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I turned back to face him. “Out of the two of us, I don’t think you’re one to talk about what’s fucked up when it comes to relationships.”
The words slipped free before I ever had a chance to stop them. I watched as Benito’s face pivoted between anger, sadness, and back again. My lips parted, trying to think of something to say, but my brother held up a hand.
“Get out of my fucking office. You want this burden? Fine, it’s on you.” He rounded his desk and sat down. “When it blows up in your face, make sure you ask Enzo for help because I’m not lifting a fucking finger to assist more of your bullshit mistakes.”
We stared at each other, a challenge in our gazes. Neither one of us wanted to look away first. Even as my stomach rolled and anger built to rage, I kept my outward appearance calm. I didn’t need Benito bringing up my past mistakes. All the progress we’d made in the previous months was teetering on a dangerous cliff.
Fucking asshole.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Benito bit out. “I’m trying to look out for you, but you don’t want that.” His frown deepened. “Gin, when have I ever let you down?”
“So many times,” I snipped. “But I keep my fucking mouth shut, don’t I?”
The hurt that passed my brother’s eyes made me ache. I stepped forward, but he held his hand up, stopping me. Benito picked up the glass on his desk, gulping the amber liquid that sloshed inside before he spoke to me again.
“Leave.”
“I—”
“Leave!”
The roar of Benito’s words made my ears ache. I stared at him a little longer before I turned and walked out of his office. The door slammed behind me, a finality that sent a shiver up my spine.What the fuck did I do?
Benito and Enzo were all I had in this world. Without them, I was nothing. Sure, we fought and fucked up, but we were always there for each other at the end of the day. I turned back around, staring at the thick wooden door of my brother’s office. Everything in me screamed to go back inside and talk some sense into him.
I didn’t move.
Minutes ticked by. As the door stayed shut, my shoulders dropped. I shuffled away, feeling discombobulated. One little fight, and I was fucked up. All because I wanted to keep some goddamn toy I would probably get sick of in the next few days, just like he said.
Benito’s right. What am I thinking?
I should have let him do what he wanted, but I’d come in already irritated and on edge. That was my fuck up. I walked through the club, exiting into the too-bright sunlight as I tugged my hands out of my pockets.
Ash peered up at me from the passenger seat, worry in his eyes. Something stirred in me, some niggling annoyance that made me want to ask if he was okay. Instead, I slipped into my baby and started her up.
“Is everything alright?” Ash whispered. “Am I going somewhere else?”
I turned on him. “Do you ever shut up?”
He shrank away from me. Ash’s eyes cut away from mine. He smashed himself against his car door, staring out the window instead of at me. I watched the silhouette of his face, my brain screaming at me as I turned back to look at the road.
Fuck. What am I doing?
I was acting like a crazy person, lashing out at everyone around me while still struggling to understand why. Squirming in my seat, I dreamt up visions of bourbon and weed, anything to take the edge off.
As I pulled away from the curb, I sank into a familiar place, one filled with the errands I had to run and the tasks that were laid out before me. Keeping my eye on the prize was the goal. Even if Benito was pissed and Ash was upset, that had nothing to do with me.
I needed to escape.
“Get out.”Giancarlo’s tone brokered no argument.
I scrambled for the door, my trembling fingers slipping a few times before I could pull it successfully and got out of the car. The door closed behind me. I walked around the car and stood there. What was I supposed to do now?
Giancarlo’s window rolled down as he continued to stare forward. “The passcode for the door is 1312. Let yourself in.”
The window started to roll up, and I stepped forward. “Wait.”
“What?”
