Chapter 37 - Rift Between Them

Nash opened the door to Santiago's office with a loud thud. He threw glares at the person sitting on the chair as soon as the latter's eyes found his. 

"What were you thinking, Santiago?" asked Nash as he sat on the chair in front of Santiago. 

Santiago raised his brow in question. 

"Persephone Marino! What the hell is she doing inside your villa?" Nash fired the question. He didn't care who his friend slept with. But Persephone Marino? She was a death wish for Santiago. If Alessandro Marino got to know that Santiago was sleeping with his daughter, consequences would be borne by all of them. And those consequences would be dire. 

The atmosphere inside Santiago's office instantly became sensitive. He was unusually calm and motionless, but only he knew the fury boiling inside him. His body was tense and his hands under the table were clenched in a fist. He wasn't upset because Nash was raising allegations against him but because of the fact that he met Persephone straight away. It didn't take a genius to know how he would have behaved with her, given the intensity of hate they had for Alessandro Marino. 

Nash didn't even flinch against his cold gaze. He was used to it. He didn't even care about the deadly aura surrounding his friend. Taking a deep breath, he gazed at Santiago's hard and stoic face and said, "What the hell is going on in your head? Did you know sleeping with Persephone Marino is not a very smart move on your part? If it was me or Killian, our actions would have been justified because we are sometimes impulsive and most of the time, we think with our dicks. But you? It wasn't expected from you. Note it down-- that girl will be your damnation."

Each and every word spoken by Nash was true and Santiago understood it better than anyone. Yet, he couldn't stop himself from claiming Persephone. Nash was so true when he said that Persephone Marino would be his damnation. He had known it from the moment he first laid his eyes on her, clad in a wedding dress and ready to marry a man chosen by her father. He had dragged her from the altar to hell and she had willingly accepted his hell too. This should have been his first cue to stay away from him but like a moth attracted to flame, he wasn't able to deter the blazing temptation named Persephone. 

"Santiago, are you even listening to what I have been saying?" Nash growled. Normally, he was the one they had to give reasons and logic to. For the first time, he felt that he needed to imprint in Santiago's brain that Persephone was off-limit. She was what man feared to be their ruin. And still, his most -of-the-times intelligent friend couldn't see a simple fact clearly. 

"Stop barking, Nash," Santiago said with a slight spark of annoyance in his voice. 

"Do you think that I have been a dog barking at you for the last few minutes?" Nash couldn't help but scream. Just what was wrong with this man?!

"Are you not?" Santiago retorted quickly. "King Leonardo threw you a bone and you came to my house sniffing like a damn dog. If you wanted to know the truth, you should have asked me, not raided the place like you are some cop." 

Nash couldn't believe his words. He shook his head and chuckled mirthlessly. This was what he thinks about him?

"That girl is already creating a rift between us. Not that I blame her for it," Nash said with a mocking smile. "I am not here because that King snitched on you, I'm here for some work-related issues. But I'm so thankful that I am here now because Santiago, someone needs to save you from axing your own feet. Your life might not be important to you but it means something to us." 

"You came here for work-related issues, finish them and leave," Santiago said to him without beating around the bush. "What I do with Persephone is only mine and her business, not anyone's!" 

"Sure, I'm leaving tomorrow. Not your island but the country now," Nash said, a smirk appeared on his lips.

His words sounded like he was out to make trouble with him and Santiago could sense it right away. Santiago didn't care what Nash had to think about him and the situation with Persephone and he was in no mood to make him see his point of view either. 

"Where are you now going?" Santiago asked him a while later. He wanted to know if Nash was leaving the country, where he was going then?

"To New York."

"What do you mean?" Santiago questioned him straightly. 

"Come on, dude," Nash snickered. He eyed him with an evil filing and then added," You think I will do nothing when you are signing your death warrant. Getting close to that girl is akin to signing a death warrant for you. I will be leaving the country and taking Kill's position in New York and he will be coming here to babysit your ass because your dick has overpowered your brain and you are not thinking straight." 

"Don't cross the boundaries that you will regret later, Nash," Santiago said in a low voice. "If you have no faith in me, you can say so. No need to drag Killian into this matter. Sleeping with her has nothing to do with the mission." 

Nash took a deep breath, "You are a brother to me. I can't see you destroying your own life. Who you sleep with has nothing to do with me or anyone. But I can see your possessiveness over her. You don't get possessive over a fling, man. Do not let her close to you because both of us know that she is here for a few weeks and then, she will be gone and marry Nicolas, the man chosen by her father."

Santiago nodded." Have some faith. I know what I am doing. And there is no way I would ever develop any kind of feelings for her.. So, rest assured."