Billionaire Brothers 2 : Love Has A Name (48 page)

Original plans were that I’d go straight to his house after work so we could get dressed together. When he’d started blowing up my cellphone at around six in the evening, however, I’d rejected all his calls and instructed Bill to strike his name from my Access list. Tish had phoned me, also complaining that Lovello was ringing her repeatedly, demanding to know where I was.

I figured he’d get the gist, at some point, that I simply did not want to see or hear from him. I could’ve confronted him. Could’ve shown him the pictures and the condom packet and demanded an explanation. But what sense would it make? He’d only be ‘explaining’ with a lying tongue. And with the debilitating love that I had for him, I’d probably believe him without a second thought.

The waitress appeared again, removing our appetizer dishes and announcing our main course, “Seared Steak with Caramelized Onions,” before scurrying off. My appetite was non-existent, but I picked up the fork, nonetheless, and forced the food down my throat.

“Zane,” I quietly began. “I’m not sure what you expect me to say to this, but it’s
insane.
“

Zane forked a succulent piece of steak into his mouth. “What we have is insane. I’m insane about you. My love for you is insane.”

“Jesus, will you just stop!” I hissed, setting my fork down with more force than needed. “Where’s all this coming from all of a sudden? I mean, we broke up
five
years ago. Well, yeah, we’ve been feeding each other’s pleasure on occasion and we do have a strong ‘relationship’, but it’s also an
insalubrious
one. A relationship that is broken and will forever be broken.
Marriage?
Are you demented? I’d think you, of all people, would know better than to think I’d want
marriage
. The hell? Do I look like a wife and kids woman to you?”

Zane sighed. “I know, Axia. I’ve placed a lot of thought into this. Marriage is just an ordainment to seal what we have. To know that I’m truly and forever yours. To know that you won’t, um, leave me for anyone.”

“Ever heard of that thing called, um,
divorce
?” I spat in sarcasm.

“I’d
never
allow you to divorce me,” he deadpanned.

“Dios mío, I think I’m having a migraine,” I mumbled, as I poured a glass of water from the chilled jug, then snatched two aspirins from my purse.

After swallowing the aspirins, I closed my eyes for a count of ten seconds, then opened them to look at the inducer of my migraine. “I’m sorry, Zane, but I really can’t accept your proposal. It just won’t work. Sorry.”

Unperturbed, Zane gazed back at me through impassive eyes. He was rarely impassive with me, always giving me the upper hand in everything. But tonight he just seemed … different. “Why?”

His nonchalance was beginning to stroke my ire. I was a mess. A heaping mess. And he didn’t seem to realize that. He’d fallen so tranquil and equanimous ever since Natalio and Sadie appeared at our table. “Because I’m with someone else. And I’m … I’m in love with him.”

Zane sat back in his seat, peering at me through his captivating hazel-browns, a hint of humor dancing in them. “Really now?” he drawled. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

He ran his index finger to and fro on his chin, an all too familiar gesture of his. “You may have been, my heart. But you’re not anymore. As I said, you were always
mine.
Always will be mine.”

He wasn’t looking at me now. His eyes were fixed in the direction of the Nelsons. The direction I’d been forcing my eyes not to look in. But the way Zane kept his gaze fixated in their direction, it was as if he were telling me to look.

So I did …

And that’s when I saw what he wanted me to see. Lovello and Nicole. They’d joined the table with the others, and, sure enough, they were all over each other. Must I mention that Nicole was wearing the black, mermaid-tail dress that’d been one of the dress options Lovello emailed me? Yeah, and I’d be an envious bitch if I said she wasn’t rocking it. Except that she had a black shawl around her shoulders that unnecessarily took from the edginess of the dress.

They must’ve sensed that I was looking, because he suddenly grabbed her and kissed her as if he were trying to eat her lips off her face. I felt as if someone had knocked me in the stomach with a bowling ball, because a sudden gush of air rushed out of me, while my cheeks and ears burned like they were on fire. I was crying. But internally. Dry crying.

Drawing my eyes away from the repugnant sight, I brought my cold and trembling hands beneath the table, lacing my fingers together to stop them from shaking. Never in all my life had I felt anything like this. Anything so harrowing. Such embarrassment. Such dreadful pain. Such remorse. It had to be my retribution for an unknown sin that I’d committed.

“You’re still in love?” Zane asked, cocking his head to the side.

Him!
No wonder he was so nonchalant and composed. He
knew
I was dating Lovello. He
knew
this was Lovello’s restaurant, and he
knew
they would be here tonight. He set this up. That’s why he was so hasty to put the ring on my finger. He saw Natalio and Sadie approaching before I did and hurriedly slid the ring on to make it seem as if I’d said yes.
This fucker!
“You knew, didn’t you? You knew I was with him. You knew this was his restaurant, didn’t you?”

Zane merely shrugged. “Babe, I couldn’t let you be with that guy. Are you not aware of his reputation with women? He would only hurt you. And I’m pretty sure he already did. You see that?” he said, nodding in their direction where Nicole was eating more of Lovello’s neck and less of her food. “With insensitive jerks like him, you’re
replaceable
. That’s what he’s trying to tell you right there. He didn’t care about you, Axia. If he did, he would’ve fought for you. Stick with the man who’ll fight for you, my heart. Like I’m fighting for you right now. You were always mine.
I
love you.”

When he saw that I was without words, he continued the torture. “Men like him can’t be tamed. Stick to your kind. To the evil that you know. Be the
woman
who I know you are, and don’t ever,
ever
submit. Stay in control, baby. Always stay in control. And your heart will be safe.”

I gazed, unblinking, at the chocolate-skinned man sitting in front of me, in all his handsomeness, his hazel-brown eyes bright and burning with love and … manipulation. That’s when I remembered Lovello’s words:

“You weren’t the dominant, Axia. He was. He manipulated you into doing what he wanted. He knows how to control you, what to say and do to get you to cave in and
play
the dominant so he can receive his painful pleasure. The guy’s pretty damn smart.”

Suddenly, I felt used and worthless and
stupid
. Again. I deserved to be tied to a tree over an ant’s nest, so that little kids, who have a heck of a lot more sense than me, could beat my dumb ass with baseball bats until I turned to toffee. “I was never the dominant, was I?”

“Of course you were, my heart,” Zane said in a gentle voice, reaching out to take up my hand.

With quick economical movements, I snatched up the steak knife and arrowed it straight at his throat. But just as quickly, he swerved to the side, and the knife bounced off the top of his chair and clattered to the floor. “Don’t you
dare
patronize me!” I yelled, not giving a shit whose dinner I was disrupting. If I had a gun, I would’ve probably shot anyone and everyone who looked in my direction.
That’s
how irate I was.

“Axia, baby, calm down,” Zane tried to defuse me. “I wasn’t being condescend —”

We were interrupted by a waitress, different from the one who’d been serving us all night. She set an ice bucket on the table that had a bottle of
Perrier-Jouët champagne
in it, informing us that it was courtesy of the owner, and handed a note to Zane before leaving us.

Zane opened the note, read it, then with a smirk he directed his gaze to the Nelsons’ table and brought his hand to his forehead in a ‘salute’ gesture.

Steeling myself, I shifted and looked over to their table to find Lovello staring straight at me, wearing his favorite expression of no expression, his arm draped around Nicole’s shoulders. And my heart imploded all over again. Though everyone was formally dressed, he was just in a chunky cream sweater and jeans. Maybe he didn’t bother to get dressed when he heard that I was here? He was breathtaking, nevertheless. Not even age will be able take away that guy’s etherealness. Another heart implosion occurred.

With his eyes still on mine, he gripped Nicole’s chin and turned her lips to his, kissing her most leisurely without taking his eyes off me. The others at the table just stared, from them to me, then carried on with their conversations. I couldn’t bear to see it, though, so I tore my eyes away from his and shifted back to face Zane.

Too much pain. Pain that I’d never felt before. Pain that I didn’t know a person could ever feel and still be alive.

“Let me see,” I demanded of Zane, holding my hand out for the note.

“No. It wasn’t meant for you,” he laughed.

Did this man see anything funny about this damn situation?

“Let. Me. See,” I bit out.

Zane sighed and handed the note over to me, which read:

Got to hand it to you, man. You’re one smart son-of-a-bitch.
And I don’t come across many of those these days …
You know, smart sons-of-bitches.
You play well. Exceptionally well.

Salute.

I crumpled the note and tossed it back at him. “Yeah. You’re smart and I’m a monkey’s ass.” Snatching up my purse, I slid the ring off my finger, tossed it in the ice bucket and got up from my seat. “You’ll no longer manipulate this bitch. Stay away from me, Zane.
Away.
“

As I started off, he stood up and grabbed my arm. “Babe, I know you’re pissed off about the whole situation. So I’ll give you some time to cool down and realize that everything I did tonight is because I care about you. More than that womanizing slumshit ever could. You’ll come to your senses and you’ll thank me. I’ll give you time, my heart. Because time’s what you need to heal.”

He pulled me tight in his arms, and I let him. Because at that moment, I
needed
to be held. He pressed a kiss on my forehead and whispered the words “I love you” before granting me the freedom to walk away.

On numb legs, I navigated through the restaurant and out of the doors. The cold night air rushed at me, flowing through my nostrils and freeing up my clogged lungs. The fresh air made me feel a bit better. Just a bit.

I handed the valet my card and waited unsteadily as he scurried off to get my jeep. I noticed a scatter of paparazzi lingering nearby, vigilantly watching the restaurant’s door. News must’ve gotten out that Zane Zekiel was here.

“Axia,” a gentle voice behind me called.

I turned around to face the man who once hated me, then liked me, and now I’m sure I was back to being hated. Was he going to stick me with a needle that contained some lethal serum that would paralyze or kill me? One could never tell with this guy.

Reflexively, I took a step back and hesitantly answered, “Trev.”

For a moment, he merely stared at me. Then he ran a hand through his hair, looking floored. “Christ, Axia, what the fuck was
that
in there?”

“I don’t know, Trev. I honestly don’t know.”

Trevillo took a step towards me and I took a step back. In times like these, no one could be trusted. Especially a Nelson. “I know you weren’t cheating on my brother, Axia. Even if everyone else believes differently, I don’t. You love him. It’s evident in your eyes.” He shook his head. “I used to … uh, hang with Zane some time back, and he’s an illusive guy. Illusive and tactical. Gotta be sharp on your wits around him. So I’m pretty damn sure he had a hand in this. But … I’m still trying to figure out what the
hell
happened…”

“Like I told you, Trev, your brother’s been screwing Nicole all along. So I guess I should’ve been cheating, too. It would make us even.”

Trevillo wagged his head and sent his eyes heavenward. “You see, this is why I’ll
never
date younger women.
All
of you are screwed-up in the head and overthink everything. Seriously, you all are, should I be polite, nescient ignoramuses. Should I be more relatable, you all are
dumb fucks.” —
My word, he was more ticked off than I was
— “
Last night, I
purposely
brought Nicole into your V.I.P. booth to prove a point. But clearly, you didn’t get it. I don’t know if he’s fucking her or not, but look at this way: my brother will have my head for just
talking
to you, yet he doesn’t give a shit if I go partying, skydiving or bungee jumping with Nicole. And you still think he wants
her
?” Again, he shook his head in disbelief and fixated his gaze on me. “Apart from Love’s uncharacteristic behavior tonight, what evidence do you have that he’s fucking her, Axia?”