectations were all around him constantly.