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Massimo went on.

‘But she’s only given me ten percent; the rest will come after this meeting, when she has confirmation that I’ve delivered this truth to you. She went to all this trouble because she adores you, and hates that you think the worst of her. She’s in utter agony at the thought of losing you.’

I stared at the dark screen, my throat tightening until I could barely breathe.

My heart fractured into a million pieces.

She fought like hell for us, and I shut her down, refused to listen to her, and freakin’ crushed her spirit.

I got up slowly and took my time rounding up on Massimo.

When I reached him, I grabbed him by both hands, clutching his jacket collars and hoisting him off his feet until his shoes dangled.

‘I should fuckin’ beat you to a pulp for what you did to my woman, to my family and me, you parasitic piece of trash.’

I flung him sideways, his body crashing hard onto a sofa by the wall before he slid to the carpet.

‘Where is she right now?’ I roared, looming over his pathetic form.

Massimo shrugged, nursing his bruised shoulder.

‘I’ve only had a FaceTime conversation with her. I don’t know where she is. Perhaps she’s home.’

I raced out of the boardroom, my boots pounding the floor as I rushed into the studio.

All my bandmates glanced up, surprised at the emotion on my face.

‘Brother?’ Jude asked.

I grabbed my wallet and truck keys from the console desk.

‘What’s the play, Deke? Where are you going?’ Bishop yelled, rising from the console.

‘I have the truth, and I need to make things right with my woman,’ I threw over my shoulder.

I lit out, my soul on fire and my heart breaking for her.

I tore down the asphalt toward Ana’s house, my fingers gripping the steering wheel.

Had I destroyed us?

I replayed the ice in my voice when I left her in the hotel room.

When she tried to explain, I shut down.

I should have listened, especially after she’d admitted Massimo assaulted her.

What kind of man did that to the woman he loved?

Why had my mind leaped to betrayal instead of trusting her?

My skittishness and overreaction proved I had not yet healed from my past trauma to act as I did.

It still isn’t enough of an excuse for how I treated her.

I should have at least heard her out; I berated myself.

I pulled into the gravel driveway of Ana’s cottage and killed the engine as my chest tightened.