by Diana Bell
I take in her story, my anger rising with each admission of guilt.
"And then I couldn't. I told him I found nothing. And it wasn't a lie. I found nothing, because I didn't want to find anything," she says.
She's probably lying. I can't trust her.
"I just have to know. Is my uncle on your list?" She asks.
"He is," I lie. I don't keep a fucking list. Why would I ever write anything down that could be used against me so easily?
Her eyes widen for a fraction of a second.
"I want you to take me in his place," she says.
My eyebrows raise in surprise. "Excuse me?"
Her voice cracks as she begins to speak. "If I go back now and you take out my uncle, they'll kill me anyway," she says.
I can't trust her. I can't believe this lie. I want to, but I can't believe anything that's happened between us.
"Your own family would kill you?" I ask.
She nods.
I have to harden my emotions towards her. She's lying, and I can never trust her again.
She grabs my arms. "Please. Please kill me instead."
"You love your uncle that much?" I ask.
"No, I just don't think I can live through losing you like this," she says.
"I'm not going to fucking kill you," I say, stepping away from her. I'd never kill her. I grip the knife too tight in my hand, wishing I could plunge it into my own skin so that I could feel anything but this wrenching pain in my chest at the thought of losing her, of giving her up. "You need to leave before I reconsider."
"Lucian, please," she says.
"Get. Out," I bite out.
She watches me, and I can see her self-resolve harden before me. Her expression tightens, and her shoulders rise.
"Okay," she says, and she turns to walk back into the bedroom.
I stay in place, watching her take off my t-shirt and put on the dress from the night before.
It's been less than 24 hours, and yet everything has changed.
She walks out past me, and I watch as she walks to the front door and pauses. She begins to open it, but then she stops. "I didn't tell them anything, because I realized you're more important to me. I... I think I love you."
And I want to believe those words. More than anything. Because I felt it, too.
But again, she's just a fucking good actress.
"Get home safe," I say.
She walks out the door, and it shuts quietly behind her.
I pick up the bottle of gin from the night before and take a large swig as I open my phone and call Zeke.
"I need men to trail her and ensure her protection. She may be in danger from her family," I say.
"That might be dangerous, given that we'd have to be so close to the Vitales," Zeke says.
"I don't fucking care how dangerous it is. Do it," I growl, hanging up the phone.
My brother's face pops up on the screen a moment later with a call.
I answer. "Hey, Cash," I say.
"Luca, Zeke just told me everything, and I'm on my way over," he says. "I'm bringing a few extra men for security."
"I don't need them," I say.
"You've been directly targeted by our sworn enemy, so yeah, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you fucking need them more than ever," I say.
I'm a ruthless killer. I can protect myself. I've seen the worst of humanity, and though Mia using me felt personal, it sure wasn't the most disgusting thing I'd ever seen someone do.
I change into real clothes, and Cash shows up a few moments later with three other men, including Zeke.
He shakes my hand.
"I'm sorry," I say. "For losing my patience when you were just trying to warn me and keep our men safe."
He holds up a hand to stop me. "Tensions are high," he says, shaking his head.
We sit down and begin to go over specifics, formulating several plans for action depending on what happens next.
I can hardly think straight as worry begins to set in about Mia. Was making her leave the wrong choice? Would she be okay? Was she lying about the danger I was sending her home to?
We discuss strategies for hours until the hints of dawn crest the horizon. I yawn, stretching my arms.
"Go rest," Cash says. "We'll continue."
I don't argue too much with him as I retreat to the bedroom, grateful to be alone.
I awake to someone shaking me awake by the shoulder. I open my eyes, startled by Zeke leaning over me.
"Sir, I apologize for waking you, but I've just received word that Mia is in danger," he says. "Do you want our men to step in?"
"Yes," I say reflexively. I stand up, hurrying out of the bedroom and across the great room. I can't lose her like this. I can't lose her, period. It was stupid to make her leave. Even Cash told me that the smart thing would have been to keep her here, where I could keep an eye on her. I let my temper get the best of me, and my pride even worse.
I can't lose her and live a life of regret.
I notice Cash and two men sit on the chairs near the large glass wall that oversees downtown. I reach for my car keys on the wall beside the door. "Where?"
"I've already sent the coordinates to your phone. It's not far. Only a few blocks," he says. "But, sir?"
I pause. "What?"
"Shoes, sir," he says, nodding down at my bare feet.
Chapter 6
Mia
"I don't believe you," my Uncle Georgie says from across the coffee table.
We're sitting in my small apartment, which feels even smaller with his large presence. The only thing worse would have been my Uncle Frankie being here, but I'm too far down on the hierarchy to grab his attention anymore.
Instead, two of my cousins flank Georgie on the couch, watching me.
I grip the glass of water in my hand a little tighter.
"There was no list," I repeat. "He told me so."
My cousin Vincent clears his throat. "So, you're saying that he admitted he doesn't keep a list?"
I nod weakly.
"Then, he knows you were inquiring about the list?" My cousin Charlie adds. Both cousins are large men with greasy hair and unibrows.
I pause, considering what I've admitted.
My Uncle Georgie sighs, standing up. "I told you all this was a terrible fucking idea. A terrible idea. Now the Dragonettis know we're paranoid. We look like fucking Watergate over here." He turns to Charlie, then Vincent. "Take care of it."
Charlie nods, and Vincent stands. "Not a problem," he says.
Cold fear courses through my veins. Take care of what?
Uncle Georgie walks across the living room and pauses at the door. "Thanks for all of your help, Mia. Frankie and I really appreciate it. We'll see you around, okay?"
He walks out the door, and I can hear his steps in the hall.
I look back to Vincent and Charlie. "Anyone want brownies? I made some fresh just this evening," I ask, trying to force a smile.
"Tell us the truth," Vincent says, folding his hands in front of him.
"The truth?" I ask, my voice quaking.
"Is Dad on the list?" Charlie asks.
They must really fear Lucian, given how they won't stop at anything to get the answer they need.
Lucian said my uncle was on the list, but how do I know he was telling the truth?
I shake my head.
"You know I'm sorry about what has to happen," Vincent starts.
I stand, walking around the back of the armchair. "Does it, though? The brownies are delicious."
"Did you fuck him?" Charlie asks.
I narrow my eyes. "Don't talk to me that way," I say.
"That's a yes," Charlie says, turning to Vincent. "The little whore."
Vincent laughs, pulling a gun out of his shoulder holster. He takes something else out of his pocket, and I realize it's a silencer.
They're going to kill me.
So, I do the only thing that comes to mind. I scream as loud as I can.
"Shut the fuck
up," Charlie says, lunging across the table towards me.
I run to the window above the fire escape and fling it open. There's no way I'll be able to race them down the stairs. They'll catch me too fast. I've got to jump.
I live on the third floor, but I see there's a flag pole sticking out of the building below me. Without any hesitation or consideration, I climb over the railing, then leap down towards the pole.
I catch it, but only barely, smacking into the side of the building as the pole slides out of my hands. It slowed my fall, which was enough.
I still hit the ground with surprising force, a jolt of pain resounding through all of my joints. In a perfect world, I could lie on the ground and whine about the pain, but I don't even have time to glance up to see what my cousins are doing.
I can hear them on the fire escape, the ladder lowering with loud metallic clanging.
I get up and begin running. My side aches, and my ankle burns in pain, but I keep a reasonably fast pace as I sprint down the city block.
And then, I smack right into a person who steps out from an alley.
"Come with me," he says, taking my arm and pulling me after him.
I don't recognize him, but he talks with confidence.
And given the fact that I'm running from my cousins, I'm not picky about who can help me.
That's when I notice Lucian. He's standing just out of a patch of light, but I'd recognize him anyway.
"Luca, I have her," the man grasping me says.
"Good work," Lucian says.
I can't believe he's here.
"How did you—" I start, but I hear footsteps behind me. I turn and see my cousins have found us.
"These men bothering you?" Lucian asks.
"You stupid fucking bitch," Vincent says in exasperation, then stops when he realizes I'm not alone. He still holds the gun in his hand.
I don't know who to trust. My heart pounds as I stand between Lucian and my cousins. Two sworn enemies, united in their hatred of me. Maybe Lucian really will kill me now, seeing as I'm so disposable.
"What's going on here, gentlemen?" Lucian asks.
"None of your business," Charlie spits.
"You always hurt defenseless women? I'll admit, even this seems below you, and that's really saying something," Lucian says in a steady tone.
"I've had enough of this bullshit. We should have just killed you like we suggested instead of going along with this stupid fucking plan," Vincent says, and he holds up his gun, aiming. "But you first, you traitorous bitch." He levels the gun at me first.
Two quiet shots ring out, only recognizable by the whoosh of air past me and the noise of them hitting a target. Simultaneously, strong arms wrap around me, pulling me out of the way.
I smack against the side of the building and cry out in pain and confusion.
Then, I'm in Lucian's arms, tucked safely against his chest. I dumbly turn, searching for where the gunshots rang out.
The man who pulled me into the alley gives me a nod, unscrewing his silencer from his handgun before slipping it in a holster and disappearing back into the shadows.
"We need to move. Now," Lucian says in my ear, pulling me to my feet.
A car waits at the other end of the alley. A man stands at the door and opens it as we walk towards him.
We get into the back of the car, and it pulls away before I'm even buckled.
"Are you hurt?" Lucian asks.
"Where did you come from?" I ask at the same time.
"Okay, one question at a time," Lucian says, his body turned towards mine. He has my shoulders in his hands, as though he thinks I'll flee at the first moment I can.
"I'm not hurt, are you hurt?" I ask. "I mean, I think my shoulder might have a gnarly bruise from the fall earlier."
"The fall?"
I explain my dramatic exit, and his eyes widen.
"That was so stupid. You could have killed yourself," he says.
"Better myself than let the cousins kill me instead," I snap.
He shakes his head.
"Why are you here?" I ask, mad and relieved and happy and upset all at the same time.
He pauses, as if unsure how to answer. "I can't explain it. You said they'd hurt you if you didn't give them the information they wanted, and that didn't sit right with me. So, I had a few of my men follow you. One saw your uncle leave without the cousins and alerted us immediately. I was figuring out how to get up to your apartment when another one of my men saw you jump, and we followed you instead."
"Why? After throwing me back to the wolves, why rescue me now?" I ask.
"Because the thought of you in danger, the real possibility... You said they'd kill you, and I had to know if you were lying. Family doesn't hurt one another. If you told me one truth that I could corroborate, then I could believe..." He clears his throat.
Hope rises in my chest. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying if you ever do anything to lose my trust ever again, it's over for good. But I don't think the Vitales will be welcoming you back with open arms anytime soon," he says.
"How do you know I didn't stage that to get back into your good graces?" I counter.
"That man was going to kill you. I should know the look," he says.
My hands start to shake as the weight of the situation bears down on me.
"You're no longer a Vitale," he says clearly. "You're mine, now."
"I meant it earlier when I said I think I'm falling for you. I promise that wasn't a lie," I say.
"I know," he says, taking my hand in his. I can tell he's not ready to say it back, but I feel the weight of his acknowledgment.
We pull up to an unknown building. "Where are we?"
"We're going to be staying at a safe location for a few days until this dies down. We may have very well just started a war between our families," he says, sighing. "Come on, it's my brother's place. I think you'll really love his wife."
The car door opens, and he steps out, reaching back a hand for me.
I take his hand, knowing I'd follow him anywhere.
Epilogue
Mia
One Year Later
"Come on, beautiful," Lucian calls from the other room. "The car will be here in fifteen minutes."
He's sitting on the edge of the bed in his tux, waiting for me to decide on the dress I'm wearing to the gala tonight.
I groan in frustration.
The Children's Hope foundation's annual gala is a major deal, and even though I've been to it once before, I still feel nervous. The foundation means so much to Lucian. At first, I thought it was a front, but now I see it's actually his passion. Seeing his kind heart help children with brain tumors was the reason I wanted to get pregnant in the first place.
"Nothing fits," I complain, sitting down in my closet. It's almost as big as the apartment I had when we met, but it's filled with gorgeous clothes I dream of wearing when I'm not pregnant.
I look at myself sideways in the mirror, holding it in my hands. Our baby girl. I'm so excited to meet her. Lucian went into full new-father mode the moment we found out five months ago. We'd spent countless hours picking out just the right nursery furniture — he was so picky when it came down to the details. I worried we'd never settle on a name.
Life with Luca is anything but ordinary, but I wouldn't change it for the world. He worships me and lets me explore my passions. Rory, Cash's wife, has been teaching me how to make cocktails, and we've even begun hosting a foundation fundraiser where we make the drinks for the guests. Apart from that, I volunteer at local charities and help him with the foundation. It's a damn good life. And about to get even better once our baby girl is here.
"I'm sure you look beautiful in one of the dresses you bought with Rory last week," he says, peeking his head inside of the closet.
He sees me in my bra and underwear, sitting on a padded bench, my face flushed with the effort of getting into my clothes.
"Hey, you okay?" He asks, his voice softening. "What'
s wrong?"
"Nothing fits," I say dramatically. The hormones have been intense — I want to fling myself down on the ground and cry.
He shushes me and takes me in his arms, kissing the top of my head. "We just need a reset," he says.
"A reset?" I ask, my brow furrowing in confusion.
"Yep, and I know just the trick," he says.
"You do?" I ask again, but I can see where this is going.
He takes me by the hand and leads me out of the closet and into the bedroom. My husband is anything but subtle, but at the same time, I'm not entirely against the idea. The hormones have made me incredibly horny — I've been jumping his bones nearly every day since I hit my second trimester. Just today, this would be our third time.
"Lucian, I don't think—" I begin to argue.
"Oh, ye of little faith," he cuts me off, leaning down to kiss my neck. Goosebumps rise over my skin.
"We don't have time," I say.
He shushes me again. "Then, we have no other choice," he says. "I think the only cure for this is that I'm going to have to bend you over the first available surface and fuck this bad mood out of you." He loosens his bowtie, sighing heavily. "I don't take this responsibility lightly, of course."
I laugh, shaking my head. "What a gentleman," I say, grinning and rolling my eyes.
"Difficult times, difficult measures," he says, leaning down to kiss me.
His mouth is warm and confident, just enough pressure to get me to part my lips so he can kiss me deeply as he wraps his arms around me, stepping me back until my legs hit the bed. He reaches behind me to unhook my bra, letting it fall to the ground. The combination of my bare skin against his expensive tuxedo is a turn-on I'd have never fantasized before, but it's working for me.
He nips at my lower lip playfully, reaching down between us to work his hand inside of my panties. I've lived in a constant state of readiness for him for the past year, ever since he saved my life in that alley, and I came home with him.
His hard cock strains at his nice pants, pressing into my belly.
"You said we had fifteen minutes?" I ask.
He nods, grinning mischievously.
"Then, you'd better hurry up," I say.