Lucca (Made Men #4)

by Sarah Brianne

  He could see the slight panic behind her eyes when she looked up at him again, which seemed to increase when she realized she was trapped.

  Lucca had in fact finally caught her. Now he was going to enjoy it and see how far he could press his prey.

  He slowly reached into his back pocket, watching her hold her breath, not knowing what he was going to pull out. When his pack of cigarettes came out, he could see the relief on her face as she was able to breathe again. Pulling out a stick and holding it with his lips, he put the pack back in his pocket then reached in his front pocket, seeing her give the same reaction and then relief again when it was just his Zippo.

  She’s scared of everything, isn’t she?

  Flicking his Zippo open with the flick of his wrist, he lit the end of his cigarette until it flamed a bright red from his inhale. “You don’t mind, do you?”

  Staring at him, she somehow managed to shake her head.

  Lucca had felt the eyes of women on him at even a very young age and knew when they found him attractive. However, as he tried his best to focus on smoking his cigarette, feeling her eyes on him, he realized Chloe wasn’t fawning over him like most women did. He could see it in her face that she was simply taking a long look, almost studying him, like he intrigued her.

  This is good. Now he was going to step it up a notch.

  He made his voice drop an octave as he said, “Aren’t you a little cold out here, darlin’?”

  Chloe didn’t look comfortable with him calling her that in that deep tone of voice. “M-my name is Chloe.”

  Really fucking good. Lucca couldn’t help smiling as he put his cigarette to his lips again, inhaling. Speaking as he exhaled, the smoke escaped more with each passing word, “The mayor’s daughter, right?”

  A light nod gave him the answer he already knew.

  Lucca kept his eyes pierced into hers as he flicked his ashes into the snow, not wanting to miss her expression when he spoke his next words. “You were in that car wreck a few years back. I remember reading about it in the papers. Is that how you tell everyone you got those scars?”

  “That i-is how I got them.” She swallowed, quickly looking back down at her hands.

  Do people actually believe this bullshit?

  “No, it’s not. I know a knife cut when I see one.”

  Glimpsing back up at him, he could see she had no idea how he knew. “I-I d-don’t know what you’re t-talking about.”

  Because you’re the worst fucking liar I’ve ever seen, darlin’.

  Flicking his whole cigarette into the yard, he stared deeply into her gray depths, letting her know she wasn’t fooling him, nor was she ever going to fool him. “Yeah, you do.”

  She quickly stood and took a step forward, clearly stating she wanted to leave and end this conversation.

  You’re gonna have to come closer than that, darlin’, and boy, did he hope she would. He wanted to see her up close, so close that he could reach out and claim her already.

  When Lucca didn’t move from the exit, she ever so slightly inched closer to give him another hint.

  A little bit closer … His body was taut; every muscle frozen.

  Another small step forward.

  I could claim you right now if I wanted, darlin’. The deep, dark part in his mind whispered, Do it.

  Chloe’s eyes sparked a bit in fear at the small distance between them now. “W-Will you let me through?”

  The break in her throat showed him how frightened she was. He could also hear her heels clicking against the wood from her shaking legs.

  Fuck. Lucca reached into his pocket again, going for his pack of cigarettes. His darkness was making him lose control, and he needed to keep himself busy.

  His eyes didn’t move from hers as he flicked the lighter open again before lighting his cigarette. He then expertly exhaled, wanting the smoke to caress her body and face like he couldn’t.

  Chloe didn’t seem to mind, still staring at his silver Zippo that he had already flicked closed.

  Taking notice of her interest in his lighter, he flicked it open again, letting the flame shine a bright red. He saw it then—the shine in her own eyes from staring into the flame. He’d had that same look when his father used this same lighter to light his cigars when he was a kid.

  “I will if you tell me how old you are.” He kept his voice melodic, hoping he could hypnotize her with it and the flame as he slowly began to weave the Zippo between his fingers, watching her eyes dance along with the movements. Lucca needed her to willingly engage with him before he let her go.

  “Seventeen. You?” The words seemed to slip through her mouth.

  You? Shockingly, she had asked him to reciprocate, letting him know she cared enough to ask. The look on her face told him she was just as shocked.

  “Twenty-six.” With that, Lucca moved to the side, giving her barely enough room to pass.

  Watching her gingerly turn her body to the side, he held his breath as she did, both their eyes not moving from one another’s, both seeming slightly afraid he might move even just an inch.

  This was the closest he was probably going to see her beautifully cracked porcelain face for a long time, and he wanted nothing more than to freeze time at the exact moment she stood perfectly in front of him. He could practically hear the screams from her light gray eyes, pleading for him to save her. They took his breath away and almost brought him to his knees.

  When Chloe finally passed, she began to walk as fast as she could back to the safety of the house, and every movement she made away from him felt like torture. He was letting the most beautiful creature slip through his fingers, and even though the dark part inside of him begged him not to let her go, knowing she belonged to him, he knew he had to, even if it killed him. He couldn’t cage her in, at least not yet.

  “You can’t run from the truth forever, darlin’,” Lucca warned, making her only run faster and farther away from him.

  That single moment, when he had looked down at her, hadn’t been long enough for him to savor, but it was all he was going to get.

  Save me, Lucca … Those gray eyes haunted him.

  I’m going to save you, darlin’. You just have to wait for me. You’re not ready for me yet.

  Eight

  The Nightmares That Reaped Her Soul

  Taking a deep breath, he stood, putting the phone back in his pocket. That single crack on the screen reminded him of the scars that graced Chloe’s face.

  “Drago, can you please reheat and take Chloe’s meal upstairs to her?”

  Drago nodded.

  Being nice never worked for Lucca for the simple fact that he was never nice. Being hard on Chloe, though, was something he wasn’t capable of.

  Craving a cigarette and some time to think alone, Lucca went to the only place where he somehow found peace.

  The quick knock on the door, followed by it being thrown open, had Chloe wanting to scream for her life. For that split second, she knew it was only a matter of time before Lucca took what he wanted. Then Drago appeared, bringing in a tray that held a glass of water and her untouched plate of food that was now steaming.

  Watching him set the tray on the bed, she couldn’t believe it. She was grateful after being told she would starve if she didn’t leave the room.

  “T-Thank you, Drago.”

  His demeanor seemed to be just as sour as before as he nodded toward the window. “Don’t thank me. Thank Lucca.”

  What? She jumped from the bed then walked toward the window as she heard the door slam shut behind him.

  She pulled back the curtain, seeing Lucca sitting in the lighted gazebo, smoking his cigarette. From this far away, he looked almost beautiful to her in an obscure way. Yes, he had always frightened her and had made her fear for her life from the moment she had met him, but she couldn’t deny the small part about him that appealed to her. She would swear she could almost hear him calling to her at times.

  His cigarette’s flame grew brighter when
he inhaled deeply, causing lights and shadows to dance over his handsome features. Lucca seemed to be deep in thought, a look that suited him, making her wonder what thoughts weaved through his mind.

  He was … hauntingly beautiful.

  Chloe quickly dropped the curtain, shaking and stumbling back. That single thought coursed true fear through her unlike anything before. For someone who feared everything, she never feared herself. Until now.

  The door opening was what broke his slumber, but it was the screams that forced him awake. He ran right past Drago, knowing he had come to wake him up to follow the screams.

  His heart began to pound violently. Then it broke into tiny pieces from the audible pain in the cries. It was unlike anything he had ever heard.

  The screams only grew louder the closer he got to her room, and when he opened the door, the sight he came upon almost brought him to his knees.

  Lucca had always thought himself invincible in many ways, but the shrills that escaped her and the shaking that racked her body proved him otherwise.

  He was afraid and was being ripped apart and torn in two. He wanted desperately to wake her up by holding her close, to forever erase the nightmares that reaped her soul. No matter how much he wanted that, though, the other part of him knew he couldn’t. It knew she was far from being able to accept the touch he craved to give.

  “Chloe …” His voice came out in a broken whisper. Please wake up, darlin’.

  She was breaking his heart, and if her nightmare lasted much longer, he was going to break.

  Taking a step closer, his voice began to rise with each cry of her name. “Chloe … Chloe … Chloe!”

  The blood that trickled down her face burned into her skin. She knew, even then, she would never forget the feeling when her tears met the blood to scorch paths of bloody tears down her face.

  “Please, just kill …” It was hard for her to whisper her plea through her hoarse voice, but she had to try, hoping for mercy.

  The maniac began to laugh while he caressed the edge of the blade over her skin. “Little girl, this is only the beginning.”

  Closing her eyes, another tear fell, mixing with the hot blood. Mercy wasn’t going to be given tonight, leaving her with one final hope. To be saved …

  Her eyes slowly opened at the repetition of words.

  “Chloe, wake up and everything will be okay.”

  Fully opening her eyes to the dark room, she saw a shadowy Lucca a step away with a glow surrounding him from the hallway light. The fear of her nightmare remained, having awoken only to see her other captor.

  Lucca could sense the fear she exuded toward him now, but he remained calm, telling her, “See? Everything’s okay. I promise you, I’m not gonna hurt you.”

  Chloe relaxed into the mattress. His voice was soft yet strong, somehow making her feel safe, something she had never felt upon awakening from a nightmare. She also knew he meant his promise just by the way he had said the words.

  Lucca took a step closer to her. “That wasn’t just a nightmare, was it?”

  Wrapping herself tighter in the blanket, she solemnly shook her head. There was no point in denying it. One look in Lucca’s eyes told her he could see the truth.

  “Go back to sleep, darlin’.”

  She thought his hand was going to reach out before he quickly disappeared into the dark room. It wasn’t until he spoke again that she realized he had gone to sit in the chair in the corner.

  “I’m here …”

  It must have been the complete nonexistent sleep she had gotten since being here, but her eyes slowly drifted away and into the night.

  “… right here, Chloe.”

  It took Lucca an hour before he unclenched his fists and relaxed back into the chair. It had taken all he had not to hold her, not to touch her to make sure she was all right. Being able to watch her sleep showed him how haunted she was by her past, even in dreams.

  This had been the last straw. He had waited long enough. Tomorrow, his and Chloe’s life would change, colliding together into one.

  One thing was for sure; those had been far from nightmares. They were memories.

  Nine

  I’d Hate to Have to Punish You, Darlin’

  It took everything Chloe had to walk down the steps after last night. Elle had been the only other one to witness her nightmares, besides her parents. With each person to see it, it was like the curtain had been pulled back, showing her true self, the damaged goods she was. The fact that it was Lucca who had seen it meant he was going to have a part of her now. A deep, dark, locked away part of herself she was never going to get back.

  Her father, her mother, her best friend, they all were a major part of her life, and now she had this overwhelming feeling like Lucca would be, too. Like our lives have now intertwined.

  What she found strange about it was how … kind he had been. Even stranger was how much she appreciated it.

  Scanning the downstairs, she looked for any sign of Lucca, but when there was none, she figured he had already left for work.

  Seeing the laptop on the coffee table reminded her of why she had braved coming down in the first place.

  Chloe sat down on the couch and grabbed the laptop, booting it up. Several things popped up, including detailed instructions of her classes and how to submit her coursework. Someone had already taken the time to set up her account and must have written out the instructions since it didn’t appear to come from the school. Did Lucca do this?

  Logging into her school account, that was when it hit her that she was hooked up to the Internet. She could get help!

  She quickly tried to go to her email, but the site said “blocked.” She then tried to go to her other email site, but it was blocked, too. Then she realized she had a new school email for Stanford.

  Signing into that email, it worked. She quickly tried to type in Elle’s email into the sender box, only for it to backspace and disappear. She tried again … for it to disappear once more.

  What the …? She looked around the house to make sure no one was near.

  Now she put in one of her professor’s emails, and in the subject line, she typed out: HELP ME!! I’VE BEEN KIDN-

  The laptop was shut and taken from her grasp.

  Her eyes slowly drifted up to see Lucca’s big frame standing over her.

  “I-I-I was just—”

  “I would be very careful not to lie to me, darlin’.” The intimidating man took a seat on the coffee table in front of her, intruding on her space. He put his elbows on his knees to intrude even more, getting close to her face. Even though he was hunched over, he was still taller than her.

  Chloe tried to make herself as small as possible, pushing herself back into the couch to get any space she could between them. “H-How did you know?”

  “Your computer is strictly for your coursework. You will find most sites will be blocked to you, such as social media. However, you will still be able to research anything you might need just fine. The only site that’s available to interact on is for your coursework, like your Stanford email. Now, if you type in, let’s say, Elle’s email address or the words ‘help me,’ it will automatically notify the man who programmed the computer. He then is able to override your computer and gives me a call to tell me that you’re not being a good girl.”

  “Oh.” Chloe bit her lip. “Who is he?”

  Lucca smiled. “A friend.”

  Lucca, Drago, friend. That meant at least three people knew she was here. Honestly, she was shocked he would even call someone a friend. It didn’t seem like Lucca had any friends. Not even he and Drago acted like friends.

  When she noticed him still smiling as she continued to bite her bottom lip, she quickly stopped and looked down at her wringing hands.

  “I’m trying to be nice to you, Chloe, by letting you do your courses online. In order to do that, you have to be able to contact your professors and turn in your work. What happens if my friend is busy when you decide to say help me
again?” Lucca rose up off his knees, making himself sit straight up, intimidating her even more. “I’m not sure if I can trust you yet. I’d hate to have to punish you, darlin’.”

  “I-I thought you said you wouldn’t h-hurt me?”

  “I wouldn’t ever hurt you, but”—his eyes turned the cold shade of blue—“I wouldn’t be opposed to hurting someone you care about.”

  Chloe’s eyes widened. Elle. “Y-You wouldn’t t-touch her. She’s Nero’s girlfriend.”

  Lucca leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees once more, leaning in even closer to her. Her heart began to race out of her chest. His face was so close to hers she could feel his cold breath sting her skin with each word he spoke. “You don’t think I would do it”—reaching out, he twirled a lock of her black hair around his finger, like he had done the night he had captured her—“to keep you here with me longer?”

  Staring into his cold eyes, she didn’t have to look too deeply to see that he would.

  “You would,” she whispered.

  He let the strand slip from his finger. “Then don’t make me.”

  She supposed she shouldn’t be shocked anymore by him, but somehow, her mouth dropped to the floor.

  Lucca stood, taking the laptop with him. “You’ll get this back when I trust you again.”

  If his eyes weren’t still the cold shade of blue, she would have thought he was hurt that she had tried to get help. However, that would be impossible.

  Lucca wasn’t capable of such feelings. She had just been fooled by his kindness from last night, but that was just an act.

  Ten

  Sold Her Soul to the Boogieman

  “You are wanted downstairs.”

  Chloe had locked herself away in her room again after Lucca had left her in the living room this morning. This was the time Drago usually told her dinner was ready, but today he was demanding something different. As much as she didn’t want to go, his presence left her with no choice.