Page 66 of Bloodlust

"He's in the lounge," the hostess says as I enter the restaurant. Pulling a smoke out of the pack, I light it up. She doesn't comment. No one does. Even though my name's not on the door, this place is mine. Well, technically it's my fathers, but it's under my name now. One of our many fronts. "Do you want a drink?"

"No," I say as we near the lounge. I glower at Leo ashe whips his head in my direction. His neutral expression throws me off. Based on his tone, I expected...anger. Frustration. But I don't see it. Likely a mask. Alcohol won't help me decode his intentions any faster. Can't risk it. I need to be present for this conversation. No influence. "Just water. Sparkling."

"Right away, Miss Bianco," the hostess says, scurrying away.

"And with a minute to spare," Leo says, cocking a brow as I take a seat in front of him and puff on my cigarette. "Guess fighting fire with fire works after all." He pauses, rubbing his chin. "You look tired, Mils."

"Talk," I say, hardening my stare. "You wanted to talk, so talk."

"Stop being so hostile." Leo lets out a sigh as he scans my face. "I want to help you. I'm here to help you, Mils, but...but I can't do that if you won't let me." He reaches across the table, looking for my hand. I pull it away, frowning. He sighs again, shaking his head. "You already know what you need to do." He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a velvet box. "It's the only option, Mils." He opens the box, a diamond ring wedged into the cushion bed. "Marry me."

"No." My jaw locks. "I will find another way."

"The Council will never agree to partner with The Dragons," Leo says in a gentle tone as his finger slides over the ring. "But this? This is a no-brainer, Mils." He shrugs, smiling at me. "If anything...it's destiny."

"I will not be marrying anybody," I state, gritting my teeth. The ghost of Daniel haunts my subconscious. "Especially notyou."

Leo's face falls, a glint of sadness in his dark eyes. "I saved your life, Camilla. You can't hate me for that."

"But I do," I say, my chest roaring with flames. "I fucking despise you, Leo. You—" I swallow. "You should've let me die. You should've let them kill me too!"

"Let you die?" Leo's head snaps up, lips twitching. "I fucking loved you, Camilla! I literally threw myself in front of a fucking bullet for you!" He points a shaky hand at his right shoulder. "I would've died for you."

"You loved me?" I expel a maniacal laugh. "You loved me? You fucking left me, Leo! My entire world was crumbling around me, and you fucking left! That night I lost both of you. I lost fucking everything."

"I had to leave," Leo whispers in a pained tone. "I loved you, Mils. But you...you didn't love me back."

"What?" I ask in confusion. "You know I loved you, Leo. You kno?—"

"No," he says, hanging his head low. "Not in the way I loved you."

I blink, taken aback. "What?"

"Exactly," he sighs. "You didn't even see it. You didn't seeme. You didn't see me as anything other than a friend." His face contorts into a scowl. "Than abrother."

As I stare at Leo, sparring emotions battle forsupremacy in my brain. Shock has a strong right hook. It knocks down confusion. Grief comes in hot but is trampled by regret. Longing rears its ugly head but is cut down by pain.

They can fight all they want, but there's always only one victor.

It wins every time.

Anger.

"So you werein lovewith me?" I seethe. "Youlovedme, Leo? Really? How? How did you love me? My fucking fiancé was shot and killed right before my eyes! Right before we got to say I do! And you leave a week later? You fucking abandoned me!"

"I had to..." Leo whispers, swallowing. "I couldn't stay and watch?—"

And it clicks.

"You couldn't stay and watch me grieve for another man?" I ask, disgust lacing my voice. "Is that what you were going to say?" Leo doesn't reply, looking away sheepishly. My heart hammers in my chest as I stand up and circle the table. Kneeling down beside him, I cup his cheek, lifting his face so that he's fuckingforcedto look at me as I whisper, "You are a weak man, Leonardo. A weak, selfish man." I caress his stubble with my thumb. "You are not worthy of my name."

"Cam—"

"Shh," I hush, leaning into his ear and whispering, "You will keep your mouth shut, Leonardo." I curl my arm around his body, pressing two fingers into the spot where he was shot five years ago. "If you do not—" I dig in deeper, "—I will personally put a bullet between your cowardly eyes."

"I don't believe you," Leo whispers in a shaky tone. "You couldn't do it."

"You should've let that bullet kill me, Leo," I say, pulling away as I pat his cheek before standing up. I peer down at him. "That night I died a different kind of death. You can'tfathomthe things I can do now."