Biting her lip, she wanted to blame it on having to sleep in here with him, but truthfully, she had started wringing her hands when Amo had come for her.
“Did you hurt him?” she whispered.
“Drago broke his hand—”
“He did!” she exclaimed more than asked, her eyes shooting up to his.
He gave her hand a squeeze. “Yes. His hand will heal, though. It’ll be fine.”
“That wasn’t very nice of him.” Chloe relaxed a bit. She supposed she had hurt him way more than Drago had. I broke his heart … again.
A smile tugged at Lucca’s lips. “You’ll have to tell him that, darlin’.”
“I’ll think about it.” Drago still scared her from time to time.
The hands that covered hers now moved in a light, soothing motion over her palms.
“Thank you for letting him go,” she told him.
“You’re welcome.” Keeping one hand on her hands, he lifted the other to swipe her hair behind her ear so she couldn’t hide her face from him. “You know, if he does anything like he did again, there will be no saving him,” he warned her, promising her she wouldn’t be able to help him next time.
Swallowing, she could barely get the words “I know” out.
He was making it very obvious how possessive and protective he was of her. A part of her secretly appreciated it—needed it after all she had been through—never having to worry about being touched by anyone other than him.
Amo was the only one she was worried about Lucca’s protectiveness hurting.
Reaching into his pocket, Lucca pulled out her cell phone, placing it in her open palm.
Looking up at him, she couldn’t believe it. “Y-You’re giving it back to me? Why?”
“Because I want you to know that I trust you just as much as you trust me, darlin’.” Leaning down, he placed a kiss over the top of her scar. “And I’m tired of pretending to be you every time Elle texts.”
Chloe giggled, trying to imagine him texting Elle as her. “I’m sure I’ll have fun reading over the texts you sent her.”
“Well, I just used a bunch of emojis, really.” He laughed with her, twirling a piece of her hair around his finger. “Be sure to use the black heart one. I used that one a lot.”
“Why the black heart?”
He tugged on her strand playfully. “Just seemed like one you’d like.”
Smiling, she finally began to fully relax.
He let go of her hair, letting it fall to her chest. “Go get ready for bed, darlin’. You can unpack your things tomorrow.”
Tensing right back up, she got off the bed and went to her bags, quickly pulling out the things she needed. She was thankful that her thickest fleece pajamas were clean. They also covered her whole body, which she was the most thankful for.
Her nerves were getting the best of her as she then went into his bathroom and started getting ready for bed. She liked her showers in the morning, so she found herself hoping that was okay with him, since she was sleeping in his bed.
Once she was ready and done with the bathroom, she found herself staring at the door, her nerves racking throughout her body, frightened to sleep beside the boogieman.
It’s going to be okay. He won’t hurt me. She kept repeating those words in her head, trying to muster up enough courage to open the door.
When she had pushed it off for long enough and an ounce of courage had been mustered, she opened the bathroom door.
When she walked out of the bathroom and into the dark room, relief washed over her, beyond grateful when she noticed Lucca was already fast asleep on his side of the bed. Then she found herself staring at the sleeping, haunting man for a few moments, seeing he wore his normal black T-shirt, the covers only coming up to his hips as he slept on his back, thinking how beautiful he looked, even in his sleep.
Lucca was a handsome man. She always thought that was what made him so deadly.
Quietly and carefully, she went to the other side of the bed and crawled in ever so slowly. She was so afraid of waking him as she gently pulled the covers over her. Then she positioned herself as far away from Lucca as she could possibly get, clinging to the edge of the bed.
It definitely felt awkward to be in his bed, with him only a foot away, and was even painful at first as she tried to get comfortable in a bed she hadn’t slept in before. However, exhaling deeply, she was finally able to relax. And when she snuggled the blankets around her more tightly, the smell of the room soothing her, she found comfort … soothing to her soul …
When he was certain Chloe had fallen asleep, he turned on his side to face her back, seeing her long, black, silky hair fanned out across her pillow. He loved everything about her hair: the color, the feel, the smell. He loved the way it looked right now. And he loved the way she looked in his bed.
Reaching out, he started to pick up a lone curl at the end of her hair, when a whimper had him pausing. Then another whimper escaped her.
The nightmares were coming.
Right when the screams started, Lucca moved closer to her shaking body. He could only hope what he was about to do would make the nightmares disappear without waking her up.
He pulled her back into his body and into his arms, holding her tightly, unable to bear her pain any longer. And miraculously, the cries returned to whimpers and her shaking lessened, until they both disappeared … along with her nightmare.
Lucca had left the Catholic faith after his mother’s passing, knowing there was no way God could exist if He could take away a human being as pure as his mother while allowing monsters like him to roam this earth. Many nights, he would even question his own existence, wondering why it hadn’t been him instead of her.
Holding Chloe to him, it was now hard for him to think God could not exist. There was no way Chloe could exist if God didn’t. She was made special … Made for him.
The question of why his mother had been taken and not him had finally been answered.
He was here on this earth for her. To save her.
Thirty-Five
Only Be Touched by Lucca
Leaning back in his chair, he felt on the brink of insanity. He had grown used to always knowing where she was for when he wanted to see his creation. But now, it had been over a month since he had last seen her. Escaping him twice.
His obsession with her had grown over the years, becoming unhealthy. Even he knew that. It was to the point where his memories of her weren’t enough, and he was ready for new ones.
He had been so close to making new memories with her, too, but he had been denied each time.
“Lucifer …” His two most competent men entered the room. “We think we may have found her.”
The desolateness he had felt was immediately replaced by hopefulness.
Standing up, he was eager to retrieve the girl he had marked years ago. “Where?”
The bravest one cleared his throat. “You’re not going to like it.”
Hopefulness was replaced by fury. “Where!”
“We believe she is at the Caruso home.”
His black eyes glowed, fire igniting in his blood. “You’re sure of this?”
“There is no way to know for certain until we get inside the home, but we were led there tonight by her friend, the soldier Amo. We have been suspicious of her being there, and his arrival and departure were alarming, confirming our suspicions.”
Sitting back down in his chair, Lucifer had his own suspicions of the Carusos, the ring Lucca had shown him almost validating it, but he trusted his man wouldn’t have turned rat.
I’m trying to find the owner of my new dog.
An evil grin appeared on his face. “Get ready for war.”
I’m coming for you, little girl …
Chloe shivered as she went down the steps the next morning. She felt like she had slept well … right up until the end when a nightmare she couldn’t shake woke her up. It had been stronger than usual, creating a sinking feeling in her gut. Somet
hing just didn’t feel right. The devil seemed too real …
Holding herself, the shaking only grew worse.
“Are you okay?” Drago asked with concern when she came into the living room.
She found herself looking around the room. “Y-Yeah, I-I—”
“He’s in his office.” Drago seemed more concerned now. “Why don’t you go in there? He won’t mind.”
Her mind and body followed the path to Lucca’s office, needing his presence.
Lightly knocking on the door, she heard a “Come in” a second later. Then she opened the door and saw Lucca sitting behind his desk, smoking a cigarette. That was when she snapped out of it a bit, wondering how she had gotten here.
Lucca seemed surprised to see her when he looked up from his work. He quickly put out his cigarette, then tried to clear the smoke with his hands, making it dissipate faster.
“Darlin’?”
“I-I’m sorry I-I bothered you.” She turned abruptly to leave.
“Chloe.” His voice was commanding, stopping her in her place. “Come to me.”
Turning back around, she held herself tighter as she obeyed him, moving around the desk to stand beside him.
Studying her, he became worried. “What’s wrong?”
“I-I-I don’t know,” she nervously confessed. It was impossible to explain. The nightmare hadn’t been like her others.
“Darlin’ …” His face softened. Taking her hand, he pulled her closer, telling her in his commanding tone, “Come here. Sit with me.”
Her body fell into his lap, not knowing if it craved his touch or if it was because he had given her a command. It was all very strange to her—trying to deal with this new version of herself who could only be touched by Lucca.
Lucca turned her to the side on his lap so she could rest her head on his chest. He rested one hand at her back while he rested his other hand on her thigh.
It was the first time she had ever been held by a man. She felt stiff at first, but her body didn’t let her for long, needing his embrace to soothe the nightmares. She could feel herself melting into him the longer she sat there.
“Was it a nightmare?” His voice was quiet, soft, yet strong. Just like his touch.
I’m coming for you, little girl …
She could only nod her head, remembering what the devil had said to her in her dream.
Lucca removed his hand from her thigh, touching his fingertips to her face, where he lightly traced her scar. “Was it about the man who gave you these?”
There was no more pretending that she had gotten them from a car crash, not from Lucca. He had known the second he saw her for the first time that they had been caused by a knife. “Y-Yes.”
“The scars on your face aren’t the only ones he gave you, are they?”
A cold chill coming over her body had her looking up at him, staring into his haunting blue-green eyes. She slowly shook her head.
He had hinted at their second meeting when she had been wearing long sleeves in the summer that he knew, but she had never confirmed it. Or maybe I did.
“Show me,” he ordered.
Biting her lip, her hands shaking, she slowly pushed up her right and then her left sleeve as far as they could go, revealing several scars on each arm. Her marks spread out from right above her wrist to the top of her shoulders.
She hadn’t shown anyone besides Elle. And no one had ever suspected her of having more scars than the ones that marked her face.
Taking his time, Lucca touched each revealed scar on her arms, tracing, studying how thick they were and how deep the bastard must have gone based upon how high they were raised. Each mark almost glowed against her pale skin.
“Is this all of them?” he asked with a hint of doubt in his voice, seeming to know it wasn’t.
She swallowed hard. Don’t make me tell you.
“Tell me where the rest of them are.”
“A-Are you going to make me show you?”
“Not today, I won’t,” he assured her, still lightly touching each scar.
She whispered the place not even Elle knew about, “M-My s-stomach.”
He didn’t respond, continuing to look, touch, and memorize the scars on her arms before pulling the sleeves of her sweater down to cover her cold arms back up.
“T-They’re hideous, aren’t they?” she asked while confessing how she had felt about them ever since first looking at herself in the mirror.
Lucca grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him. “Don’t you ever speak those words again. Do you understand?”
She tried nodding her head in his grip. “Y-Yes.”
Loosening his hold, he moved a finger to her full lips, caressing over the scar he hadn’t yet touched that went an inch above and below her lips. “You and your scars are the most beautiful things I have ever seen.”
Her breathing hitched as he moved his face closer to hers while moving his finger from her lips to position her for the taking.
“Don’t you ever think they’re not,” he whispered, his breath teasing her lips.
She closed her eyes as he pressed his lips against hers.
This kiss was slower than the first and not as demanding. Just him leisurely tasting her bottom lip.
The last time, he had tasted of cool mint. This time, she could still taste the cool mint, but it had a smokiness to it from his cigarette. The two opposite flavors mixed, tasting of fire and ice and making her lips and body tingle.
Lucca biting her bottom lip caused a noise of pleasure to escape her throat, like it had the last time. He smiled against her lips before he smoothed his tongue over the pressure he had caused, soothing it just for a moment before he pulled away.
“I think you like being bit, darlin’.”
A flush appeared on her cheeks as she blushed at his words and her body’s betrayal.
“It’s not a bad thing.” He smiled before placing a light kiss on her lips.
Her belly became warm at the quick kiss. It was sweet, something she wasn’t very used to from the possessive man.
Unconsciously licking her lips, she noticed she still tasted of him—the mint with the hint of smoke. Tasting exactly how he smelled.
That made her ask, “Why did you put your cigarette out when I came in?” She realized then that she hadn’t smelled smoke on him much lately, which surprised her.
“Because I don’t like smoking around you if we’re not outside.”
“It doesn’t bother me,” she told him, not wanting him to not smoke on her account. The smell had strangely never bothered her.
“I know, darlin’, but I don’t want you inhaling it,” he told her, revealing that it had to do with her health and not with the fact she might not like it.
Thinking deeper about it, this was the only room in the house where she could smell smoke.
She clasped her hands together when his hand moved higher up the outside of her thigh. “I-Is this the only room you smoke in?”
His eyes didn’t waiver from her face as she looked down at her hands. “Now it is, yes. I have to be able to smoke while I’m working.”
“Now it is?” she questioned.
“I quit smoking everywhere else in the house once I knew you were coming here.”
“Oh.” Chloe didn’t really know what to think of that. It seemed like he had done a lot of things for her since he had first met her. I don’t think I’ll ever know everything he has done.
“What is it?” he asked, twirling a strand of her hair between his fingers.
“W-When did you start sleeping in Leo’s room?” She had a feeling she knew why, and she also thought she knew when.
He twirled and then un-twirled her strand of hair before he answered with sadness in his voice, “The first time you had your nightmare, it took me too long to get to you. I started sleeping in Leo’s room after that because, no matter how fast I ran, it still took too long to get to you.”
A little piece of Chloe’s heart broke at hearing
him say those words. She could feel the pain behind them, like there was more to it than she knew or even could understand.
She wanted him to know something, something that had been hard for her to admit to herself at first.
“Y-You’ve helped ease the nightmares.”
He stopped the motion of twirling her hair as he focused on her eyes. “Is that so?”
“Y-Yes. I’ve noticed that, when you’re around, they seem to go away.”
“I’m happy to hear that, darlin’.” Beginning the motion of twirling her hair again, he asked, “Are you feeling better now?”
She nodded.
Even though a part of her still felt it strange to be held by him, her body and mind felt immensely better being around him. Something about Lucca called to her body. It needed it, craved it, which had only amplified after the horrible nightmare.
“Would you like me to take the day off? I could go make us something to eat, and then we could watch a movie if you wanted.” He paused for a moment. “Or I could call Maria and ask her to come over.”
Smiling up at him, she felt appreciation that he would do that for her, although he was still unhappy with his sister. “That depends. What would you fix me to eat?”
He smiled back, pleased that she was choosing to spend the day with him. “Whatever you want, darlin’.”
She didn’t even have to think about it. “Chocolate pancakes.”
“Then chocolate pancakes it is.”
Getting up from his lap, she saw something gold flash out of the corner of her eye. It had her looking at his desk to see what it was. And when she did, her smiling face slowly changed into a look of fear as she reached out, wanting to see if it was real or if she was imagining it.
The second her fingertip touched the ring, she knew it wasn’t just an illusion, and her mouth opened to scream, but nothing came out.
I’m coming for you, little girl …
Lucca touched her shoulder, the worry back in his voice. “Darlin’?”
I’ve missed you.
When she continued staring at the ring, he turned her to face him. Then, holding both of her shoulders, he lightly shook her. “Chloe. Chloe!”
Lucca (Made Men #4) Page 16
