Page 80 of Humility

“I’m not staying here with you,” Jasmine said, and it hurt to hear, even though she had all the reasons in the world not to want anything to do with us.

“Yes, you are. Whether you like it or not.” Angelo stood from the table and slammed his plate down on the island.

“I’m not your prisoner, Angelo. You can’t keep me here like I am.”

“What part of not safe, do you not understand?” He placed his hands on his hips, and Jasmine rose to her feet and leaned her hands on the table.

“I can take care of myself.”

“Oh, is that what you were doing when we stormed your front door? Taking care of yourself? Were you waiting for them to get you fully naked before you threw them out?”

With that comment, all the air was sucked out of the room, and I pinched the bridge of my nose. I had no idea how Enzo looked so calm. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the endless drama.

“Well, at least with them, I knew they were trying to rape me. I had no idea you did,” Jasmine said through gritted teeth.

Angelo laughed, but it was a maniacal sound, and I could feel this conversation going sideways at a lightning-fast pace.

“Ha! You agreed to marry me, and you consented to non-consent, and…you never rescinded either. Technically, it’s on you that this happened. I’m still your fiancé, no matter whose dick you tied yourself to while I was gone.”

“I’m going to kill you.” Jasmine lifted the bowl of fruit salad off the table. I grabbed it from her before it got hurled, and there was a huge mess to clean up. “He is impossible. How do you not shoot him in the night?” Jasmine turned her furious eyes on me.

“I ask myself that same question daily.”

“Ugh. Screw you, Angelo. I need some air.” She stomped out of the kitchen, and I knew the fight would resume. Neither of them would back down. I’d seen them lock horns before, and it only got worse until there was an explosion.

“Don’t wander too far, Tiger, or I’ll hunt your adorable ass down,” Angelo yelled back.

“Do it, and I’ll claw your eyes out,” Jasmine yelled before the back door slammed shut.

“If she wants to get her things, then you two go with her and don’t let her out of your sight. Bring her straight back here and keep an eye out for anything suspicious. I don’t trust her not to try and take off, and we have no idea who they were yet or why they wanted to hurt Jasmine.” He shook his head and stomped out of the kitchen. The room plunged into silence except for the sound of Enzo chewing.

He had a piece of bacon hanging out of his mouth and another in his hand. I’d never seen someone double-fist bacon until now.

“Are they always like this,” Enzo asked as he took another bite.

“They can get pretty volatile, but this is next level.” I sat the bowl of fruit down and decided to follow Jasmine to try and make her see that staying here was the safest decision, even if she didn’t want to see our faces.

“It’s fucking awesome.” Enzo smirked. “I’ve never seen Jasmine like that. She’s always so…non bloodthirsty.” He shrugged. “But, it’s fucking hot, and I’m not going to complain that Angelo is making me look good.”

“Unbelievable.”

Marching out of the kitchen, I found Jasmine sitting in the gazebo facing the small pond. She looked just as she had the night before we left for Chicago. Jasmine hadn’t wanted us to see her crying and had slipped down to the beach in the middle of the night. She had sat just like this, staring at the dark water with the same shrouded sadness in her eyes.

“Do you mind if I sit?”

“Are you here to take Angelo’s side?”

“I’m here because I love you.” She looked up, and the glare softened. She nodded, and I took the invitation to sit on the picnic bench beside her. I didn’t say anything, letting her feel and sort through her thoughts.

“I know he’s right, you know,” she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper. “About staying at least, the rest…I may kill him. I’m giving you fair warning.”

“I know.” My mouth pulled up into a lopsided grin.

“I just hate the idea of him or anyone taking control of me all over again. I came here to…well, to get a fresh start and escape doing whatever the men around me wanted me to do. I’m building something, and I don’t care that it’s just selling fruit and vegetables from a roadside stand. The point is that it and all the decisions made since I left home are mine and mine alone. I just know he’ll try to turn me back into the perfect princess on his arm.”

I glanced down at the top of her head and so badly wanted to wrap my arm around her. “Did you really hate your old life that much?”

She sighed and rubbed at her face. “Not all of it. I miss my papa something fierce, and I loved it when the three of us were good. I saw a whole future, but we know how that turned out, and…I’ve changed.”