Monza (Formula Men #1) (5 page)

Right.

What a bloody twisted joke. The last thing she ought to be was
happy
. Kimberly didn’t deserve happiness. What she needed was a good hefty dose of reality…that her vile treatment of me came with a price…

My anger somehow transformed into a massive migraine, leaving me no choice other than to take the strongest medication the nurse had to offer. Vittorio had advised me against stressing too much, but this couldn’t be helped. Everything seemed to be crumbling at such a flighty speed. I needed to focus on something that would be beneficial to me in the long run.

Revenge…

It could be such a sweet thing, if done right.

Now that I had all the facts, it would only be a matter of time until I took action. The moment I could function without nauseating headaches, I would set her demise in motion.

This sentiment didn’t fully initiate until a week later. Yes, it took a whole bloody week until I could manage to drive a vehicle. It was aggravating that I was invalid enough to deem unacceptable to even manage a vehicle, but I wasn’t left much choice since I had people around me who were strictly instructed not to let me out of their sights. It was absurd that a bunch of fools would take orders from my parents when it was
I
who paid their wages. One thing I knew, though, was that I didn’t want to be at a disadvantage when seeing her again for the first time in months.

It took another inquiry to find out that they were invited to a fund-raising event for next year’s election of the Democratic Party. I wasn’t particularly interested in supporting any parties. This would be the one exception, though. Politics, in my opinion, was a bunch of pompous assholes wanting power and, in some unfortunate circumstances, gaining money through corruption.

Since my face was famous for notoriety and the recent spectacle of my accident that had littered the news media for the past week, I knew it would be unwise to garner attention upon arrival. Instead, I had to pull some strings to slip into the event without being noticed by using one of the service entryways for food deliveries and such.

My main purpose was to see her and immediately dash out of this miserable party once I had accomplished that. The last thing I would like to be amidst my recovery and my mission to send the wretched woman to Hell would be compromised.

Superbly dressed with my custom-made, black tux, I deliberately arrived fashionably late so I didn’t have to bore myself with the tedious task of mingling with the liberal society. I had no intentions of truly taking part of the whole fundraiser. I merely set my sights on where Mrs. Anton Gallo was stationed and waited for the opportunity until her husband was busy chatting up someone before I went in to greet the beautiful liar.

Because the event was being held in one of the beautiful, landmark hotels in Rome with a few hundred or so attendees, executing this wouldn’t be a hardship. Besides, women were my specialty, and if I recalled correctly, this sort liked to seek friends and powder room breaks after meals.

I merely wanted to seek her out to confront her, nothing more. Since she and I didn’t properly break up, I needed to see how remorseful she was. If she turned out to be unapologetic and a spiteful bitch, then I would see where this could all go. For tonight, I simply wanted a private word with her.

In a true shadow approach, I remained out of the public’s line of sight. I lingered in spots where I could easily see everyone without having to compromise my identity.

The file that Gino had given me had stated that Anton Gallo was in his late forties, twice divorced without any offspring. I found it baffling for a woman her young age to marry such an older man. Not that it wasn’t uncommon in our society, but typically, the women who succumbed to those kind of seedy arrangements were the desperate gold-diggers who wanted an easy life. They were the types who considered it “work” to open their legs to let the men relieve themselves. It was despicable, yet the practice had been done since the beginning of time. What boggled my mind was where Kimberly added up in all of this.

Although it was true what they said—that two weeks wasn’t enough time to truly get to know someone—she had never given off the vibe that she was in to money or anything related to it. What she spoke about most was how enthralled she was with the Italian culture and how deeply she loved her family. She also wasn’t one to shy away from discussing the loss of her mother and how it had shaped her as the woman she was today. So, color me confused with the sudden turn of events after leaving Rome for a month and coming back to see an announcement in the newspaper that she had gotten married to one of Italy’s leading prosecutors.

She couldn’t fault me if I was seeking retribution.

With a poached bottle of brandy in hand, I patiently peered at the incoming throng of people, biding my time until the woman graced my sight with her despicable presence. I was a quarter down in the bottle when the newlyweds appeared, seeming rather too chummy for my liking.

Merda
. Why did she have to look even better than the last time I had seen her?

It was appalling to find myself so irate after studying their relationship from this vantage point.

Refraining myself from chucking the bottle their way, I found myself quietly at odds with my emotions.

This was going to a long, interesting evening.

=-=-=-=

Dazzling in her low cut, satin, black dress, Kimberly appeared confidently poised next to her husband. She was smiling to the man Anton was introducing her to, and I felt my throat constrict, as if I was having a tough time breathing.

I took another gulp of my brandy, my eyes never straying away from her. They were glued, stuck, zeroed in on one person—the husband I couldn’t care less about.

As challenging as it was to listen through such tedious speeches, one after the other, during dinner, my persistence hadn’t deteriorated as I bided for the perfect time. My opportunity came when she unexpectedly got a message on her phone, frowning as she did so. Then she whispered in Anton’s ear, quite possibly excusing herself to step out to attend to the message that had gotten her worried.

Treading a few feet away from her, I followed her stride as she left the ballroom and sought for the nearest exit, finding herself in the beautiful botanical garden. She sought out a secluded spot close to an old tree that was not too far from the door she had exited from but enough distance to keep her conversation private from other guests. She had her back turned, occupying herself with the emergency call she was engaged in, while my gaze occupied itself with the silky, bare expanse of her skin and ample, pert bottom.

“
Don’t even think about it. Keep him in there,” she said with pure aggravation. “No … I have this handled. Please. I promise it’ll all be okay soon.” She exchanged another few short words before ending the call with her head bent low, distraught about something.

“
Was that another man to cause your plight?” I gingerly invaded her space while she looked ghostly pale and speechless. I supposed it was the fitting reaction I had been aiming for.

“
Luca,” she breathlessly uttered as if she couldn’t fathom that I was right there with her, antagonizing her.

Stiff as a board, I almost sneered at her. “You remember my name, and here I thought you were diagnosed with selective amnesia.”

Shaking her head, her eyes suddenly appeared glassy. “You look fine. When I was watching you on TV … when your car smashed into a wall … You don’t know how happy I am to see you alive and well.”

She was happy.
Ha!
Of course she was.

“
You never let on that you were engaged to be married. It must be nice to be
the
Mrs. Anton Gallo, isn’t it? It’s every girl’s dream to marry an old, rich man. How is that going for you, by the way?”

Her throat bobbed as she tried to keep her tears at bay. “Don’t say it like that. Anton’s a very good man.”

So was I, but she had never given me a bloody chance. My chest was on fire. It was as if there was a caged animal inside me, and it needed to be let out. It was maddening. However, my cool demeanor started to break when a tear fell, sliding down her beautiful face.

“
Why the fuck are you crying? It won’t make a difference to me, so you best change your tactics.”

“
I get that you’re very angry at me—”

“
Angry?
” I huffed out with exasperation. “Oh, that’s a mild word to use, Kimberly.” Getting close to her face, I hardened my resolve when she didn’t stop her crying. “You know, had you told me you were desperate for money, I could have easily given you more than what Anton could. I have millions. Hell, I’m worth more than that if I add my inheritance in the equation. All you needed to do was ask instead of going behind my back and betraying me like the gold-digging strumpet you are!”

She nodded, shamefaced. “Okay, I’m a gold digger…” She sniffed. “I’m really sorry for everything.” She gave me one last, lingering look before she spun on her heels, readying to escape my wrath.

She wasn’t fast enough, though.

My arm speedily wrapped around her hips, immediately pulling her back to continue our engaging conversation. “You’re not going to fucking walk away when I’m not—” I eerily stilled as my ears heavily pounded when my hand cupped something that shouldn’t be there.

“
Che cazzo!
You’re pregnant!” I hissed out, seeing red as I stared in shock at her tiny stomach bump. “Is that why you got married? It was because you were carrying his child?” As much as I loathed the fact, it made sense now.

She was beyond frazzled as she took in my infuriated face, tears streaming freely as she avoided my scathing eyes.

Who was the father? Was it Anton’s? Mine? Or another man’s? God help me, but how many men was she having an affair with?

“
Were you pregnant when we got together?” I had to ask such cutting questions, or she wouldn’t provide me the answers. She certainly didn’t seem like she wanted to say anything at all; thus angering me all the more. “
Fucking answer me, Kimberly!
” I thundered, quaking with fury. “Were you pregnant when you had sex with me?” I spat the question again, letting her know that I wasn’t willing to drop the bloody subject. Not in this lifetime.

She reluctantly nodded, confirming everything I needed to know.

I felt like my heart was being lacerated with a blunt knife. “You filthy, lying whore!” Disappointment filled me, amongst other things. At one point, I thought her different than the others. Her selfish actions simply proved that most women were alike.

Hot tears welled in her eyes as she directed a pleading look at me. “I’m sorry. I should’ve said something, warned you—”

“
Warned me?
” I yelled at her, beyond livid that she ought to “warn me.” The absurd thought made me laugh. I wouldn’t have needed one had she simply outright told me the truth. But, no, she had to be a secretive bitch about her life.

“
I didn’t think it mattered that much. I’m just one of many…”

Was this her excuse to treat me as if I was nothing, as if my feelings shouldn’t be taken into account? One thing I hated more than anything was to be taken for a fool. She had done this and then some.

“
And where did you get that notion, huh?” I derided brusquely. “The tabloid magazines?”

“
No. I don’t read that kind of trashy gossip.”

“
Where then?
” She was going in circles, endlessly frustrating me.

“
It doesn’t matter, Luca. Whatever the reason I had, things already happened, and it can’t be undone. You need to get over this,” she heartlessly stated, making me harbor more hate towards her. “I’m sorry I bruised your ego—I truly am—but there’s nothing I can do now. I’m married and expecting my first child. Leave it be—leave
me
be.” She threw me one last look before she almost ran towards the hotel door, practically tripping as she did so, while I stared after her, feeling more lost than I had before speaking to her.

This was the kind of harrowing experience I had dreaded ever since I had vowed never to get romantically involved with a woman. Then this woman had come along, making me change my tune, changing my mind before I even realized it. She stole everything she could, robbing me of the man I once was, before she decided to shit on my life, leaving it empty and lifeless.

And here she was, once again breaking every ounce of resolve I had left to keep my sanity in check.