Two Kings

Chapter 50

 It takes everything I have not to go after Rico. And who knows, he might even want me to find him with that woman — show me how easy it is for him to move on. But I'm not about to give him the satisfaction. And after the last 24 hours I've had, I'm too emotionally drained to bother.

Instead, I'll show him how easy it is for me not to care. Because I'm done sitting in my room feeling miserable. And with Rico's rotten attitude and the tormenting thoughts of him with someone else, I'm wondering why I took so many chances to get away from Grey and come back here.

With my feet dragging, I head towards the spa, almost in a trance.

"Hey, what the craps happened to you?"

Marco's voice has me snapping back to reality.

"You look like you're in shock. What's happened?"

"I...," I shake my head as if it will shake off the numbness inside of me. "It's your brother."

"Which one?" he asks with a raised brow.

Then the anger hits me.

"Fucking Rico!"

He ruffles his shaggy hair with his fingers while pulling a face. "What's he done now?"

I bite the inside of my gum, unable to speak of it. Just the thought of telling him he's off having sex with someone else is too humiliating. "I can't keep doing this."

Marco wastes no time pulling me against him and rubbing my lower back. And I waste no time sinking into his comforting arms. "Shh, I got you, sexy."

My eyes quickly snap open at his words.

Sexy.

No, he can't be talking to me like that, like he thinks it is appropriate to call me sexy when that's not ok with me. I automatically pull away from him, confused. "Don't talk like that. Like we're more than friends when we're not. The last thing I want is anyone getting the wrong idea about us. Especially your brother."

He shrugs. "And what is it you don't want him getting the wrong idea about?"

The fact that I need to explain myself angers me. He knows the trouble Grey has caused for me and Rico, so why would he think it's ok to get over friendly. "Don't play dumb, Marco. You know the drama I'm going through. And I certainly don't need another Mancini adding heat to the mix. Besides, you're my friend. Let's not confuse this."

He shakes his head and for a moment I think he's about to walk away until his cheeks redden, and his jaw hardens in what I perceive to be anger.

"You think they love you, but they don't," he snaps in a spiteful tone. "They're only doing this back and forward with you because neither one wants to give in to the other."

My eyes widen in surprise because we've never had a bad word between us. Until now. "Besides being out of line right now, you're being cruel."

He folds his arms across his chest and shrugs. "The truth sometimes is."

I could so easily snap back at him. Instead, I try to keep it dignified and remember that he's been drinking, and I have no interest in this blowing up into something more when it's not worth it.

So, to contain myself and the building hostility, I blow out a long breath. "How about we pretend this conversation never happened, and I'll talk to you in the morning when you're sober?"

"That's up to you," he retorts. "But I know how Mancini men think, and I warn you, their focus is solely on the battle, not you."

"And you're so different, right?" I don't give him a chance to respond as I walk away.