Fireball

BELINDA

“What are we doing, Mop?” I asked my cat, who was staring at me like an idiot.

“Miaaow!”

“You’re right, I don’t know either. But I have to do something. I don’t even want that bastard’s sins anymore at this point!”

“Miaaaowww!”

“I know you’re drooling over the guy, but tough luck. We can’t stay here. Don’t think I’ll swallow those lines, sweetheart. Don’t even try to convince me!”

“Prrrr…”

“Hey!” I snapped. “You’re my cat. He might own this place, but I own you. Watch yourself. Or I’ll put you outside and you can sit on your ass till morning!”

She let out a tiny “meow” and dropped her head onto her paws.

“Don’t try emotional manipulation. The man kicked you! Don’t you dare fantasize about him picking you up and cuddling you. Get your head straight.”

When she didn’t even bother replying this time, I grabbed her by the waist and set her down on the floor.

“Sleep on the ground. Maybe that’ll knock some sense into you. No bed for you tonight!”

She tensed, ready to jump, but I wagged my finger in her face.

“Don’t. You’re grounded. Try getting on the bed and I swear I’ll throw you out into the garden.”

She gave up, curled into a ball on the floor, and laid her head down. I turned off the lamp and threw myself onto the pillow in a huff.

My anger hadn’t cooled down. Not even close.

My husband. Yeah, right. And then he had the nerve to say I’d gotten attached too fast. If I’d let him, he would’ve dragged me straight into bed.

And as if that wasn’t enough, he’d practically imprisoned me in that villa like some dictator. Under normal circumstances, I would’ve melted at a place like that—but he’d stabbed me right in the jugular. I should’ve pulled the fork out and jammed it up his ass, but I’d taken pity on those nice hips.

Tomorrow, I was getting out of there one way or another. How was I supposed to swallow that sentence? There were a hundred other ways he could’ve explained himself. And his apology didn’t feel sincere at all.

I wished I hadn’t frozen when he said it… If my vibrator had been with me at that exact moment, I would’ve shown him firsthand how it’s done. Shove it right up there. Egotistical son of a bitch.

The first tear slid out of my eye and trickled annoyingly down into my ear. Like I needed another reason to cry. I rubbed my ear with my finger, but once it started, the tears kept coming.

I turned onto my side and let them soak into the pillow. Otherwise, I’d have two lakes forming in my ears.

I cried, cursed, tossed and turned until morning. When I finally got out of bed, I was exhausted, hurt—but mostly furious.

If I ever found the man who married me off and chose that animal named Darian as my husband, I’d wipe the floor with his face.

Look what he’d reduced me to. The price of love shouldn’t be this heavy. I’d seen him once and fallen instantly. Like a lightning strike. I wished actual lightning had hit me instead—at least then I would’ve learned my lesson properly. I’d never mess with lightning again. I’d love properly. Slowly. With dignity.

But first, I had to deal with this debt, find a way out, and keep myself alive. Otherwise, instead of falling in love, I’d be lying in a two-meter-deep hole very soon.

I got up and went into the bathroom attached to my room. Thanks to Rose, I’d been given the Queen’s Suite. I didn’t feel like a queen at all, but that was another issue.

After getting dressed, I grabbed my suitcase and my cat and walked out of the room.

Rose was in the kitchen preparing breakfast, with Luke helping her. Honestly, I thought they’d picked the wrong brother to marry. Luke should’ve been the one at the altar.

God, I was officially losing my mind.

They weren’t wrong when they said there were men—and then there were men. Darian barely qualified as the former. Only because he had two things swinging between his legs.

Every good feeling I’d had about him evaporated with that last sentence he’d said last night.

I needed to stop thinking. Every thought sent my temper straight through the roof again.

As Luke started flirting with his wife, I muttered a hurried “good morning.” I had zero tolerance for romantic foreplay before breakfast.

Some people had it. Others didn’t.

I didn’t.

It had been almost six months since anything other than my vibrator had satisfied me.

“Good morning,” Luke said, letting go of Rose. Her cheeks were flushed as she murmured one back.

“You’re completely packed,” Luke added, eyeing my suitcase. “You seem very emotionally attached to that thing. Can’t you just leave it where it is?”

“I’m leaving,” I said. “I’ve inconvenienced you enough. Thank you again for everything—but I don’t want to be more of a burden.”

“Where are you going without breakfast?” Rose frowned. “Sit down. Please.”

“She’s right,” Luke agreed. “Eat first. Then leave your suitcase and your cat here.”

“They’re mine,” I said immediately. They were all I had.

“I mean don’t drag them around with you,” he said, winking. “When you figure things out, come get them.”

“That works,” I nodded.

Just then, the two brothers walked in with a casual “good morning,” and my entire body stiffened. Did Rose really feed these men three meals a day? The poor woman.

Darian’s gaze moved from me to my suitcase, then to my cat.

“You sure are eager to pack up and run.”

I was. I’d changed houses and workplaces so many times that packing and leaving had become second nature.

“God tells some people ‘go forth,’” I said calmly. “Guess I’m one of the ones who walks.”

“What did we talk about last night?” he asked, moving toward the table.

“Whatever you talked about doesn’t concern me.” I sat as far from him as possible.

“Thanks for the food, Rose. We didn’t mean to intrude, but—” he gestured toward me.

“At least he’s not always swarming her,” I thought.

“Not at all,” Rose said. “I cooked for everyone anyway.”

“Now we know why Luke’s gained weight,” Marcus smirked.

Luke bent forward, inspecting his stomach. “Did I gain weight, love?”

“No,” Rose said.

“He did. He totally did!”

“Think you know better than my wife, you asshole?”

Well, Rose was the one who saw him naked. If anyone knew, it was her. Blushing, she waved them off. “Enough. Eat.”

The breakfast continued amid banter. Interestingly, Darian was the most careful with his words when Rose was around. Marcus tended to cross the line while teasing Luke, but Rose clearly didn’t mind.

“So where are you going?” Luke asked, and of course the spotlight landed back on me.

“I’ll look around. A few places,” I brushed it off.

“Will you even be able to leave the villa?” Darian cut in.

“Try stopping me,” I snapped. “I’ll call the police. I’ll say this man caused me to marry under a false identity, then imprisoned me once I learned the truth. I’ll also say the guy he hired scammed both of us and disappeared. That should be fun.”

“Wow. Forty lies in ten seconds.”

I shot daggers at him.

“Life clearly hasn’t shown you its other face. If it had, you’d know people lie on the fly just to survive.” I stood. “So—are you opening the door, or should I call the cops?”

“Go,” he said, gesturing.

After thanking Rose and Luke again and implying I’d come back for my things, I headed for the door. Rose and Luke walked me to the garden. Darian just stood there, glowering like an ox.

---

After leaving the villa, I called a few friends to borrow money—nothing. I spent the day checking out a few nightclubs someone had recommended, looking for work. One was big, but they weren’t looking for singers.

The arrogant bastard practically sneered, saying they only worked with well-known vocalists.

I called Julia and asked to meet. I needed advice.

My feet ached from walking all day, and I was starving. By the time we reached the restaurant, Julia—punctual as ever—was already there. She stood up when she saw me, and I hugged her.

“If you’re paying, I’m ordering food,” I said bluntly.

“Don’t be stupid. Of course you will. Since when do we count money between us?”

“Since I went broke,” I said. We ordered, and once the waiter left, she leaned forward.

“You sounded bad on the phone. What’s going on?”

I told her everything. From start to finish. When I finished explaining last night, I finally felt like I could breathe.

“Holy shit. Why am I only hearing this now? Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you come stay with me instead of a hotel?”

“These guys aren’t safe. You think I’d drag you into that mess too?”

The food arrived. I didn’t even wait for the waiter to leave before digging in. I was starving.

“So what now?” she asked. “Any plan?”

“I don’t know. I looked for work—nothing yet. The money is the real problem. He gave me a week. Worst case, I’ll go to Kevin.”

“Are you insane?” she said in horror. “You’re trying to escape one dangerous man just to run to another?”

“What choice do I have? It’s my last option. I’ll try everything else first.”

She poked at her food, thinking.

“What about talking to Darian again?”

“No,” I said. “It’s not that I expect charity—but if he were even slightly reasonable, I’d try. I will pay him back. But I’m really hurt. And honestly, he was blindsided. He’s right.”

“Fuck what’s right or wrong! He knows how to kiss, doesn’t he?”

Her eyes drifted past me. I took another bite.

“So what does this Darian look like?” she asked, staring dreamily at something behind me.

“You’re married,” I almost snapped.

“He’s walking fire,” she whispered. “Is that him?”

I turned around. Darian was walking toward us. My eyes widened.

“That’s him.”

“Jesus. The man is pure combustion.”

“Look forward,” I warned.

“You should look back,” she said. “Your personal wildfire is headed this way.”

Jealousy flared out of nowhere. I looked up at Darian standing over us.

Not him again.

Why the hell was he here?

And more importantly—how did he know where I was?