Thrust: Bad Boy Racing Romance (Fastlane Series Book 2) (26 page)

Rounding my desk, I picked up my cell phone and swiped it on. I eased into my chair and brought it to my ear, readying myself to unload on Marco the instant he answered.

Only, the fucker
didn’t.

After the fifth ring, his voicemail picked up. Whereas before the sound of his voice had always stirred me in the most satisfying of ways, this time, hearing it made my skin
crawl
. At the last second, I almost lost my nerve.

I thought maybe it would be better if I just never spoke to him again. After all, what difference would make? He was married, and I was out of a job. Just then, an even more horrific thought occurred to me and strengthened what little resolve remained. The ‘beep’ to leave a message sounded and I wasted no time.

“I don’t even know where to begin, Marco. You lying, asshole! Right up until this instant, it didn’t even occur to me that you would be involved with what Serena has done. If you are, that would probably make you one of the most sadistic and twisted people I’ve ever come in contact with in my entire life. Just know that I
never
want to speak to you again, so don’t bother returning my call.”

I paused for a moment and sucked in the biggest breath I could before continuing.

“I came into work today to meet with Bernard and Leopold and present them the signature page of your agreement. To my utter shock, someone you introduced to me not long ago was already seated at the table. Can you guess who that was, Marco? I’ll give you one hint…
Her name rhymes with Serena.
That’s right. Serena! You can imagine how surprised I was to see her there. After all, I’d only met her once, and by the way you acted, that was the only time I was ever going to see her. But guess what else I found out, Marco? I found out that she wasn’t just some fling or hook up for you. No. She is actually
your wife.
”

Stopping yet again, I shot to my feet and slammed the top of my desk with my fist.

“Your fucking wife! You fucking asshole!”

I yanked the phone away from my ear, hanging it up. With my free hand clenched into a fist, I struggled to keep my rage from getting the better of me. I took a few deep breaths, even trying to count backwards from ten.

Nothing worked.

I wasn’t finished speaking my mind. I called him back. Again, the call went to voice mail and I picked up right where I left off.

“I’m in love with you. Do you understand me you selfish, hurtful, evil prick? Even though I’m standing here speaking these words to you, it just doesn't seem real. How, Marco? Why? What would you have to gain by hurting me like this? And what about Serena? Are you still in love with her? What kind of sick, twisted relationship do the two of you have? Do you know what she did? She filmed us having sex with each other!”

Shaking my head, I walked around the front of my desk.

“Was that your idea? Did the two of you plan this with each other? None of this makes any sense to me, Marco. It never will. Not in a million years. I can’t believe I let myself fall for you. I
almost
want to know why. But, at the same time, I’m so completely repulsed by you and your miserable excuse for a wife, I just don’t know what I want. I can promise you this though. What you’ve done to my life, I’m not going to allow it to stand. I will do everything in my power to make yours a miserable, living, hell. I am quite sure that I can find an attorney who would be more than happy to pursue a civil case against you and Serena. For now, though, Marco, I just want you to know something… I loved you in a way I’ve never loved any other man. It was the closest thing I’ve ever come to feeling pure joy with another person. You’ve crushed my spirit and stepped on my heart but you haven’t won. You never will.”

Unlike the first time I hung up, this time, my hand fell away from my ear and after disconnecting, I dropped the phone to the floor. The hard plastic case popped off and rattled around. Listless, I collapsed to the floor, sitting and leaning against my desk. I had no idea how much time I had before Bernard and Leopold would have me escorted from the office but for the time being, I didn't care.

Drawing my knees towards my body, I wrapped my arms around them and pulled them close. In less than a day, I had gone from being thrilled about my future and everything I’d done to make it become a reality to utter confusion and total despair.

Leaving aside what was happening with my father and trying to come to terms with what Serena had done, I had to face the reality of what this might mean for my career. Nothing is ever truly confidential, and I had little doubt that the word about what happened between Marco and me would spread like wildfire in the small world I occupied.

Basically, my career was over.

Turning my head, I rested it on top of my knees and began to rock back and forth. Before long, the tears came. I didn’t bother trying to stop them.

DANI

Back in my apartment a few hours and a half a bottle of wine later, I’d just decided to take a shower when my phone started to ring on the kitchen table. I froze in place, unsure of whether or not I should look to see who it was.

If it was Marco, I didn’t know what more I could have said. I’d pretty much told him everything I wanted. Mulling it over for another moment, I decided not to answer and instead let the call go to voice mail. However, whoever it was didn’t bother to leave a message. They called back, almost immediately.

Shit.

It had to be him. I had no doubt about it. I closed my eyes, biting the inside of my lip and curling my fingers into fists.

“Asshole.” I muttered, turning my gaze towards the annoying device while it chimed and vibrated.

Don’t answer it. Don’t answer it. Don’t answer it.

For a fraction of a second, my rational mind nearly won out. However, each ring was like a deafening reminder of what he’d done. No matter how much I tried to convince myself, in the end my intellect was no match for my anger. Taking a final deep breath, I reached for the phone just ahead of the ring that would have sent it to voice mail. Without even bothering to look at it, I swiped it on and went on a rampage.

“How dare you call me? You horrible, awful, despicable excuse for a human being! Do you have any idea, any, how much you’ve hurt me? What more do you want from me? I’ve already told you that I’m in love with you and that you’ve crushed me. Isn’t that enough? Aren’t you satisfied? You played me. You won. That’s all you really care about, isn’t it? Isn’t it, Marco?”

Using up the last of my breath with my question, I paused.

“Uhhh,” a female voice said in response. “You’re in love with Marco? He played you? He’s awful and despicable?”

I dropped my head into my hand.

“Oh my God, I-I… Chloe, I didn’t,” I stammered, completely horrified at what I’d said. “It’s nothing I, I don’t want to talk about it.”

A half hour later, my best friend knocked at my door. I opened the door and she wasted no time walking in and wrapping her arms around me. We embraced for a few seconds and then she leaned away from me, frowning.

“Have you been drinking?”

“Not in the last five minutes,” I replied, turning my back on her and walking towards the kitchen.

I picked up the wine bottle, swirling what remained in the bottom of the bottle. I raised my eyebrows at her.

“Want some?”

Chloe shook her head.

“No,” she began, walking towards me. “I think at least one of us needs to be sober right now.”

I chuckled and poured the rest of the bottle into my wine glass.

“Suit yourself.”

I passed by her. While I walked, I heard Chloe following behind me, the rubber on the bottom of her shoes squeaking on the floor.

“Talk to me, Dani.”

I stopped in front of my couch, spinning in place and plopping down into it.

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

Chloe squeezed between my kneecaps and the table across from my couch.

“Excuse me,” she said, edging past me.

A second later, she sat.

“Nothing to talk about?” she began, leaning away from me and scowling. “Hmm, what about… How dare you call me? Do you have any idea how much you hurt me? Isn’t that enough? You played me? You won? I’m in love with you, Marco…”

She finished speaking, crossed her arms and her legs at the same time.

“Uhh yeah, Dani, like, we have something to talk about.”

The words came so fast, without thought, from the deepest, most damaged part of me. What was worse was that Chloe only knew half of it. She still had no idea about what had happened to my job, my career, my dreams.

I didn’t even know where to begin with her. Not because I didn’t think she wouldn’t do everything a friend should. She would. Rather, I felt ashamed, like I’d been played.

Duped
.

Chloe’s posture eased. She reached for me, leaning in my direction at the same time.

“Whatever it is, Dani,” she said, taking one of my hands in hers. “I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me how bad you think things are. Whatever’s happened with Marco, it will never get any better if you don’t talk about it. You know? Like, keeping that stuff bottled up inside is totally the worst thing you can do.”

I looked at her and kept my composure for a full two seconds before breaking down, leaning into her and crying tears from the depths of my soul. For several seconds, Chloe cradled me, holding me close without saying anything. Just then, my phone rang.

Exhausted, I broke free of Chloe and turn my head in the direction of the phone. I started to stand, sniffling, “Be right back.”

Chloe extended her arm across my chest, pinning me in place.

“No,” she began, shaking her head back and forth. “You need to just sit there. I’ll get it.”

I was too tired to fight, let alone stand. I didn’t even bother to say anything. Chloe stood and seconds later, she picked up the phone. Without turning back towards me, she answered it.

“What the hell do you want?”

I snapped my head towards her, the fog of my despair lifting.

Marco?

I scrambled to my feet, walking towards her and motioning for Chloe to hand me the phone.

“Give it to me,” I whispered. “Is it him?”

Chloe backed away from me, showing me her palm while keeping the phone against her ear.

“I want to talk to him. Chloe, give me the phone!”

Her face softened with sadness. She didn’t bother to fight, passing the phone to me but not without a warning.

“Please be careful,” she whispered.

I took it from her and rotated my hand until the display came into full view, his name displayed across it.

DANI

Nearly crushing the phone in the palm of my hand, I lifted it to my ear. Chloe stood nearby, one arm stretched across her midsection, the other bent at the elbow and resting on top of it. She drew her hand to her mouth and immediately began to chew her thumbnail. Closing my eyes, I took one last deep breath. But before I could say a single word, Marco spoke.

“Dani,” he began, with an urgency in his tone. “I got your message, and let me tell you, you’ve only got half the story. Trust me, you just don’t understand.”

I wasn’t interested in playing any games. I prepared to hang up on him.