Breakfast was a strange one. On the one hand, I couldn’t believe how much food was laid out on the side. It was like being in a small hotel as I selected from the various dishes on offer. Allowing Luca to choose first, I helped him settle down beside his grandmother and made sure he was set, before joining his father at the spread set out on the side.
It feels strangely normal as I pick up a plate and start to choose and I am so conscious of him standing beside me I need the distraction. He owns every thought in my head as I try not to let him see how he affects me, and then he leans down and whispers, “Thank you.”
I look up into those glittering eyes and he nods. “For what you did this morning. Luca never laughs and I will always be in your debt for making it happen. I want you to know that.”
I nod and look away because if I speak, I know my voice would shake. Turning away, I head to my seat beside Luca because I can’t trust myself to be around his father. I’m not liking how my feelings are so raw where it concerns him, so I smile at Elena and say lightly, “Good morning.”
She nods and I see her eyes flit between me and her grandson and a knowing look enters hers, which annoys me a little. She thinks… great, even she can see what’s happening here and thinks I’m in love with her grandson, it’s obvious.
I fall silent and set about eating my food and as Dante joins us, she says softly, “What are your plans for the day?”
She looks at us both and Dante says roughly, “I have work to do. Isabella will entertain Luca until I’m finished and then we will spend some time together before bed.”
My heart sinks. Great, another day in this prison being watched by this soulless family.
Luca is eating silently beside me and I say in a low voice, “Um, I was wondering.”
Two pairs of eyes look at me with interest and I almost don’t ask but then remember my responsibility lies with Luca and say brightly, “I was hoping to take Luca out. You know, the park, the swings, something like that. Maybe meet up with some of his friends if you give me their numbers. It’s such a lovely day, I thought we could use the fresh air.”
Elena looks at Dante and her expression is curious. She is wondering what will happen next and looks as if she’s enjoying watching a family drama on Netflix. I almost expect to see her shoveling popcorn in her mouth as she waits for the storm to hit.
“No.”
He carries on eating and I should let it lie, but I can’t.
“Why not?”
“I don’t need to give a reason.”
The fact that Luca is listening to every word stops me from shouting at him in frustration, so I just say tightly, “Fine, maybe tomorrow then.”
“No.”
The atmosphere changes as the warrior in me rises to do battle and Elena says quickly, “Maybe you should discuss this in the den, I’m sure Luca would rather listen to a different conversation at breakfast, I know I would.”
She turns to him and says loudly, “Maybe you could show Isabella around the house. It will be good for her to see where she lives now and you are such a good guide, mi bambino, what do you say?”
Luca looks across at me and nods, and I see the light in his eyes sparkle a little as he senses having something to do. I think I love his grandmother at this moment because she has diffused a situation she was obviously interested to see play out and she did it for him.
Taking a deep breath, I avoid looking at his father and smile brightly. “I would love that. As soon as you’re washed and dressed, we can go on an adventure. What do you say, two explorers searching for treasure?”
Luca offers me a half smile and my breath hitches. Even half a smile from him changes him in a heartbeat. It lights up his face and shows the heartbreaker he will grow up to be one day. Suddenly, it doesn’t matter that I have a huge battle on my hands with his father, the only thing that does, is this gorgeous little boy and so I eat my breakfast and concentrate on him instead.
Dante Romano is a battle for another day.
Chapter 16
Dante
I know I’m an asshole. I never pretended to be anything else, but Isabella will soon learn that anything she asks for will be answered with a big flat ‘no’ unless it’s something for Luca. She will soon learn what saying no to me has cost her because I will not make this job easy on her.
There was also another reason I said no - Luca. I know I have a problem, but my one biggest fear is that he will be harmed in any way. Since finding him, I just want to hold on tight and never expose him to the dangers outside these walls because we have many enemies and they are just waiting for an opportunity to strike. I won’t allow Luca outside for a very good reason, and she had better understand and accept what that is.
My grandmother knows how it is, she’s lived like this all her life and I’m not blind. I saw the knowing smirk on her lips as she watched me at breakfast. She is the only person in the world who knows me better than myself and I feel angry that she obviously saw what I am desperate to conceal, my feelings for the infernal woman wrapped up in temptation sitting quietly beside me.
So, after eating a breakfast that turned to dust in my mouth, I turn to my son and plant a kiss on the top of his head and say gently, “Daddy has to work. Look after Isabella and I’ll see you at lunch where you can tell me all about your adventures this morning.”
Then I just nod at nonna and barely even look at the woman who said no to me and leave the room as quickly as possible because I need some distance from her and fast.
Heading straight to my room, I decide on a work out to cleanse the demon inside me and so I change for the gym and head straight there. We have one set apart in the grounds and as I make my way the short distance, Marcus falls into step beside me.
“Morning boss, what’s the plan?”
“We stay at home today. It’s Isabella’s first day with my son and I need to know she’s up to the job. Watch her every move and let me know immediately if she fucks up. Don’t let her know you’re watching, follow her from the control room and report on anything I won’t like.”
“Yes, sir.”
As he turns away, I fix my head back into business. Today I will sort my head out. I won’t let her in and I will get things back on track. After my workout, maybe I should head to the club for a stress reliever of a different kind. Maybe that’s all I need, to fuck a willing woman in my own special way. No emotion, no strings and no care. I need to give the beast what it needs because until I get myself under control, I can’t be the bastard I need to be in business.
I spend the morning at the gym and as I head back to shower and change before lunch, something catches my eye in the control room. I see a group of my men crowded around one of the monitors and immediately it sets me on edge. Something’s happening.
Heading straight there, I push through the door and four guilty faces look up at me but it’s not the fact they look as if they’ve been caught with their hands in the candy jar, it’s the beautiful voice that fills the room and the sound of a piano played like a master.
“What’s going on?”
The men look away and Marcus says gruffly, “You may want to take a look at this.”
The men clear the room quickly as I throw them a hard stare and it leaves just Marcus and me alone with the voice of an Angel.
Clearing his throat, Marcus waves toward the monitor. I’ve been watching them as you instructed me to. You may want to take a look at the footage.”
The sadness in his eyes tells me whatever it was affected him deeply and I say gruffly, “Leave me.”
As he closes the door softly behind him, I take a seat and stare at the monitor. Isabella and Luca are sitting side by side in the drawing room at a piano that none of us have ever looked twice at. Luca is sitting quietly and staring up at Isabella with a look of complete adoration, and I can see why. She is singing like an Angel and it goes straight to my heart. Beautiful, soulful and touching and the way her fingers move along the keys has me spellbound.
/>
After a while, she stops and smiles gently at Luca who stares at her in awe and she laughs. “Do you want to try?”
I see the hope flare in his eyes and she smiles. “I can teach you if you like. Would you like that?”
He nods and she leans down and pulls him onto her lap and holds his little fingers in place on the piano keys. Gently, she uses the pressure from her own fingers to make his play the tune and the look on his face brings a lump to my throat. He looks so happy. Happier than I’ve ever seen him look, and it’s all because of her. Isabella Grey, the woman I kidnapped and brought here to do exactly what she has done. Make my son’s life dance with light instead of darkness.
She sings gently as he plays, and watching the two of them makes my heart beat a little faster. This is so special; it means the world to me because she has done the unthinkable. Brought him out of himself and let the sunshine in.
After they fool around a bit, she stops and holds him so tenderly I’m jealous of my own son. I shamelessly listen in on their conversation as she says gently, “You know, Luca, for a long time music was my only friend. In fact, it still is because I only have one other friend and she lives many hours away. Do you have any friends, Luca, do you miss them?”
I think I hold my breath as he shakes his head and says a soft, “No.”
“I see.” She squeezes him a little tighter and smiles. “Would you like to make some friends? I’m guessing it could be arranged.”
He appears to consider her words and then shrugs. “I don’t know.”
His hesitant voice pierces my heart as she nods. “Well, we are friends, aren’t we?”
He nods. “And we can hang out and I’ll teach you how to play the piano, that’s a good friend’s thing to do.”
He nods enthusiastically and she sighs. “You see, Luca, we are the same. I was an only child and lived with my mom and dad. I had no friends, but I didn’t need any because I had them. You have your daddy and your nonna. I haven’t met them yet, but you have uncles as well. I’m guessing they will have children one day, so you’ll soon have lots of cousins to play with. You’re very lucky because you have a family who loves you. I had that once, but they are all gone now, so I kind of understand how loneliness feels. You know, if you ever want to talk about anything, day or night, you come and find me. I’m your friend and that’s what friends do.”
I feel shattered as I watch his little hand reach up and take a strand of her bubble gum pink hair and twist it in his fingers. He looks so sad and as if he has the weight of the world on his shoulders and then says in a whisper, “Mommy hurt me.”
Isabella looks as destroyed as I feel, but he doesn’t see her face and her voice betrays none of her emotion as she whispers, “Do you want to talk about it?”
I hold my breath because he hasn’t mentioned what happened to him once, and I find myself leaning a little closer to the monitor.
He nods slowly and then lifts his t-shirt and I see Isabella swallow hard, while trying to maintain a calm exterior as he points to the scars on his body. “She burned me.”
“I’m sorry, Luca.”
She carries on holding him gently and he says again, “She cut me because I was bad.”
I feel like wrecking this whole room, I feel so shredded inside but I can’t tear my attention away for a second as my little boy speaks for the first time of the horrors of his past.
Isabella strokes his hair and I watch her trace his scars with a delicate touch and smile. “Luca, these scars show what a brave little soldier you are. Sometimes people we love do terrible things and it’s not our fault. It’s their fault for being bad inside. You weren’t bad, I know that for a fact. Your mommy was bad and probably needed help. Do they still hurt, little one?”
He shakes his head. “No.”
“Good, you see scars are part of us that we wear with pride. They show the world we are strong and not to mess with us. You are strong, I told you that, and your mommy was weak because she did something bad. Do you want to talk about it, what happened, your mommy because I will always listen?”
He shakes his head and says almost proudly, “Daddy sent her away.”
My mind races, wondering if he possibly heard us talking about how I ended her life and I listen intently as he says, “Daddy came for me and told me I didn’t have to see mommy again, I won’t will I, Bella, she won’t come and get me, will she?”
“No angel, if your daddy told you something it will always be true. Nothing can hurt you now, Luca, you are safe here, you do know that, don’t you?”
He nods and wraps his arms around her neck and whispers so I almost don’t hear it. “You won’t leave me, will you, Bella?”
I swear time stops still as we both wait for her answer and she looks torn as she says softly, “I will never leave you because we are friends. Friends for life, and that counts for a lot. Even if we live in different places, we will still be in each other’s lives. I meant what I said, I will always be here for you, whether I’m here, or in another house. But we will always be friends and you can always count on me; I won’t let you down.”
I want to smash my fist through the monitor.
Live somewhere else, not fucking likely, she’s mine and now I just have to work out a way to make her stay.
Chapter 17
Isabella
Luca and I head off to lunch and inside I’m in pieces. He has destroyed me because seeing his scars will live with me to my dying day. How can anyone do that to what must have been a baby, a small child who trusted the one person he should be able to count on above everyone? His mother.
I know he needs me, but it’s an impossible situation. I can’t promise him something that’s out of my control. I won’t be that person who let him down, so I chose my words carefully and I meant what I said. I will always be here for him because he deserves that at least.
Thinking back on my own childhood, I miss my parents even more because of what I just heard. My upbringing was unconventional, but at least I was loved and happy. Luca needs help to deal with his demons because they could destroy him in the end.
As we walk into the dining room to meet Elena and Dante, I’m surprised to see two new people already sitting there. The woman looks up and smiles happily, “Luca, my angel, where have you been? Come and sit beside me and unwrap this present I bought for you.”
I look with interest at a stunning woman who is stylish and beautiful and open and friendly. She flashes me a brilliant white smile as she sees me watching and says sweetly, “Hi, you must be Isabella, Elena told me you had started working here.”
I nod and she says politely, “I’m Riley and this is Lucian, Dante’s brother.”
As I turn to look, my heart almost gives out on me. I should have known. Like his brother, this man withers trees as he passes them. His dark flashing eyes pierce through to my soul and the menace that surrounds him causes me to gag inside. It chokes me and makes me fear for my life as he assesses me on the spot and I feel dirty for the experience. He is cold, aloof and so hot I swear sparks fly from his eyes as he nods coolly, “Isabella.”
Elena watches with interest and as Luca sits beside Riley, she pats the seat beside her. “Come Isabella, you can sit by me and give me a full report on your morning with my grandson. I want to hear everything.”
Grateful for the distraction, I sit beside her and then swallow hard as Dante heads into the room and Lucian nods. “Dante.”
He gets no answer and I see his eyes flash as Dante sits beside Luca and draws him onto his lap and holds him so tightly, I just stare in astonishment. Then he leans down and I swear he breathes the scent of his child in as he buries his face in his son’s hair, leaving the rest of us a little stunned.
Riley looks at me and raises her eyes and I shrug as Elena stiffens beside me and Lucian says darkly, “We need to talk.”
Dante looks up and the torture in his eyes makes my soul weep as he totally ignores his brother and looks at me with a strange expression
. It’s almost as if the room full of people disappears and it’s just the two of us. He shuts the whole world out and sends me a message loud and clear. I’m in trouble. I know that look because its intense, soul searching and dangerous and thinking on the last time I angered him, I feel very frightened indeed.
Elena coughs, interrupting the moment and says quickly, “So, Lucian, you actually remembered where you live for once, how long are you staying this time?”
“Two days then Riley and I are heading to the Keys.”
“Holiday, or business?”
Elena’s voice is sharp and Lucian growls, “I don’t have to explain myself to you. What does it matter anyway? You see, Nonna, I don’t have to give you a bullet point presentation about my every move, I run this family so have earned the right to keep my own diary.”
“You’re a little touchy aren’t you, it was only a question?”
“Then stop asking me things you know I won’t want to discuss. If you must know, it’s business, which is why I need to speak with Dante and Romeo. We will be busy all afternoon just in case you are wondering, Nonna, so you can head off to your bridge club safe in the knowledge you aren’t missing anything.”
The Throne of Hate: A mafia romance (The Romano's Book 2) Page 8
