by Lux Miller
Luca looks at me sadly. “If we complete this contract, you may find that I’m unwilling to let you go. For the sake of our sanities, consider your contract fulfilled.”
Stepping across the room to him, I grab hold of both of his thick arms. “Look at me and tell me you want me to leave and I’ll go.” Before he can answer, I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him roughly, prying his lips apart with my tongue. He moans into my mouth as his hands frantically grasp every inch of my skin that he can.
He jerks his lips away and leans his forehead against mine. His tone sounds sad as he nods against my face. “Emily, please leave… go. Get the hell out of New Orleans and don’t look back. If our paths cross again, I won’t be so generous next time.”
I attempt pouting at him and he instantly looks away from me, refusing to make eye contact. “Emily, please don’t make this harder than it has to be…”
Watching him, he digs through his dresser and produces a dark t-shirt. Which he then throws at me from across the room. His expression changes from pained to dark and angry. “This… whatever it was… is over. Stop embarrassing yourself and put some clothes on. Then get the hell out…”
I yank the shirt on over my head as Luca pulls out a phone I don’t recognize. This one looks nothing like the crude flip phone he was using the night of the attack at Piacere. He growls into the phone, “Come and get her. Now… before I change my fucking mind.”
He throws the phone at his bed and starts for the bathroom. I lunge at him, slamming my pointy fists at his back. He stops moving, but makes no movement to stop me. He simply stands there and takes it. Which makes me furious. I scream at him, “You bastard! I’m not a pity fuck on your world tour of assholery!”
Luca’s shoulders tense as I wail uselessly against the corded muscle. He doesn’t move, but I eventually do, hot tears cascading down my cheeks as my futile attempt at getting him to turn around fails.
I swipe the back of my hand at my face. “So that’s it, then? You’re just going to fuck me and toss me aside? Like a piece of trash? You were right, you’re a fucking asshole...”
He nods and emits a heavy sigh, “I never tried to make you believe otherwise, Emily.” Without another word, he steps into the bathroom and slams the door. The audible click confirms that he’s locked the door. I pick up one of his perfect Italian leather shoes and throw it at the door.
It bangs against the solid surface and falls to the floor. Seeing red, I hurl insults at the wooden barrier. “Luca Barresi, I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! You are a goddamn useless piece of shit. You don’t DESERVE to be happy with the way you treat women! You deserve to have your dick shoved in a meat grinder and have it fed to you for breakfast!”
Rage bubbles up in my gut and I let out a blood-curdling scream that would give a Banshee a run for its money. My fists are balled up at my sides as I walk to the bathroom door and bang my fists against it. “You want me to leave? Fine! I’ll leave, but I hope you rot in hell…”
I turn to find a surprised Mike staring at me. His soft voice breaks through hate-fueled haze. “He’s not worth it Emily. Let’s go. If we hurry, we can miss rush hour traffic, so I can have you in Houston sooner.”
Feeling the anger burst inside of me, I focus my tear-streaked face on Mike. “You KNEW?!? You knew he was going to throw me out like I never mattered?”
Mike sighs heavily and shakes his head. “I had no idea that he’d ripped up your contract. I just found out when he called me. Can’t say it’s completely normal, but then again, Luca’s normal involves a hangover. He usually runs women off without any help. I’ve seen more mornings with strange women stomping out of this house in a tizzy than not. Luca’s good at making women hate him.”
I roll my eyes and nods. “Must be his charming personality.” I sigh and fling a middle finger at the closed bathroom door, then turn to face Mike. “Can we just go? I’ve embarrassed myself enough this morning…”
Mike points to the easel that’s stashed in the closet. “Did you want to take that?”
I follow his finger and my gaze lands on the painting I was working on just yesterday. It’s a portrait of Luca from behind. A dark, stormy background is in sharp contrast to his rippled muscles and intricate tattoos. He doesn’t know I’ve been working on it because I never wanted him to know I had watched him enough to be able to recall every detail from memory. Every line and curve of the tattoos that encompass his entire back are seared into my mind and he doesn’t even know. Not that he cares either. Asshole.
I shake my head. “No I don’t want to fucking take it! Why would I want it? It’s a reminder of how fucking gullible I was to believe that that asshole has a heart! You can throw it in the garbage. Where Luca like to toss everything that might matter.”
I turn on my heel and stomp out of the room, getting out of there as fast as I can. Mike doesn’t have to tell me twice to load up into the back of Luca’s Mercedes. He packs my two bags of belongings, mostly the gorgeous wardrobe provided to me by Royce, and then hands me a smaller bag.
I click my seatbelt on and glance up at the enormous mansion that I'd just begun to become comfortable with calling home. So much for stability. It’s on to a new lifestyle in a new city. Luca swears that money doesn’t buy happiness, but right now, everything about New Orleans is screaming heartbreak.
As Mike climbs into the front seat and cranks the car, I let the angry tears overflow the dam and pour down my cheeks. I may have been nothing but an obligation, but unbeknownst to him, I wasn’t faking anything these past couple of weeks. Last night broke down what was left of my resolve. For the first time since my father was murdered, I had let down my guard. I'd convinced myself that maybe, just maybe, it would be okay to let someone in.
He pushed my emotions into overdrive and took me physically to a plane of existence I didn’t know I could reach. He made me feel something. He made me feel wanted, needed even. And then Luca Barresi took the offering of my heart and smashed it to bits with his goddamn Italian leather shoes… bastard...
SIXTEEN
It’s been two gut-wrenching hours since Mike loaded me into the back of Luca’s Mercedes with a wardrobe worth thousands and my wounded pride. I mean, damn… I wasn’t in love with Luca, but he had stirred something inside me that I had never felt with a man. I don’t know if it was lust or desperation, but whatever it was, Luca had filled the emptiness in my soul with hope and anticipation, even if only for a few hours.
I brush my fingertips over my lips, still swollen from the powerful kisses that took my breath away. Right along with my sanity. Luca’s a phenomenal kisser. And an even better lover. I only have Andre taking advantage of me at my lowest point to compare it. The way it felt with Luca inside of me doesn’t even compare to the nightmarish encounters with Andre. Andre repulsed me and Luca does anything but… in fact, my core throbs with need just thinking about Luca. I’m sick and twisted to want to jump the man who all but kicked me out on my ass.
Sighing, I lob a question toward the front seat, where Mike has remained silent the entire time. “So, is this how he kicks everyone out?”
Mike glances at me in the rearview mirror, his big, blue eyes sad. He shakes his head quickly. “No, Miss Emily. Only one woman ever stayed the night. They may have stayed until morning, but he didn’t welcome them to, ahem, cuddle…”
I blush deeply, realizing that Mike must have checked in on us and seen us tangled up in each other. How much did he see? I watch his expression through the mirror, but if he saw skin, he doesn’t give any indication.
As if hearing my thoughts, Mike interrupts them. “I didn’t see anything to be blushing about, Miss. Luca kept you covered when I checked in on you. It was a little odd to see him… sober and letting his guard down.”
Despite my better judgement, I bust out laughing. “THAT was letting his guard down? He all but screamed at me that I was just another conquest and I’d better leave before I regretted it. He’s hardly a Romeo.”
Mike shrugs, but the sadness is still in his eyes. “You’re angry with him.”
My mouth drops open and I nod. “Fuck yes, I’m mad at him. I’m furious! He’s an asshole who spent half the night fucking me, then kicked me to the curb this morning. In case you’ve forgotten, I have nothing to go home to. You’re schlepping me off to a new city, so that Luca doesn’t have to deal with me anymore. How am I supposed to feel?”
Mike nods slowly. “He said you’d feel this way. He wanted you to know that he didn’t mean to hurt you.”
I scoff, “Didn’t mean to hurt me?!? What the fuck was he trying to do?”
Tapping his fingers against the steering wheel, Mike sighs. “Emily. He wanted leaving to be your idea. He wanted you to hate him, so that walking away from him would be easier for you than it was for him.”
All I can see is red as Mike’s words rattle through my brain. “Walking away wasn’t hard for him at all. He turned his back on me and stomped off into the bathroom like I didn’t even exist. He wanted me to hate him? Well, he succeeded! I hope I never see him again and if I do, I’ll show him what real pain feels like!”
Mike shakes his head, “I didn’t exactly have to pull you kicking and screaming out of his room. You were pretty open to the idea of getting out of there.”
I grunt and cross my arms over my chest like a petulant child in the middle of a tantrum. I don’t bother to humor him with a reply.
He opens his mouth to say something to me, but the sharp ring of his phone makes him snap his mouth shut and pull over to the side of the road. He pulls out an old-fashioned flip phone like the one Luca used the night we met.
“Yeah, Boss? Aye, Boss. About two hours out of New Orleans. Houston, like you said. Yes, sir. She’s…” He glances at the rearview mirror and I glare at his reflection. He sighs and continues, “She’s angry. Yes, Boss.”
An uncomfortable silence descends over the inside of the car as Mike listens intently to his phone. His face twists in a look of surprise. “Aye, Boss. Give me five and I’ll be on my way. Yes, Boss. Just get there. I will be there as soon as I can.”
Mike hangs up as panic creeps over his face. He turns over the seat and stares at me, pointing outside at the side of the road. “This is it, Miss. Plans have changed. Your new home will be… Lafayette, Louisiana. Here’s the envelope with the cash as promised.”
He tosses a fat envelope into the backseat with me and I scoot away from it like it’s going to burn me. I look outside, then back at Mike, shaking my head. “I’m not getting out here.”
He inhales deeply. It’s obvious that something is on his mind and it’s taking all of his willpower not to lose his patience with me. “Look Miss, there’s been an incident back in New Orleans and I’m needed back there immediately. The plan was Houston, but the plan has changed. I cannot be spared any longer as things are devolving into chaos right now. Luca is beside himself with worry.”
It’s my turn to inhale sharply at the mention of Luca’s name. “So...he’s...okay?”
Mike shrugs as he glances over his shoulder at me, “Luca’s fine… relatively speaking. He’s not hurt. He’s tough, but he’s not the one I’m concerned about. “
I lean closer to Mike, narrowing my eyes at him, “You’re leaving something out…there’s a but... “
Mike shakes his head, “Emily. It’s not any of your concern. Please just get out, so I can get back. This won’t matter to you down the road, but this matters to me. Please, just go and get on with your life.”
I growl and reach my hand across the console, snatching the gun I saw in his waistband earlier. I shake my head and press the muzzle of it to his neck. My voice sounds feral as I spit out, “Tell me or you won’t make it back to New Orleans at all…”
Mike’s eyes widen and he puts both of his hands up in the air, “Okay, okay… it’s Dante.”
My own eyes widen as my heart lurches into my throat. He stormed out of the Halloween party after Luca punched him. If something has happened to him, it’s because he wasn’t at home… because of me.
Sighing, Mike adds on quickly, “Seriously… stop this madness… take the gun with you and go. Please…”
I slide my thumb over the hammer, my heart skipping a beat as the gun cocks. “Take me back to New Orleans.”
Mike stammers, “I… I can’t, Miss… Boss said…”
I snarl as I cut him off, pushing the gun into his neck harder, “He isn’t pointing a gun at you right now, is he? Take me back to New Orleans now or so help me, I will shoot you and drive back myself… what happened to Dante?”
Mike swallows and motions to the passenger seat, “If you shoot me, you’ll never know. Sit down and put that thing away and I'll tell you.”
I narrow my eyes at him, then sigh loudly. I push the gun into my own waistband and climb over the center console, watching him warily. I point at the road behind us and grind out, “Start driving… and explaining…”
Mike closes his eyes for a moment, then nods, pulling the car onto the highway. As we get up to speed, he flings the steering wheel sharply to the left and drifts the car across the median to turn around. Once we’re heading back toward New Orleans, Mike speaks, “There’s been an incident.”
I nod expectantly, but when he doesn’t elaborate, I disengage the safety on the gun. “Look old man. I like you, but if you don’t start talking…”
Mike sighs and nods. “After the fight, apparently the Boss gave Luca a couple days off. Told him he’d send someone else to cover his routes. To take a day or two and gather his wits.”
I nod, staring at Mike and urging him to continue. He sighs heavily, “The old man lied to Luca. He sent Dante to cover his routes. Routes, may I remind you, that are extremely dangerous, even for a seasoned Enforcer like Luca. Luca’s been hurt more than once on that route.”
When Mike’s voice trails off, I push the gun into the aged skin of his neck. He shifts uncomfortably and continues, “Dante’s never even been ON the routes, much less handled them alone. He was ambushed. He never stood a chance.”
My heart is thudding heavily in my chest as I ask softly, “What happened?”
Mike lets out a shaky breath, then cuts his eyes to me, “Dante was shot… they said it will take a miracle for him to survive. They’ve got him stabilized, but it’s been really touch and go. They said he might not make it through the night. If Dante dies, any humanity that Luca has remaining will die with him.”
Swallowing hard, I force out my words, “Did… did Luca know? That Dante would…?”
Mike shakes his head quickly. “No. Luca didn’t know. He never would’ve stood for that. He was told a senior associate would handle his duties while he took a couple days to cool his jets. He… I guess he assumed Dante was given the same ultimatum.”
I wrinkle my nose, shooting a disgusted look at Mike. “What kind of sadistic asshole sends his son to slaughter?”
Mike sighs. “I don’t think that was his intention, but the Boss’s business is not my concern. I have worked for Barresi for a long time, but I wouldn’t dare question him. If you think the man is sadistic for sending an unprepared man into a dangerous situation, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet, sweetheart.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I put my feet up on the dashboard. “That man is his son.”
Mike shrugs, a serious look crossing his face. “Familia before family, Emily. Who Dante is doesn’t matter. He’s not one of them yet. If he survives this, his father will push him into it. He will stop at nothing to guarantee an heir to the dynasty. If Luca fails, Dante will become the most important son to Matteo Barresi. “
I shudder as his words sink in. “Is that what he meant when he said he was trying to protect me from this?”
Mike nods and glances over at me. “Yeah… and I must say. You’re the first woman he’s ever worried about beyond a romp in the hay. Most of the women who come groveling at his feet are so thrilled to have him between their legs, that they don’t care the pri
ce they pay in their dignity. But they’re protected… they’re kept outside of his life. They’re not privy to the kind of man he really is. They see the horndog playboy prince of darkness. In reality, Luca has the capacity to be the darkest Barresi yet. It’s only going to take one major push and he’ll become the feral beast that everyone already assumes him to be…”
We ride in silence until Mike pulls into the hospital parking lot. He glances at the gun that I’ve been holding onto tightly since we arrived and shakes his head. “They’ll never let you inside with that.”
I rub my fingers over the worn metal, cutting my eyes up at him. “Tell me where to hide it so they won’t find it.”
Mike shakes his head. “Metal detectors. You can’t hide it on your person. Even Luca won’t be armed in there. It’s why they hate hospitals and will refuse one at all costs, unless there’s no other choice. Luca is skilled in hand to hand combat too. They aren’t completely defenseless in there, but they’re at a disadvantage. If they brought Dante here, it’s bad… very bad…”
