Absolute Silence

36

“Good. Don’t let me drink alone. People will talk,” I teased, forcing myself not to sound as depressed as I felt. Dante ordered himself a drink. “Long day, huh. Care to tell me about it? I’m an excellent listener.” “Not really. I’m here to drown my troubles, not wallow in them.” The vodka tonic was quickly doing its job, warming my insides and lifting my spirits. “Well, then. What shall we discuss? The weather? Perhaps the current political climate?” Damn those dimples. They were utterly irresistible. “How about you and Filip. I understand you two have been friends for a long time. I’d love to hear how you met.” I hadn’t meant to bring up Filip, but the two men were so drastically different. I was intrigued to hear how their friendship had started. Dante leaned back in his seat and pursed his lips. “I’m not sure it will cast either of us in a flattering light.” “Oh, no. You can’t say something like that and not tell me more,” I goaded. “You win,” he said with only a mild amount of reluctance. “It all began when Filip started an underground fight club at our high school.” My jaw dropped to my chest. “You’re shitting me.” He sipped from his drink and studied me. “No, unfortunately. Filip has always had a taste for trouble.” “Did you guys get together just to beat each other up?” The concept completely evaded me. I could understand the perks of a s******g with an o****m, but a full-on fight was another matter entirely. “I wasn’t exactly a member of the club. I had a beef with Filip, and when I heard about the fights, I decided to use the opportunity to show him how I felt.” He was so nonchalant about wanting to fight someone. Men were so weird. “I don’t understand how that led you to being friends.” “Well, we pulverized each other. Went at it for ages, but we were an even match. His buddies pulled us apart and told me I needed to come by more often. I discovered how therapeutic a good fight was, and we formed a certain respect for one another.” “I can’t say I’ve ever befriended someone I wanted to beat up.” Dante’s eyes lowered to half-mast. “I bet I can do a lot of things that you’d find interesting.” I shook my head with a chuckle. “See, just like that,” he crooned. “I made you laugh. Somehow, I suspect that’s not always an easy feat.” I sobered but offered a gentle smile. “You’re not wrong. Thanks for cheering me up, Dante. This was exactly what I needed.” His hand found my knee and gave me a light squeeze. “Anytime.” The dynamic between us was quickly shifting as his hand lingered. Was he flirting? If he was flirting, was that such a bad thing? No, but I wasn’t going to return the energy just to spite Filip. It wasn’t fair to either of them. “Okay.” My cheeks flooded with heat. “I better get going. I’m sure a good night’s sleep will turn everything around. Thank you, again.” I slid from my chair and set a few dollars on the bar. He followed my lead. “Let me get you a cab.” I smiled graciously before walking to the elevator. When we were alone together in the enclosed space, I was engulfed in awkward awareness. Had it been a mistake to have a drink with him? I didn’t want to lead him on. He seemed so cool and unaffected, but could that be a front? Instances like these gave me the distinct sense he was exponentially more invested in gaining my attention than he let on. Was it my imagination? My self-doubt hissed at me that he was simply being polite. Not every man is in love with you, Camilla. Great. Thanks for the vote of confidence. I tried to breathe through my insecurities and not borrow trouble. Dante walked me outside and flagged down a cab. “Come back tomorrow, will you? Our visits have been the highlight of my evenings.” He opened the car door for me and waited for my reply. I had no idea what to say. “I’ll have to see. I talked to my mom about visiting out on Staten Island.” I placed my hand on the door to slip inside when my eyes were drawn down the sidewalk about fifty feet away to where Filip stood next to his car. I held his furious stare, not giving him an ounce of emotion before smiling up at Dante and slipping inside the car. “Thank you again, and enjoy the rest of your night.” The driver took off as soon as the door was closed. My pulse pounded in my throat. I kept my eyes trained straight ahead, not allowing my gaze to stray to Filip—the man who crafted my fantasies and tormented my every waking thought. If anyone had a reason to be angry, it was me, not him. What he’d done had been insensitive. I didn’t care if the parameters of our relationship were murky; bringing that woman to my family dinner was out of line. Filip was angry he’d seen me with Dante? Good. Hopefully, the incident would help him realize what an absolute ass he’d been. He could fester in his anger, for all I cared. OceanofPDF.com 15 OceanofPDF.com FILIP “You better not have laid a f*****g finger on her,” I shot at Dante, charging toward him on the sidewalk. A couple of passersby gawked at me, but I didn’t give a s**t. I was pure livid rage. “Despite what you may think, you don’t own her. She has every right to come to the club and do what she pleases.” Dante squared his shoulders, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. I only pulled up when we were toe-to-toe. My righteous stare assaulted him inches from his face. “Camilla is mine, so don’t pretend to know anything about her or our relationship.” It wasn’t exactly the truth, but Dante didn’t know that. A car door slammed somewhere behind me. Dante tilted his head to take in the angry redhead I’d completely forgotten about. I’d stepped onto the curb to help her from the car when I’d spotted Dante with Camilla. All thoughts of Liana had instantly evaporated.