by Soraya Naomi
“She will be at risk, and I don’t like that.” I fist my hair, feeling torn. “I don’t know if I can do this, James. And you can’t do it without Adriano or me. We’re your best men. Kill Leggia without having the trade take place.”
James says in a level voice, “How? He’s in public constantly now, with security, where he knows I won’t target him. We’ll protect her.”
I don’t know how we can protect her, and that pisses me off, but James is my superior and I’m to obey. I grate my teeth and ask, “What’s your plan?”
CHAPTER 34
Fallon
We live with the choices we make. And all those – sometimes seemingly insignificant – choices affect everyone and everything around us. We love and hurt each other. However, there’s always that one person with whom even the magnitude of the hurt doesn’t lessen the intensity of the love. I’m afraid Luca is that person for me. Because even though I chose to believe him and he chose to lie to me, there’s still a huge part of me that wants to trust him again. That doesn’t want to let go of our love. Yet, the extent of his lies and the precarious position they’ve put me in are quashing that love.
Feeling deflated and empty, I stare at the unappetizing fruit and yogurt on the nightstand after Luca has stepped out again. Although I’m starving, I’m unable to eat. Every bit of information is flying through me in fast forward, and I lie there, unmoving, for hours and hours with nothing but a blur of memories until I decide to take a shower to kill some time.
As I’m standing under the hot stream of water, my head is starting to clear. I need to stay focused, and, like yesterday, I remind myself of that over and over. Stay focused and get out of this mess.
So far, Luca has tried to comfort me into a false sense of security before telling me that some other Syndicate boss, Leggia, wants to trade Danny for me. And while Luca hasn’t harmed me physically, I can’t afford to trust him again.
Dressed in a clean pair of boxers and a t-shirt that was left on the comforter, I settle on the edge of the mattress, gazing at the door with sweaty hands. I could walk around, find Camilla. But I’m anxious about running into someone. What would I say? Maybe this is a test Luca set up?
All of a sudden, the door opens, and Camilla has returned. Exhaling a long breath of relief that it’s not Luca, I tentatively smile. Camilla closes the door quietly behind her and joins me on the bed after she places a book on the dresser.
“Hi,” she greets hesitantly. “I’m sorry for bolting out of here yesterday. I-I didn’t know what to do.”
Yet she must be inclined to help, or else she wouldn’t be here having this conversation with me. Unlike yesterday, I don’t bombard her by desperately begging for help. No, I’m approaching her calmly today.
“I understand.” I point to the book, which is the historical romance I was reading before I was taken. Luca knew that, and I suppose he ordered her to get me a copy. Does he think this will make me feel better?
“Luca asked if I could bring you some romance novels, then he suggested that I get you that one,” she explains with a bemused expression.
I don’t even understand what’s going on in Luca’s head, so Camilla must be even more mystified about what’s happening.
“Did he hurt you last night, Fallon?” she asks with her brows drawn together.
I could lie and say yes in hopes of convincing her to help me, but the earnest look she’s sending me prevents me from being dishonest.
“No. Not physically,” I answer.
“Did he tell you anything? How long until it’ll be safe for you to go home?”
“He told me. And it’s even more complicated than I initially thought. Camilla, I don’t know when it’ll be safe for me. I’m some kind of bargaining tool for a trade to another Syndicate/mafia boss,” I reveal what he told me, omitting some details.
Camilla’s stunned into silence, and I power through because this woman is my only hope.
“I don’t know what exactly your role is in this house, but I have a feeling you’re caught up in this mess just as unwillingly as I am. Maybe not as deeply, but you can’t possibly condone all of this?” I ask.
Camilla stands up and starts to pace. “Of course I don’t condone this.” She tucks her hair behind her ears decisively. “I’ve heard the term Syndicate but didn’t realize that’s what they call themselves. Shit! I can’t pretend nothing is wrong like Luca and Adriano do. Until now, as long as they kept me out of their business, I was fine. However, since they dragged me into this and neither are telling me the truth, I feel obligated to help you. Yesterday was just...”—her lips tremble as she blows out a puff of air while inching toward the window—“...too much for me. I haven’t slept because I was worried for you. Adriano’s refusal to explain and the way he was drilling me last night was weird. I don’t know how or if I can help you.”
I immediately move to the window to join her. “You must be scared too?”
“I am.” She avoids my gaze and keeps looking outside. “I guess I underestimated the ruthlessness of Adriano and Luca. Of course, I realized they must not be on the up-and-up, but I never heard or saw anything hinting that they’re part of some influential mafia. I thought I knew Adriano.”
I can relate to how she feels, and I think that she and Adriano share a past. “What is it between you and Adriano?”
She snorts to conceal her wounded heart. “Nothing. Well, nothing for him.”
I’m wondering how a beautiful woman like Camilla ended up here. “Camilla, why are you here in this house? How did you meet Adriano and Luca?”
“Last year, James offered me this job after I was fired from a restaurant because of him. I’ve overheard drug business only twice; these men are usually really tight-lipped.”
“How old are you?” I wonder and blurt it out.
“Twenty-seven. You?”
“Twenty-six.”
As we stand shoulder-to-shoulder, observing the garden perimeter, she turns her head sideways to catch my eyes. “Look, I want to help you, but I have no family. My life has actually been better since I started working for Luca and Adriano. I’m hesitant because as much as I want to help you, I’m left wondering what would happen to me out there.” She nudges her chin to the world outside the window. “From what you’ve told me, they’re apparently extremely powerful.”
“Yes, I think they’re very dominant in the underworld. But Camilla, I promise you that if you help me, you won’t be alone.” And I mean that. “I have to find a way to escape.”
Camilla doesn’t nod or consent, but a ray of hope is starting to shine through the dark. Silence stretches on as we’re probably mirroring the same thought: how did we end up here?
“How was The Phantom?” Camilla suddenly asks.
“What?”
“The Phantom of the Opera. How was it?”
I went to The Phantom with Luca for my birthday weekend in New York. “How do you know about that? You seem to know a lot – you knew I was his girlfriend, although he told me no one in the Syndicate knew of us.”
“No one else did – only Adriano and me. I helped him pick out your birthday gift.”
“I see.” She has a friendly bond with Luca then. Maybe she can fill in some gaps for me, because I’ve started to doubt everything about our relationship, and last night, I remembered the first incident that triggered my suspicion months ago – the day I surprised Luca at his penthouse and that Gina woman was there. “Do you know Gina?”
As if she’s tasted something vile, the corners of her mouth tilt down. “Yes, but how do you know her?”
“Who is she?”
“One of the strippers here.”
“There’s a strip club here?” Luca told me Gina was a stripper, but the strip club Gina works for is in this house? “You mean the bar downstairs?”
“Yes,” she confirms.
“Does she still work there? Did Luca sleep with her?” I ask all at once because I’m too curious not to.
&nb
sp; “No, she left out of the blue a couple of months ago. And yes, he slept with her. Only once though, as far as I know. She was always all over him. But Luca isn’t often in the bar, not to be entertained by any of the women at least.”
I make a disgruntled sound and stop my line of questioning because I don’t want to know any more. Feeling drawn to her like a kindred spirit, I inquire about Adriano, “And what about Adriano? Is he at the strip club often?”
“Adriano’s a man-whore,” she mumbles and, luckily, then makes her first offer to help me. “We need to think of a plan, Fallon.”
Excited, I agree, but since it’s already nighttime, Camilla has to work at the bar and the house is filled with men, so we decide to wait until tomorrow morning to try to escape. Therefore, I’m forced to spend another night with Luca in his bed, being held captive by my own boyfriend.
CHAPTER 35
Luca
I jolt awake after my first deep sleep since Friday, the night Fallon was taken and brought to our headquarters. Today is Monday, and the trade will take place Wednesday night at midnight.
As I roll my head to the side, she comes into my line of vision, sleeping on her stomach. I sweep the back of my hand over Fallon’s spine. Mostly, she sleeps, and I’m thankful for that. But she’s too timid to wander around the house and doesn’t talk much, betraying her fear, which concerns me. I’m seriously beginning to wonder if she could ever accept this life.
I rub my hand down my face and check the time on my watch. It’s already ten a.m. Leaping out of bed, I shower and throw on my suit in a hurry.
On the second floor, I sit down behind my desk in my office and retrieve Fallon’s tiny purse from the drawer, taking out her phone to message her work that she’s sick. A message I would’ve sent earlier this morning had I not overslept.
The display informs me that Fallon’s received three messages: two from Teagan with nonsense about her dates over the weekend and one from her colleague, Jason, sent this morning around nine.
Jason: Babe, you okay? Alex told us you’re sick at home. I’ll call later. Feel better soon.
Perplexed, I lean back in my chair and check her missed calls from today. There’s one from Fallon’s boss, Alex. Why would Alex automatically tell people she’s sick when he doesn’t know the reason for her absence? She could simply be late. This is odd. Something is off, and I’m not liking the possibility of what this could mean.
With my personal phone, I call Adriano and tell him to come to my office right away while I scan the e-mails on Fallon’s cell. Nothing out of the ordinary stands out. It’s mostly work-related communication and some e-mails from Teagan and Fallon’s father.
Adriano appears in the doorway, and before he can greet me, I fill him in, “I was going to call Fallon in sick at work, and I discovered that her boss, Alex, already told her co-worker she wasn’t at the office because she was sick.”
He frowns in return. “That’s weird. Let me see the message.”
I hand Fallon’s phone over, and he has the same puzzled reaction that I experienced a minute ago.
“I need to talk to Fallon,” I comment.
“I think you do.” He tosses the phone back to me, and the sympathy reflected in his eyes confirms to me that he suspects Fallon might be playing us for fools.
I race upstairs, sensing in every bone of my body that she hasn’t been truthful with me. Lately, I’ve noticed a sudden change and distance from Fallon a few times, especially during the last week, but I thought it was the result of my demanding work schedule. I’ve been preoccupied with keeping track of Leggia for weeks, and that’s put a strain on our relationship because I’ve avoided her so that I wouldn’t have to continue to lie to her. Only, I suck at avoidance when it comes to Fallon. When she’d call, I’d want to see her immediately. When I’d see her, I’d want to instantly bury myself inside her. When she’d come and I’d witness her writhing in ecstasy underneath me, I wouldn’t want to leave the comfort and pleasure her presence and body offered me so willingly. When I was with her, she’d draw me into her calm, simple, and happy life.
But now, I’m worried that last Friday, along with whatever happens in the next couple of minutes, will put a definite end to how we were. I’ve uprooted her peaceful life, and before I’ve even relayed one word about Jason’s message, I predict that this will tear us further apart. When it comes to us, I have no control over where our relationship is going anymore.
Silently, I open the door – I didn’t lock it because I promised her yesterday morning that she could walk around the house if she so pleased – and find Fallon standing by the window, face tilted up toward the sky.
Dolcezza, cosa sta succedendo nella tua testa? Sweetheart, what’s going on in your head?
Fallon swings around when I bang the door shut, holding her phone up in order to dissect her every move as she approaches and expects me to hand it over.
Yet, as usual, I’m first distracted by the captivating pull she has on me. She’s always been most beautiful in the mornings without any makeup. Her long, dark hair flowing over one shoulder and her sultry bedroom eyes, combined with her wearing my t-shirt, enchant me. However, the underboss in me keeps his head cool, for now.
I extend my arm, holding her phone up out of reach as she stops in front of me. I’m secretly begging for my instinct to be wrong this once, and I succeed at keeping any angry emotions at bay until I’ve listened to her. This time, I must not miss anything crucial because of my lust for her.
“Your colleague, Jason, messaged you. Seems that dear Alex has come to the conclusion you’re sick before you or I ever texted him. You could’ve been late today. Why did Alex tell your co-worker you’re sick?”
Her eyes widen slightly and her bottom lip twitches for just a fraction of a second, exposing her panic. “I don’t know.” She shrugs in a forced blasé manner that isn’t convincing.
So I assess Fallon, making a half-circle around her until she has to turn unless she wants to talk to the door. Then I pocket the cell, taking one swift step forward, and she shrinks back against the door, ensuring that none of our body parts are touching.
“We said full disclosure,” I remind Fallon as we stand face-to-face. Well, more face-to-chest since I tower over her.
Meanwhile, I start to tremble to refrain from touching her smooth, bare skin, but I tamp it down because I need answers at this exact moment, and she’s the one who can provide them – I’m sure of it. Pushing the fact that she’s the one woman I love to the back of my mind with much difficulty, I wait for her lips to move in the flooding silence of the room. Still, not a peep out of her. She’s definitely withholding something from me.
In a flash, I rest my palm against the door, next to her head. “You have one chance to tell me everything.” Then I also plant my other hand against the door to cage her in.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she whispers, looking down while her rigid posture seems to be clashing between conveying annoyance and fear.
I’m pushing her buttons, hoping she’ll lash out with the truth. “One. Chance.” And I already see her rage bubbling to the forefront. “I can find out anything—”
“You think I don’t know that?” she cuts me off as she lifts her lashes and her eyes finally connect with mine, prepared for battle. Her voice hardens as her temper flares. “You’ve said that already. That you can find out anything! Your Syndicate is everywhere. You think I don’t know that!”
What the hell is she talking about?
She stands firmly. “I knew.” And releases a bitter laugh, tinged with rancor. “I knew you were part of the mafia, the Syndicate.”
In reaction, I stagger backward because of her hostility and her admission.
She fucking knew?
CHAPTER 36
Fallon
“I knew you were part of the mafia, the Syndicate.”
Animosity that’s been building up since Friday starts to engulf my mind while Luca’s becoming l
ivid. I see it in his entire demeanor.
“And don’t you dare be angry with me for lying.” I press my finger into his chest, but he doesn’t budge. “You’ve been lying to me for six months, ever since we started dating!”
Clearly, we’ve both lost control of ourselves, because Luca then grips my shoulders and shakes me roughly, causing my hair to fly across my face.
“How the fuck am I supposed to protect you when you lie to me?” he grinds out right before I manage to struggle free from his hold and push him away, but only because he lets me.
“I didn’t know how to react or what to say. You have no idea how it was for me to find out!” I defend, fingering my hair back irately.
“Lower your voice,” he orders, fuming.
And again, he crowds me back against the door, both of his hands slapping against it and blocking me in. His penetrating stare is too much for me, so I turn my cheek to him, but his fingers mesh into my hair and pull my head back, forcing me to look at him. “Have I done nothing to help you? I’ve watched over you every fucking second since you’ve been here. I’ve been going through every scenario possible to protect you.”
The extent of his dominance and fury in this second cause my newfound anger to dissipate as quickly as it came on.
“Luca, you’re hurting me,” I breathe, and he promptly lets go of my hair.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he mutters in a broken voice and scowls disappointedly at me. However, his gaze is struck with burning rage too as he edges back from me like he can’t stand to be close to me all of a sudden. “What do you mean you knew? How long?”
“Since almost two weeks ago.” I nervously wring my hands together.
“I’m guessing here that Alex told you?” He clenches his jaw.
Luca’s going to flip if I reveal everything now. What if he doesn’t want to help me anymore?
“Answer me!” he barks.
And I startle from the sharpness in his tone, realizing that the man with me now is Luca, the underboss, the persona he hid from me.
