Chapter 12

Two days after Cole left, Rio broke into my room again.

He was turning the broken necklace pendant over in his hand, his eyes dark, staring me down.

"You lied to me about this. Didn't you?"

My stomach tightened, but I kept my face flat. "I told you everything. What more do you want?"

"Did you?" He sneered and stepped closer. "The thing you found just happens to match my fiancée's necklace exactly. That's not a coincidence."

"Either you know her and you're covering for her, or you don't know her and you did something to her you're too scared to admit."

"Tell me. Do you know her or not?"

His pushing set something off in me. I stopped holding back.

"What does it matter to you if I know her or not?"

"You won't shut up about your fiancée. How she's the only one for you, how you've waited four years."

"But you haven't seen her in four years. If she stood in front of you right now, would you even know her?"

"The woman in your head, is that really her? Or just some picture you built up in your mind? Do you even love her the way you think you do?"

His face dropped. He opened his mouth to fight back, but I kept going before he could.

"You treat your fiancée like she's untouchable. Too precious to lay a hand on. But other women? Gun to their head, forced into a bed, forced to do whatever you say. Why does she get to matter and everyone else's fiancée gets thrown away?"

"Doesn't that make you a hypocrite?"

That landed harder than I expected. He opened his mouth and nothing came out.

He stood there speechless. Tears came without warning.

Marco walked past the door right then, took one look, and pushed his way between us.

"What is going on here! Rio, are you out of your mind, coming at her like that? She's the boss's woman."

Rio didn't answer. He turned and walked out, his steps off balance.

Marco walked me back to my room, his voice gentler now.

"Don't let it get to you. Rio's obsessive. He'll do whatever it takes when he's set on something. Don't waste your energy on him."

I was still crying, barely able to breathe. "Why is he like this? Why is he so cruel?"

Marco shook his head. "This life doesn't let you be soft."

"Cut him some slack. Getting dumped by the woman he loves, that's eating him alive too."