“Why?” came her desperate cry and I stopped to face her. The hatred in her eyes burned so bright it resembled a flickering flame. “It was one thing, the only thing I had. I have lost everything else. Why did you take this from me?” Her voice went hoarse. “Why?”

Good God. Why did she think that was? Everything Vincenza had lost had been on her and, now, knowing all the details, I had long lost sympathy for her. “I did it for you.” I threw a thumb back to the warehouse. “Did you think that they would just welcome you back?” A look of disbelief crossed my features. “You broke the rules. You screwed up. They were just waiting for an opportunity to kill you, Enza.”

“Oh, please,” she snarled. “And who happened to tell you that?” She glared at Tor. “Your loving husband?”

Tor stepped forward, menacingly. “Watch your fucking mouth, Vincenza.” I took hold of the back of his jacket and he stopped in his tracks. His jaw went tight and what he said next proved how good he was to me. “I’ve got a grudge that demands sating. The pleasure of killing you should be mine, but it would hurt my wife greatly and so, regrettably,” his lip curled in loathing, “you continue to breathe.”

Vincenza didn’t even flinch. She was too wired. Her body shook with raw fury and what she said next was typical of her when she was mad. “You are so easy to manipulate. You always have been. If you got off of his cock long enough to actually see straight, you’d know he was using you.”

I didn’t bother masking my scoff. “Like you used me.”

She uttered through gritted teeth, “That was different.”

How had I ever thought this person wanted what was best for me? “It always is when it comes to you, isn’t it? Because Vincenza’s needs outweigh anything and everything else. You are so power hungry that you would do anything to get it. And that’s precisely why you shouldn’t have it.” She looked frantic and, for a moment, I felt for her. My voice gentled. “It’s done, and I stand by my decision. The seat is retired. I suggest you move on.”

“Like you have?” She cried shakily. “You little bitch.”

Tor moved forward, but my firm grip on him didn’t waver. He allowed me to stop him. Allowed was definitely the right word because, let’s be honest. If he really wanted to lunge for her, he could have. My skin crawled anxiously as he growled out, “What your fucking mouth, Enza. I’m not gonna tell you again.”

But she didn’t hear his threat. Her face crumbled when she accused, “You’ve already forgotten him, and so easily.”

My heart cracked, then shattered, and fell to a pile at my feet.

How dare she?