Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

BELLA

"I know what this looks like, but I—" I start to say, but a sharp laugh from Hector cuts me off.

"If you're about to try and convince us that we have it all wrong, you might as well save your breath. Nothing you say will dig you out of this one. We're not as stupid as you think we are."

His dark gray eyes are hard on mine, and the lack of emotion makes me swallow thickly. "I'll admit though, you really had us going. Some of those kisses might have even been genuine, unless you're just that good of an actress."

Warmth hits my back and a shadow looms over my chair. "It's time to go, Miss De Luca," Nic grumbles, causing my teeth to grind.

His hand touches my shoulder and it takes everything inside of me not to jab him in the nuts. There's something strange about the touchy way he's acting towards me—almost like he knows it's pissing the guys off. I wonder for a moment, if Alessio put him up to it.

"Miss De Luca?" Silas sneers. "You really are their precious little spy, aren't you?"

In his golden eyes, I see nothing but betrayal. He hated me for so long, and he warned his brothers about me. To him, this was just confirmation that he was right all along. I was the bitch who betrayed him.

"Miss…" Nic prompts again.

Irritated, I spin around in my chair and pin him with a glare. "Can you give me a goddamn break?!" I brush his hand from my shoulder while he just stands there frowning. "Go brood somewhere else, Nic. I don't need you breathing down my neck right now."

"Alessio gave me stric?—"

"Yeah, I know." I wave him away. "Strict orders to keep me safe, blah, blah, fucking blah. This is my fucking house, buddy. It's not my safety I'm worried about," I lie. "Back off and I'll let you know when I'm ready to go."

For a second, I think he might argue, but his jaw clamps shut and he takes a large, reluctant step out of my personal space. I breathe a little easier as he steps into the next room—shaking his head and mumbling under his breath in Russian. Still, I find it hard to turn back around, knowing that the guys are studying every move I make.

"Nice place you have here, little bird," Hector says with a low whistle. He's standing now, his dark eyes traveling over the paintings on the walls. "Not really my style, but classy for sure. I'm guessing mob business is booming?"

"Let's not pretend like the Carbones aren't basically the same thing. Get off your high fucking horse, Hector, and stop pretending you don't know me. You know it's not what it looks like." Their eyes all flicker to me in bemusement. Leaning forward, I lower my voice to a whisper. "I didn't have a choice. Trust me, I wouldn't have come back here if it could have gone any other way."

Dante's face darkens. "Save us the sob story, Belladonna. We found your secret cell phone—the messages to your precious alpha. We know all about the correspondence between you. Don't bother trying to make shit up. I just wish we would have found it a little sooner, then maybe we wouldn't have had to slum it in Vancouver for three months, sharing a bed with a lying, backstabbing double agent."

Reeling back, I have to blink away the stinging in my eyes. Alessio must have planted some seriously incriminating evidence on that phone I left behind. Sure, I had a secret phone, but it was only to keep contact with Mama, nothing else so sinister.

"You really think that? After everything we've been through, you really think that low of me?" I breathe out, my voice trembling. "I know things look bad, and I can't blame you for being suspicious, but think with your fucking head for just a second. Do you really think I faked everything for them? "

"How many times are we going to repeat this same song and dance? You know me—the same way I know you. You know this isn't what it looks like."

Silas clenches his strong jaw and glances to Hector, who just shakes his head before turning his face away, staring at nothing but a wall full of portraits with his arms crossed over his chest. "I believe what I see with my own eyes, Bella. You can't lie your way past our defenses, not anymore. I might have believed you if I hadn't noticed that every single one of those phone calls was made during the exact times you were away from the townhome. Every time you claimed to have an errand, or needed time alone. Every photo was timestamped. Fuck, Bella, do you think we're that stupid? Batting your lashes and spreading your legs isn't going to help you this time."

I hear the words he's saying, but it's as if this entire night is going in slow motion. After months of living with my four men and relying on each other for everything, my brain refuses accept it.

"Sam?" I ask, meeting those deep eyes that used to look at me like I was the fucking world. "You know what it was like for me here. You know what they're like…"

His hard eyes soften ever so slightly, but a jab to his side from Silas wipes the look off his face quickly. "Things aren't looking good for you." He shrugs helplessly and I feel my last sliver of hope wither away and die. "Unless you have proof, I'm not sure what you're expecting from us. I turned my back on this pack for you, and yet you fucking left me there. You left and didn't say a goddamn word."

Standing to my feet, my chair slides back with a screech. I brush my hands down the skirt of my dress awkwardly. Raising my eyes, I make a point to meet each of their eyes individually. Hector looks resolved, while Silas just looks angry. Sam looks sad while Dante averts his eyes. My stomach clenches, making me feel like my picked-at dinner might soon be making a reappearance. Still though, I raise my chin in utter defiance.

"You aren't the men I thought you were." I run a hand along my long dark hair as I turn towards the door—feeling them watch me. "I hope you decide to pull your heads out of your collective asses sometime in the near future." Cutting my eyes back to them over my shoulder, I let my lips turn up into a mean smirk. "You won't survive here otherwise, I promise you that."

Sweeping through the door, I hurry across the foyer and into a small hallway just off of the office wing before I let any sort of emotion show itself.

Turning abruptly, my fist collides with the wall, sending jolts of stinging pain up my arms, but the pain is welcome. I'm so angry I could spit. How fucking dare they?! How dare they pretend like the past year never mattered?

I trusted them when I promised myself I'd never trust any man, let alone an alpha. I let them in, and all it took was meddling from my dads, and suddenly it's like the last year never mattered.

In Vancouver, things were perfect, if only for a little while. It was like a little bubble had formed over the five of us and nobody on the outside could ever penetrate it. We looked out for each other—cared for each other like a real pack. I thought we were passed this nonsense, but clearly they still have some trust issues.

My fist connects with the wall once again, my whole body pulsing with anger. I can't pinpoint who or what I am angry at in this moment; it could be myself, them, or Alessio... although let's be real, I'm always mad at Alessio. But right now, I just feel empty inside.

I feel like the little girl I used to be when I lived in this massive house. My fist hits again, and again until small splatters of blood decorate the wall. Red stains my white dress as it trickles down my arm, but I don't give a shit. I have so much anger inside of me. So much rage battling with sadness and longing.

Before my first can hit the wall yet another time, a hand grabs my arm, yanking it back from the wall. Grunting, I whirl around, trying to rip free of their strong grip. My shoulder blades slam against the wall and pain lances up my spine. When my eyes are able to focus, my throat closes up as I stare back at Nic.

"Stop it!" he spits. His lips are pulled into a grimace. He grabs my upper arms tightly, holding me in place. "What would your fathers think of this mess, you silly child?"

"Let go," I grunt. His grip only tightens. "I said let me go, Nicolai!" I'm not yelling, but my voice is full of venom.

"You are acting like a fool," he hisses. "You think they need to see your weakness? You've been gone, and it's made you soft, but this is disappointing. Where is the woman I knew before?" His green-blue eyes search my face. "Where is the fighter that made every man in this place tremble? Pull yourself together."

I go utterly still. Not quite sure I heard him correctly. Did he just compliment me and insult me in the same sentence? His plan must have worked though, because his face relaxes. My fingernails dig into his biceps as he continues to hold me. I can tell it hurts because of the way he clenches his jaw and grits his teeth.

"If you want to hit something, then save it for the training room. There is a time and a place to lash out, but not in the presence of company."

"And so the plot thickens…" comes a voice from down the hall. Nic's hands don't leave my arms—still holding me against the wall as I look up to see Hector watching us with his arms folded over his chest. "Your charms know no bounds, baby girl."

I know it looks bad on his end. The dim light of the hallway probably hides the blood splatter behind me. All he can see is me against this wall, pinned here by my burly bodyguard and there's nothing I can say to explain it away.

"I hope you know you're pretty omega was a busy little bird these past few months away," Hector mocks Nic with a sickening smirk. "That tight little pussy felt like heaven around my cock though. And don't even get me started on the things that mouth could do?—"

"Fuck off Hector!" I snap. "You don't know what you're talking about and you're making something out of nothing. Just go back to your dinner and pretend to be the victim."

His eyes shutter as he bites the inside of his cheek. I can tell he aches to come closer. The look in his grey eyes spell murder. "Don't worry, babe. I'm not here to cockblock you. I just thought you'd ought to know that we see right through your lies. I don't know what sick mind games your fathers have you weaving, but you can give it up before you make an even bigger fool of yourself."

Before I'm able to respond, Hector turns on his heel and stalks back towards the dining room—no doubt about to spread more lies about me to the others.

My heart drops into my stomach as Nic positions me back on my feet steadily. I slap his hands from my body and glare up into his eyes. "You put your hands on me outside of training ever again, and I'll cut your fingers off while you sleep."