“How?” I ask him incredulously. I would really like to know how he’d fix this one for me. “He broke my heart once before, Enz. I have every reason to hate him, and I know I have to be strong. He’s just another target.”
“Don’t fool yourself, Lia,” Enzo tries to placate me with his childhood nickname for me, and I almost cave.
“I’m not,” I retort, slotting back into my heartless ways. “I can’t lose my family because of a guy who only loved me enough to break my heart. It’s do or die, and if I’m honest, I’d rather do.”
“And we’ll be here,” he tells me, taking my hand. I just nod my head as the notion settles into my mind.
Don’t feel, don’t deviate, kill Zane Maverick.
CHAPTER THREE
Don’t feel, don’t deviate, just kill – it’s my motto. The one that sees me through every kill without so much as a flustered thought, but here I am, a wreck. A complete fucking moronic wreck. Only Enzo knows how panicky I have become over Zane being the next hit on my list. I feel a fool and a fraud all rolled into one. How can I be torn to pieces by a man who hasn’t been a part of my life for so long? How can I be such a con to the Abbiati name and be tricked into such alarmed distress?
However, the moment I hear his hearty chuckle travel across the room, my heart hardens and my brain takes control. The whirlwind I had fallen victim for calms, and I find my way back to level ground. I bristle just at the thought of him being in the same room. Unlike before, I balked and almost talked myself out of allowing myself to even get this far with the murderous scheme. Now, I’m ready for the rush of adrenaline, the thrill of game.
I see him from across the bar. He's flirting with some brainless redhead who's barely in her dress. I try to control myself as the urge to roll my eyes and laugh becomes all too tempting. She literally has herself draped over him, and Zane is lapping up every moment of it. The sight, I will admit, conjures up a brand new gauntlet of emotions. I inwardly feel rage heat my veins, only strengthened by the pure jealousy that floods my system. I have never felt such detest for a total stranger, but here I am wishing to eradicate her from this brutal equation.
Fighting with myself, I strive for the reminder of the end game. Zane is propping up the bar on the far end, so I decide to take a seat on the opposite. I sit there, waiting on the bartender to work his way to me. I shake off my leather jacket and drape it over the back of my chair. It’s apparently this notion that has gained Zane’s attention and the redhead goes forgotten. When the bartender bypasses a few customers to make a beeline for me, I see this as a perfect opportunity to apply a sexy sultriness to my demeanor and really get him gazing for a real reason other than my reappearance in his life.
I want him to realize what he threw away. I want him to miss me as much as I have him. I want him to regret everything.
"Scotch on the rocks," I order, and sit back, pretending not to pay attention to the ghost of my past as he stands staring. I can feel his eyes bore into me, feel him quite frankly ogle me. I try my damn hardest to ignore him, but his eyes fucking burn into me. I feel the scratch of desire begin, the craving begging with addiction. I try in vain to hush the feelings and quell them, but they begin to bellow around me as he begins to move forward. They were unbearable before, and now I’m barely surviving the noise of them all howling at me, vying for my attention, wrangling with my weaknesses.
"Well, well, well, Amelia Abbiati as I live and breathe," he introduces himself, and I just look at him. His voice, that husky, sexy toned voice of his, silences all my woes, and I hate the potent power he has over every tiny vessel of me. Admittedly, my breathing falters just at the mere sight of him, and I see this pleases him. "Still a breathtaking sight."
"Thanks," I comment back, giving him a small smile. "I noticed you're still a hit with all the ladies. Some things just never change, huh?"
He chuckles, putting his hands out to shrug. "You can't take the devil out of some people."
“Don’t I know it,” I mutter my remark and am more than thankful when my drink arrives. I swipe the glass up and take a leisurely sip, allowing the burn of the scotch to scorch to life within my mouth. As I swallow it and feel the burn travel deep into my chest, heating me pleasantly, I notice from the corner of my eye when Zane occupies the seat beside me. I place the glass down onto the bar top, placing my hands on either side of my glass, and give him a pointed look. “Oh, you’re staying?”
He cocks a brow. “Is that an issue?”