With that thought in my head, I quickly dialled Nicoli’s number. It took him a while to answer and when he did, I knew why. “Do you know what fucking time it is?”
I started laughing. “Time you were up. It’s after ten, you lazy bum.”
“It may be after ten, but some fucker kept me out till four this morning. I’ve only had five hours’ sleep.”
I almost pouted. “Poor baby.”
“Fuck you.”
I shook my head. “Got anything for me?”
I heard him sigh. “This is why you’re calling? You think in the six hours since I called in the information that we would have found him?”
What is he thinking?
“Yes. What? Are your men slow or something?”
“Fucking hell, Luca. It may work like that in your own little world, but things like this take time. We have the address for Antonio’s father, and my men will be scoping the place out later today. I should have some news for you by tonight.”
I nodded. “That’s better. Couldn’t you have just told me that instead of being a fucking prick?”
I heard him sigh again. “I’m going back to sleep. I’ll make sure I’m at your wedding by three.” He hung up on me, so I threw the phone on the passenger seat of my uncle’s car and accelerated away as fast as possible. The closer I got to my mum’s house, the more my dick strained for Clara. She was like a homing beacon, and my cock was zoning in on her. Fuck, some women had driven me crazy at times, but never with the level of intensity as Clara. I had fucked a few women, and these women knew what to do to make me want them, but never had I gotten the urge to stake my claim on them… Never had I wanted to kill someone due to the knowledge that other men wanted to lay their hands on them. From the moment I saw her picture, she was mine.
As I got closer to the house, I slowed down and noticed that all was quiet. Some men were outside patrolling, and they thankfully spotted me way before I got close. That was good. No matter what, I needed to know my family was safe.
They were poised, just in case, but once one of them saw who I was, he motioned to the other men to stand down. I nodded my thanks and came to a stop about fifty yards from the house. I didn’t want people noticing I was there. I snuck round the back of the house and into the kitchen where all was quiet. My mother was most probably getting ready upstairs, since the kitchen—as always—was perfectly clean.
As I crept towards the stairs, my heart beat faster, and my blood wanted to pump in one direction. I needed her heat. I needed her warmth. I didn’t fucking care if I wasn’t supposed to see her until the wedding.
“You have to tell him, Tony. Luca has a right to know.”
Clara’s voice rang through my ears, making me halt in my tracks. She was talking to Tony about me in the study, but what it was about, I had no idea. I was about to find out, though.
I pushed the door open. “Has a right to know what?” I growled, making both of them jump.
I saw how close they were, and it made my blood boil. What was it he had to tell me that my wife-to-be already seemed to be clued in on?
“Luca, you scared me.” Clara swallowed, giving away how nervous she was. It made me turn my attention to Tony, who looked just as nervous as Clara did.
“What is it you have to tell me?” I glared in his direction and fisted my hands—ready for a fight. If he had touched my Clara, then he was going to be fucking sorry. “Do I have to buy you a nice pair of fucking concrete boots? And maybe then you could learn to study marine biology!” My voice rose a couple of octaves, causing Clara to rush to me.
“Calm down! Knowing you, you’ve jumped to conclusions, and it’s the wrong conclusion.”
I kept my eyes on Tony. “Then, tell me what the fuck is going on!”
“You need to calm down, Son.” Hearing those words in Italian, I whipped my head around to find my mother standing in the doorway. “This has nothing to do with Tony.”
“Then what is it to do with?” My anger was calming, but worry was setting in. Was Mama sick? Was she in trouble?
“Sit down, and I will tell you.”
I shook my head. “No, I’m staying right here.”
Mama shook her head and mumbled something about me being a stubborn fool. She looked worried, though, and the more her face fell, the more my heart started beating.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “That night you left,” she paused for a moment and I knew exactly what night she was referring to, “I went back into the kitchen to clean up and get ready for Paulie to arrive.” I looked over to Tony. Paulie was Tony and Alessandro’s uncle. “I was in the middle of cleaning when I heard gurgling sounds coming from you father.”
My eyes widened, and I stepped back, unable to take in what I was hearing. She was lying. She had to be. She was lying for my sake. She was lying to try to take away the fact that I killed my father. She had to be.
My mother stepped forward. “I knew you would do this. That’s why I never told you.”
I shook my head at her, noticing the confusion on Clara’s face. I could tell she was wondering what was being said. “Never told me what? What are you trying to say?”
“You were growing up… You were such an intelligent and strong-willed boy. Your father would have only held you back. You killed him, and that’s the way it will stay for your sake, but it was I who dealt the final blow. It was I who looked your father in the eyes and plunged the knife right through his heart. You never killed him, Luca. It was me. It was always me.”
She stepped forward, but I stepped back, shaking my head. “No. I don’t believe you.”
I saw her panic, but I didn’t care. “This was why I never said anything…”
She was about to continue, but I stopped her. “I don’t believe you, but even if it was true, then all this time you have had me believing that I killed my own father? All this time, I have been seeing my dead father’s eyes in my nightmares. You can’t tell me I didn’t see them, Mama. I saw them. I killed him.”
I saw the defiance in her eyes. “No!” she shouted, angrily. “I’m telling you the truth. He was still alive when you left, but you thought he was dead. I just made sure he stayed that way.”
I still couldn’t believe what my mother was saying to me. I shook my head and turned to Clara, who was looking frantically from me to my mother. She knew something was desperately wrong, but I wasn’t sticking around to explain it to her.
“Luca, what’s going on?” she asked, looking desperately at me.
I carried on shaking my head and looked back at my mother. “I can’t do this,” I simply said, and I walked out.
I could hear people shouting after me, but I couldn’t turn back now. I had been convinced that my mother was lying, but that look of defiance in her eyes made me see she was telling the truth. All this time, she had been lying to me. I had gone through all these years thinking I had killed my father when none of it was true.
I fisted my hands together and violently opened the door to my uncle’s car. I snapped it shut, turning the ignition, and fleeing away as quickly as possible. I felt guilty that I was leaving Clara by herself, but I needed to be away for a while. I needed to escape and calm down.
Visions of my father flashed through my mind, making me grip the steering wheel tightly. “I killed him.” I kept saying that over and over again.
Eventually, a bitter taste lodged in my mouth as the lie sank in. I had never killed my father. I may have done some damage. It may have even been enough to kill him off eventually, but the fact was still left standing. I never dealt the blow that ended my father’s life for good; my own mother did. Not only that. She had me believing I had done it all along.
How could she have done that to me? To her own son?
I woke up this morning feeling lighter than air. I had slept really well last night, so knew I could take on the world today. As I stretched my arms, I looked at the time. It was only nine. I had plenty of time to get a shower and take a stroll
before I had to get ready for my day.
I smiled giddily as I got up to get ready. I needed to make sure everything was well with Luca, but I didn’t want to ring him just in case he was sleeping. Whatever he did last night, I was sure it would have kept him out until the early hours.
As I made my way downstairs, the smell of cooked bacon hit my nostrils, making my stomach growl. In the kitchen, Sophia was doing the dishes as Tony, Belinda, Alessandro, and Mia were sitting round the table eating.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” Alessandro piped.
“Morning. I guess I kind of slept in. Why are you up? Weren’t you out late last night? Is Luca okay?”
Tony and Alessandro laughed. “Don’t panic. He’s fine. He must still be asleep as we haven’t heard from him yet. He stayed round Giovanni’s last night.”
I nodded my head and took a seat at the table. Sophia never looked at me, but she placed a plate of fresh eggs and bacon in front of me. Next to that was a fresh cup of coffee. “Grazie,” I offered, but I knew it was a wasted effort. Sophia carried on her cleaning while the others looked at me sympathetically.
I dived straight into the food, devouring every last drop. Sophia may not have had the best manners, but she sure knew how to cook. “This is so good.”
“Isn’t it?” Mia beamed. “I think that was the best breakfast I have ever had.
Alessandro pulled her into his arms. “I think you’re the best breakfast I ever had.”
Mia started giggling, and I was about to get up to wash my plate, but Sophia beat me to it. I thanked her again and sat back in my seat, but not before giving Tony a look. He knew I knew something, and he also knew I knew he was hiding it—not only from me, but from Luca as well.
“The weather’s beautiful outside, so we thought it might be a good idea to go for a walk. Fancy coming with?”
I took my gaze from Tony and looked over at Mia. “I’ll come and join you. I just have to deal with something first.” I looked back at Tony, and he knew full well what I meant.
Sophia shouted something in Italian to Alessandro and Tony before she disappeared into the hallway.
The scraping of chairs could be heard, as Alessandro, Mia and Belinda got up, but Tony and I remained seated. “Are you coming, Tony?” Belinda asked.
Tony smiled. “Yes. I just have to grab something. I’ll be right out.”
Belinda frowned, but nodded, leaving me and Tony in the kitchen. “Would you mind coming with me to the study for a moment?” I asked, but he knew it wasn’t a request.
Tony nodded and followed me out of the kitchen and into the study. Sophia was nowhere to be seen, so I assumed she had gone to her room to freshen up.
“You know that I heard you and Giuseppe yesterday. What is it that you’re hiding from Luca?”
Tony looked a little panicked. “Listen, this is not for me to say. I’m just in the middle of it all. I wish I fucking wasn’t, but I am.”
I sighed. “If you don’t tell me, then I’m going to Luca myself.”
Tony came in closer to me, and he looked lost. “It’s something that’s been hidden from Luca for a while. A family secret. I can’t tell you anymore than that. I’m sorry.” He was practically pleading with me, so I knew he was desperate to keep me quiet. I understood the logic, but Luca was my priority. My loyalty was to him first.
I sighed again. “Listen, I won’t say anything for now, but you will have to tell him, Tony. Luca has a right to know.”
“Has a right to know what?”
The sound of Luca’s voice made Tony and I both jump. How much of that did he hear? It looked as though it had been a lot as he was standing there, fists clenched, ready to throw a punch at Tony. I knew why. He probably thought Tony was hitting on me or something. He couldn’t have been further from the truth.
“Luca, you scared me.” I swallowed nervously and watched as Luca glared in Tony’s direction. He looked pissed as hell.
“What is it you have to tell me?” He was still glaring at Tony, and I knew he was going to lunge for him soon. “Do I have to buy you a nice pair of fucking concrete boots? And maybe then you could learn to study marine biology!”
His voice got so loud I knew I had to intervene quickly. I rushed towards him. “Calm down! Knowing you, you’ve jumped to conclusions, and it’s the wrong conclusion.” I knew that when it came to me, Luca would always think another man wanted me… No matter if the man in question obviously and wholeheartedly belonged to someone else. Tony would never ever do something like that to Belinda, and Luca knew it. It was just him being his normal hard-headed, jealous, and possessive self.
“Then, tell me what the fuck is going on!” Luca shouted.
Just then, someone else spoke, making me jump again. It was Sophia. She looked different, like she was somehow resigned to something. What it was, I had no idea. Maybe she could help calm Luca down because whatever it was they were keeping from him, he had a right to know.
A conversation ensued in Italian. It was the one and only time I truly wished I could speak it, so I could have understood what the hell was going on. The facial expressions of everyone gave them away, though. Tony looked guilty, Sophia looked devastated, and Luca looked… He looked like he had just been told someone had died. His face was a mixture of shock and almost betrayal.
What on earth had they done?
I couldn’t understand what the hell was going on. Luca’s voice was rising, and Sophia seemed as though she was trying to calm him down, but he wasn’t having any of it. Without warning, Luca just stormed off, leaving me in total shock.
In my daze, I looked towards Sophia. She looked ill. I knew she didn’t like me, and I, in turn, was pissed about it, but I would never wish for her to look the way she looked then. It was almost as if she found out she had lost her son.
“Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?”
Tony looked from Sophia to me and grabbed my shoulders. “Luca’s just a little upset about something that happened in the past.”
I stood my ground. “I have a right to know. I’m going to be his wife. I need to know what’s wrong with my fiancé. Why has he run off? What’s going on?!” Tony looked undecided, so I knew I needed to help him along. “If you don’t tell me, so help me God, I will smack you about the head so hard… And you know there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it.”
I heard Sophia say something in Italian, and Tony quickly looked from her and then back to me. He visibly sighed. “Sophia has just told Luca that she was responsible for his father’s death.”
I laughed and looked at Sophia. “But, that’s ridiculous. He said…” I trailed off once I saw the look on Sophia’s face. “But, he thinks he killed his father.”
Tony shook me, making me look back at him. “We know. That’s why Luca’s run off. He’s obviously upset.”
My eyes widened. “You all knew this and didn’t tell him. Why?”
“Sophia had her reasons. She was trying to protect him the only way she knew how.”
I couldn’t believe what my ears were hearing. “What? By lying to him? By making him live with the notion that he had killed his own father? By making him think he had his blood on his hands this whole time? That’s not protecting someone. That’s just downright cruel.” I shrugged Tony from my arms and headed out towards the door. Before I went through, I turned to Sophia. “I don’t care for your reasons for keeping this from him. No son deserves to be kept in the dark the way you’ve kept Luca in the dark this whole time.” Sophia never once looked my way. Instead, she just stared into space. “Now, excuse me.” I looked back briefly to Tony. “I have a fiancé to find.”
I stormed out the door, bumping into Belinda. “Oh, Clara, there you are. We’ve been waiting for you. Have you seen Tony?”
“Yes,” I seethed, pointing towards the study. “He’s in there with Sophia.”
She saw my expression and frowned. “What’s happened?”
I sighed heavily. “Sophia’s ha
ppened. That woman’s getting on my last tit.” I shook my head. “She has the cheek to be mad at me when all this time…” I kept my mouth shut, knowing full well I needed to keep this a secret. This was not my story to tell. “Never mind.” I stormed off and up the stairs to retrieve my phone.
I tried desperately to call Luca several times, and each time, it went to voicemail. It was already getting close to twelve, and I wasn’t sure what the hell was going on. Luca and I were suppose to marry, but it didn’t look like it was meant to be today either.
Is this a sign?
I shook my head no. It wasn’t a sign; it was just people constantly getting in our way. I was starting to feel like Luca. Everyone seemed against us, and all I wanted to do was kill them all. Luca and I were together, and nothing and no one could stand in the way of that.
If only I knew where he was.
I ran downstairs and out the kitchen towards the garden. Mia and Alessandro were there eagerly waiting. They both smiled, but when Alessandro saw my face, he quickly ran towards me. “What’s happened?”
“Luca’s run off.”
“What?!” they both asked in surprise.
“Luca and Sophia had an argument, and he stormed off. I keep trying to call him, but his phone keeps going to voicemail. I don’t know what else to do.”
Alessandro placed his hands on my shoulder. “Okay. There’s no need to panic. I’m sure everything’s fine.”
“I’m not panicking. Who says I’m panicking?!” I shouted in a way that made everyone who heard know that I was, in fact, panicking.
“Listen, Tony and I will go and find him. You just stay here, and I’ll contact you as soon as I know more.”
I vehemently shook my head. “Oh no. Don’t you dare try to keep me, the little woman, here. I’m not sitting around waiting on news. I’m coming with you.”
Alessandro sighed and rolled his eyes. “I thought so.”
“Then why did you say it?!” Jeez, men were pig-headed at times.
“Because Luca would be pissed if he knew we were taking you out on a jolly looking for him. Maybe he doesn’t want you to find him.”
LUCA (Because You're Mine) (The Sicilian Mafia Series Book 2) Page 16
