It reminded him of someone. He just couldn’t remember who at the moment. “Yeah. Your dick came up.”
Markos scowled.
Busted. “So, who is she?” he said brusquely.
A new lover meant he’d really forgotten Sabrina. He felt angry at how easily he had discarded her, which was ridiculous since he wanted Markos out of the picture. He had never wanted to find out more about what had gone down between him and Sabrina because God forbid if he found out Markos had been more than a regular asshole to her, he’d smash his face in, best friend or not.
He took a swig of his whiskey. Talk to him, Luca. Draw him out. Delay him. So that Sabrina could get him out of her system once and for all.
“None of your damned business.”
It wasn’t Markos’ style to be evasive. Luca’s curiosity about his new lover was piqued.
“We’ll have a drink soon. Chat longer next time.” Markos rose from the bar stool, oddly avoiding his gaze.
That was it? Not even a hint of curiosity about how it was going with Sabrina? The self-absorbed bastard.
“I’ll see you at the launch-”
Luca was all set to physically restrain his friend when Sabrina came through between several couples on the dance floor like a puppy bursting out of a bush. She looked around, wild-eyed and wild-haired. Her gaze went past him then skittered back. She ran to him and clutched his arm, trying to speak, but she was out of breath.
“What is it, strega?” he asked in alarm. Then he noted the red blotches on her dress and his body felt like a block of ice. “Is that blood on your dress?”
She shook her head frantically as he touched the stains, needing to find out for himself. His nose recognized it first before his brain did. Thank God it was just red wine.
“Eleni-” she panted, doubling over, still trying to catch her breath. “Eleni-”
“Calm down, strega.” At the mention of his ex-lover’s name, foreboding filled him but he concealed it. The sooner she got hold of herself, the sooner he could get the whole story out of her. He rubbed her back repeatedly. “Calm down.” She was still hyperventilating. “Sabrina,” he said more firmly this time, “listen to me.” He bent at the waist so he could speak near her ear. “You’re going to be okay. Slow, even breaths. That's it,” he said even as he himself strove for calmness at the fact that Eleni was here.
It seemed to be working. The back of her chest was now moving in a slower, even cadence.
“Did I hear you call her Sabrina?” Markos’ voice was ominous. Luca saw him take a belligerent stance directly in front of her.
Sabrina jerked up in surprise. Markos merely gave her a frowning, passing glance then pinned him with a seething look.
“Surely it can’t be that long that you’ve forgotten what she looks like,” Luca said sardonically. What the hell was he doing, goading Markos into losing his temper?
“I can’t believe you brought this gold-digging bitch here! I told you to keep her away from me,” Markos said in a low, harsh voice. ”I told you I didn’t care what you did to her as long as you kept her away from my family.”
He saw Sabrina flinch at Markos’ callous words. Felt disgusted at Markos and himself for how sordid it all sounded. He should have told Markos right at the start to man up and deal with it. Instead he had taken one look at her and exploited the situation to his advantage, he realized sickeningly.
His self-directed anger had him lashing out. “You hear what it is she wants to say to you, you fucking bastard, or I swear I’m going to beat the crap out of you until you can’t walk and you have no choice but to hear her out.”
Markos shot him a murderous glare.
Friend or no friend, he was going to rearrange the bastard’s face before the night was over. He had it coming-
“No!” He felt Sabrina’s hands on his chest, pushing him away from Markos. “Don’t hurt him,” she cried out when he grasped her arms and pushed her to the side.
“Nobody talks about you that way and gets away with it, strega.”
“Luca, listen to me-”
But he was past the point of listening. Rage and jealousy, because even up to this point she was defending her ex-lover, churned inside him.
“Step aside, Sabrina,” he warned in a low voice that oddly seemed to sound louder than he intended.
And he realized everyone and everything in the ballroom had gone quiet. Everyone was watching their little drama unfold. Fuck. I’m sorry, Lexie and Nic.
“Luca, it’s not what you think,” Sabrina cried, once again blocking his path.
Markos was standing his ground, refusing to budge, but where before there was anger, Luca was trying to figure out that odd expression on Markos’ face. It looked vaguely like…guilt?