Chapter 3 The Revenge
I realized at the tender age of seven that there was a stark difference between rage and anger. While anger could simmer, rage demanded something and when the two merged, chaos was usually the result. “Thomas was always going to be bad news,” I muttered over the phone after Ally called me to pick them up.
I had known the bastard was trouble long before Onnika ever fell for him, but seeing her now only confirmed it. Her slender shoulders trembled beneath the oversized hoodie she wore, and something inside my chest tightened. I wanted to pull her into my arms and hold her until the tears stopped. Instead, I grabbed the back of her hoodie and gently pulled her away from the crowd.
She flinched at my sudden appearance and i knew I’d startled her, but i also knew I didn’t care. Not when her button nose was red from crying and her moss-green eyes looked like they’d been rubbed raw. Nothing I said was going to make the pain disappear.
Then I made the mistake of telling her that she’d find someone genuine and fall in love again. “Never!” the word came out sharp enough to cut.
I froze and my heart splintered. Not because she hated the idea of love, but because I knew exactly what she meant.
She didn’t want another man and selfishly, I couldn’t help wondering if that meant there was no chance for me either.
I’d loved her quietly for years. Long enough to know that she had a habit of biting her nails whenever she was nervous. Long enough to know how her face lit up whenever someone mentioned chocolate. Long enough to know that she could spend an entire day binge-watching anime and then pretend she hadn’t wasted twelve hours of her life and still, she had never looked at me the way she’d looked at Thomas.
I drove her to her grandparents’ house and kept my attention on the road, although my eyes betrayed me every few minutes. She sat quietly in the back seat and her dark hair fell around her face, hiding most of her expression.
I hated seeing her like this.
I stepped out of the car as we arrived and watched Onnika disappear through the gates.
“You know she’s just coming out of a breakup.” Ally’s voice broke through my thoughts. As if I didn’t know that. I huffed silently but kept my expression neutral. “I know.”
Ally studied me from the passenger seat. “I know you like her.” Heat crawled up my neck. For a man who could stare down an entire room without blinking, I suddenly felt like a kid caught with his hand inside the cookie jar. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
My voice remained deliberately emotionless, but Ally snorted. “Please. I’m not blind.”
“Look—”
I glanced at her. “Drop it.” The irritation in my voice was sharper than I intended and Ally fell silent. I immediately regretted it. i heaved a sigh as we got into my car. Then I turned to Ally. “I’m sorry for the way I behaved earlier.”
The apology came out rougher than expected and even I was surprised by the hoarseness in my voice. Ally’s expression softened. “I think you should stay with her.”
She frowned. “She’s going to need you.” Her bright brown eyes glistened with emotion and then she folded her arms.
“What are you going to do about Thomas?” The question caught me off guard.
“Nothing.” I meant it. At least, that was what I told myself.
“Why?” I frowned at her. “That’s strange.” She finished. I shrugged and looked down, finding an imaginary stone on the driveway suddenly fascinating and i could feel her staring at me suspiciously. She knew me too well.
I cleared my throat. “I’m not the villain everyone makes me out to be.” The thought barely formed before another part of my mind snickered. All right. Maybe I was a little bit of a villain, but I wasn’t going to hurt Thomas simply because I hated him. I needed a reason.
Then an idea struck me. “If you truly want to do something, I could hook you up with a revenge service.” Ally’s eyebrows shot up. “You have one?”
“It’s anonymous.” I shrugged.
“You can let your imagination run wild with that one. Besides, who am I to judge what you choose to do to that scumbag?” Ally snorted and then her expression suddenly changed. “Swear we won’t get into trouble.”
I scoffed. “It’s virtual.” I reached over and ruffled her hair.
“Let your dreams go wild, niece.” She immediately slapped my hand away. “You know I hate when you call me that.”
I smirked. “I know.” I pulled out my phone. “I’ll send you the link.” That was all I said before leaving. I drove straight to my penthouse and the moment the doors closed behind me, the amusement disappeared from my face. I pulled out my phone.
“Get me the real-time location of Thomas Osborne.” One of my eyes twitched as I fought to keep my temper under control. The paper I was holding crumpled inside my fist.
My phone rang and it was Matteo. My right-hand man.
“We’ve found him.” I stared at the screen.
“Where?”
“The local bar.” Of course. I hung up. Minutes later, I was on the road. My jaw remained clenched throughout the drive.
By the time I reached the bar, my knuckles were white from how tightly I’d been gripping the steering wheel.
Thomas had no idea what was coming. I stepped inside and spotted him almost immediately. He was sitting with a drink in front of him, looking entirely too comfortable for a man who had just destroyed the heart of the woman I loved.
I signaled the men waiting nearby. Then I walked toward him. Thomas barely had time to look up before I swung the baton against the table beside him. He jumped. “Who are you?”
Fear immediately replaced the arrogance on his face.
His blonde hair was disheveled, and his usually smug expression had disappeared. “What do you want?”
I stared at him. He had the nerve to ask. “I promise, if you let me go, I’ll give you millions.” He swallowed hard.
“Don’t believe me? I’m getting married into a rich family.”
Every word coming out of his mouth pushed my anger higher. He was nothing but a leech, a cheat and apparently, a coward.
I gave him a dark chuckle. “You think I’m after your money?”
Thomas shook his head quickly. “No.” His eyes darted around the room. “I’m not.”
“Honestly, you’re not in the best position to offer me anything.” His face paled and then a foul smell filled the room. Alcohol and sweat mixed with something else.
Thomas had wet himself. I stared at him for a moment.
Pathetic.
I leaned closer. “Let me cut to the chase.” My voice dropped. “You hurt someone you shouldn’t have.” His eyes widened. “And I want you to pay dearly for it.”
I stepped back. “Let’s feast, boys.” My men moved immediately. Thomas’s shout was swallowed by the chaos as fists and batons met flesh and i stood there watching knowing that every blow was for the tears she’d cried and every cry was for the humiliation she’d suffered.
And every time Thomas begged for mercy, I remembered the way Onnika had looked when she said she would never love again. That was the part that truly enraged me.
Thomas hadn’t just broken her heart. He had made her believe love itself was the problem and I couldn’t forgive him for that.
