He stays silent, but he’s no longer snoring, so I know I woke him up.
“I do love you,” I whisper. “And I’d love to have a family with you, but I won’t allow you to harm any child of mine.”
He shifts, and I close my eyes.
“Haven. Haven, look at me,” he orders, placing his hand on my face to tilt it toward him.
I open my eyes, and they sting from unshed tears. “I may be my father’s son, but I’m nothing like him. I don’t want my parents’ marriage. And I would never, ever hurt you or our children.” He presses his lips gently to my forehead, and the first tear rolls down the side of my face.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
HAVEN
THE FOLLOWING MORNING, we told Mia and Nite goodbye. She hugged me tight and asked me to take care of Luca. I promised her that I would do my best. An hour later, we boarded the same private jet we took here with my two new bodyguards and headed back to Nevada. I slept most of the time. I messaged Jasmine and tried to call Emilee, but her phone was still off. And I hated it. I just wanted to hear her voice. I needed her to know that I was there for her, even if she didn’t want to be found.
After we arrived back in the States and made our way back to Luca’s, I showered and passed out. The next day, I woke up with a new determination. We had less than two weeks before our wedding, and I was going to willingly walk down that aisle with a genuine smile on my face, but I needed to take care of something first. It was inevitable, so I might as well do it sooner rather than later.
I pull my black Mercedes up to the valet at the country club where I grew up at. I step out and throw the guy my keys. Stomping up the stairs, I push my sunglasses to the top of my head.
Walking in, I look around at all the men and women who occupy the facility, and I wonder how many are like my father. Living a lie? How many would sell their only child to get out of debt? I bet my life every last son of a bitch here would.
I make my way through the place and down a hallway. I take the first right and open the door to the Cayman’s spa. I know she’s here. She’s never missed a Monday appointment. Just as I walk up to the circular desk, she calls my name.
“Haven?”
I spin around to see my mother walking toward me with a smile on her face and her arms out wide. She looks like she just returned from a beach vacation. Her crimson dress hugs her hips and chest, showing off her assets. She wears black Gucci sandals and a Louis Vuitton on her shoulder.
I place my hands on my hips. “So you sold me out in order to keep your skin looking young?”
Her face instantly falls.
Luca was right when we stood in his bathroom the night of our engagement party. He’s all that I have.
The one person in the world who was supposed to love me dropped me off at a fire station. Growing up, my mom and dad were very open about how they adopted me. They told me that if I ever wanted to find my birth mother, they would help me. I didn’t. If she didn’t want me then, she wouldn’t want me now. So we all swept it all under the rug.
They always told me that I was a miracle from God. They had been trying for children for years and couldn’t have a baby. The woman standing in front of me, who I grew up calling mom, had three miscarriages. Then one day, my father got a phone call from his friend that he had taken an abandoned baby to the hospital. My parents showed up three hours later with an attorney. When you have money, the red tape isn’t as thick. They took me home the following day and raised me as their own. They gave me their last name and a beautiful life.
Under the Safe Haven law, you are able to drop off a baby in a safe manner without fear of prosecution up to thirty days after birth. Hence why my parents named me Haven.
I grew up hearing I love you every second of every day. My parents showered me with kisses and hugs. But look where that got me.
“Haven …”
“Why did you do it?” I ask. My voice is trembling, and I hate that it makes me look like I care. I clear my throat. “Was it for your membership here at the club? The expensive cars? The mansions and yachts?” I rattle off anything I can think of them losing.
“No.” She gasps.
“Was it because Daddy told you to?” I continue trying to think of every scenario. He looked too happy about the situation when I stood in his office and he forced my name to the paperwork. He didn’t act like Luca was buying me. More like he offered me. Maybe he and my mother had a plan that Luca didn’t know about.
She drops her eyes to the floor, and I raise a brow. “He doesn’t know.”
Luca didn’t tell me much information about it, but then again, I wasn’t exactly sure how much I wanted to know.
“You love Luca,” she finally says.
“And that makes this okay?” I ask, throwing my arms out to my side.
When she takes a step toward me, I take one back, matching it. “He can give you a life that we never could.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask confused. “You gave me a great life.” They weren’t overly affectionate with one another, but I never saw them fight or even argue. I was a spoiled rich kid who didn’t want for anything. Even after high school, I went on to college. I dropped out my senior year after Luca left me, but they never made me get a job. Nothing. I didn’t grow up in the real world. Mine has always been full of plastic cards that didn’t have limits. I had the best friends a girl could ask for. What could he possibly offer me that they can’t?
Her eyes dart around the room before she grabs my upper arm and yanks me into a nearby room. It has a rock wall that water cascades down into a small pool, and a black leather massage chair sits next to it. The sound would be soothing if I wasn’t so pissed.
“Listen, Haven.” She licks her lips, her eyes pleading with me. “I did what needed to be done. And one day when you become a mother, you will understand.”
“Mom …”
“You needed to be a Bianchi.”
My confusion deepens along with my brows. “You’re not making any sense.”
She pulls me in for a hug, holding me tightly. My arms stay down to my side, feeling heavy. “I love you, Haven. Just remember that. No matter what, I love you.” She pulls back and looks me in the eye. Hers are filled with tears. “You were always meant to be my daughter. And I know that no matter what happens, Luca will take care of you.” She reaches up and pushes some stray hairs behind my ear. “He will make a great husband and a loving father.” She gives me a sad smile. “He can give you things that I never could.”
“Mom …”
The door to the room bursts open, and my two new bodyguards enter.
“We found her, sir,” Max says into his cell phone.
“Did you follow me?” I demand.
My mom pulls away from me and turns to face them just as the guy hangs up his phone. “You need to come with us, Haven,” he orders.
I take a step back. “I’m not going anywhere with you,” I snap. “I’m here to see my mother. Tell Luca that I’ll be home once I’m done.”
He shakes his head. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. We were given orders …”
“And I’m telling you that I will be home when I’m done,” I snap.
“Haven …” My mother grabs my hands and tightens her hold on them. “Go home.”
“But Mom …”
She pulls me in for another hug, squeezing me so tight that she takes my breath away. I hear her sniff in my ear. “Let him protect you, baby. Let him do his job.”
_______________
I barge into the house and head straight to his office with my two babysitters right on my ass. I know that’s where he is. I shove open the door to find him alone sitting behind his desk on his phone. He doesn’t even bother looking up at me. I walk up to it and slam my palms down on the surface.
“I’ll have to call you back,” he says into his cell.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I demand the moment he sets it down.
His eyes go to t
he two idiots who I know are standing behind me. He gives them a nod, and then I hear the door shut when they let themselves out.
“Funny.” He leans back in his seat, glaring up at me. “I can ask you the same question.”
“I was talking to my mother,” I snap. “Not running away.”
“You went without protection.”
I snort and shove off his desk. “I don’t need them breathing down my neck.”
“Haven—” He stands.
“No,” I interrupt him. “I’m serious, Luca. I will not let you treat me like your father treats Mia.” His eyes narrow on me. “I won’t allow you to …”
“To what?” he growls. “Keep you safe?”
“Make me a prisoner,” I correct him.
He runs a hand over his face and lets out a sigh. “Haven, there are things going on that you don’t know about.”
“You mean the six men you slaughtered years ago and now their leader is after you for revenge?” I arch a brow. “Or how about when you left me and made me think it was for another woman?” I yell. “You could have just told me about Mia. I would have kept your secret or went with you, but you didn’t even stop to think of that as an option.”
“You were in college.”
“I dropped out anyway!”
He nods once, and his jaw clenches. “Is this how our marriage is going to go? Always bringing up the past?”
I say nothing.
“Oh? So it’s like that?”
“Yes.” I cross my arms over my chest. “It’s like that.”
He walks around his desk and pushes his body into mine. I glare up at him. “You don’t want to challenge me, Haven.”
“What are you going to do to me, Luca? Send me to my room? Take away my phone? Make my two babysitters watch my every move?”
He lifts his hand, and instinct has me flinching.
His hand pauses by my face, and I realize that he was just going to tuck some hair behind my ear, but the damage is done. I thought he was going to hit me, and he knows it.
He fists his hand, snatching it back, and places both hands in the front pocket of his slacks.
We stand in an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds before he turns, giving me his back, and sits at his desk. “You are no longer allowed to leave the house.”
“Luca—”
“You will not leave this house!” he shouts, interrupting me. “Not without the guys at your side. And you will stay the hell away from your mother.”
“Excuse me?”
“I mean it, Haven. It’s an order.”
He did not just say that. “An order. You will not …”
“Since when do you want to see her anyway?” He arches a brow. “You hated her just last week. All of a sudden, she’s your best fucking friend.”
“She’s my mother!”
He snorts. “Since when does that mean anything?”
I throw my arms up, not in the mood to have this conversation with him. Without another word, I turn around and storm out of his office.
LUCA
I left Haven back at the house to stew. All of a sudden, she wants to be best friends with her mother, and I don’t like it. I park my car behind Kingdom and run up the stairs. I had been on the phone with Bones when Haven entered my office at home. He said he needed to see me, so here I am.
“Hello, sir.” Nigel greets me.
“Is Bones upstairs?”
“He’s in the meat locker, sir.”
Hmm. Wonder who the unlucky bastard is?
“I will escort you.” He walks out from behind the desk and over to the single elevator. Using his key card, he presses the lowest level, and it begins to descend. “You have a good evening, sir,” he says as the door slides open.
I nod to him. “You too, Nigel.” Exiting the elevator, I walk down the long hallway. Coming to the end, I twist the knob and push the door open. Stepping into the cold room, I allow the heavy metal door to close behind me. I see Bones standing in the middle of the room with his hands in the pockets of his dress slacks, staring down at a man who is on his knees. A man I know well.
Marco.
“You’re out of time,” Bones tells him. “And I had to track you down. Know what that means?”
Marco just shakes his head.
“Means I get to break your hands.”
“No. No. You said if I didn’t sign the paper, you would break my hands, but I signed it.” His eyes go from Bones to mine. They plead with me as if he thinks I came to save him.
I don’t.
“I guess that makes you a thief and me a liar,” Bones states.
“Wait. Wait. I can get your money.”
“Obviously, you couldn’t, or you would have.”
“What can I do?” he begs wide-eyed.
“There’s nothing you can do now. You’re out of time.” Bones steps up to him, grabs his right hand, and bends it back. The sound of bones breaking bounces off the concrete walls.
Marco screams out in agony, throwing his head back. “It was only five grand,” he cries, now cradling his broken wrist.
Bones places his hands back in the pockets of his slacks. “I would have broken it for five dollars,” he states. “It’s the principle. Now I’ll give you three days to pay it, or I’ll break the other one. Understand?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
HAVEN
I PACE BACK and forth in our room, mad at Luca. Who is he to tell me what I should and shouldn’t feel?
Yes, she is the reason I’m here, and although I was mad at her, I don’t hate her. Not now. Not after I found out about his sister. What all he has done for her and how she described how he missed me. I thought he had left me and never looked back, but obviously, that was not the case.
My cell begins to ring, and I look down at it to see it’s a blocked number. Biting my bottom lip, I debate after a few seconds but press answer. Maybe it’s Mia.
“Hello?”
“Haven.”
I frown at the male’s voice knowing my name. He doesn’t sound familiar. “Who is this?” I ask, doing a three-sixty of our bedroom to make sure I’m alone.
“Someone who has all the answers,” he says cryptically.
I sit down on the end of the bed. “All the answers regarding what?”
“Meet me tomorrow.”
“I don’t think so.” I go to hang up, but his next words stop me.
“I can tell you everything you need to know about your soon-to-be husband.”
“Tell me what exactly?” I ask, my heart pounding.
Is he having an affair with a married woman? There’s so much I don’t know about him. And I never expected him to be celibate while we were apart, so who knows what all he did?
“Tomorrow. In person. There will be a car waiting for you at 4th and Lexington.”
“A car?” I ask. That’s just a couple of blocks from Luca’s house. “I can’t. The house is full of …”
“I’ll take care of it.”
My brows pull together. Who the fuck is this guy? “Take care of what?”
“A distraction. I know he’s got you on 24-hour surveillance. He’ll be at Glass. I’ll give you a five-minute window.”
“Wait?” I jump to my feet. “Glass? The strip club? Why would he be there?” Who the hell would he be up there meeting that early?
There’s a short pause on his end. “He keeps everything from you, doesn’t he?” His voice has an edge to it. As if he’s mad at Luca. “He owns the club. Why else would he be there at eight a.m.?”
I shake my head to myself. “No. I think you’re mistaking …”
“I’m not. Now, eight a.m. tomorrow. Don’t be late.” Then he hangs up.
Staring down at my phone, I see the screen and wonder what the hell just happened. Who the hell that was? And why the hell does Luca own a strip club that he hasn’t told me about?
_______________
I didn’t sleep a wink last night. I had crawled into bed after I r
eceived the phone call and pretended to be asleep when Luca finally arrived home. He showered, then came to bed. He kissed my shoulder good night, and it wasn’t long after that before he started to snore. Then again, this morning, he woke up, got ready, and kissed me goodbye. The entire time, I faked being asleep. And true to the random stranger’s word, the house was silent. Not a soul to be found. I checked all over. I walked right out the front door and down the driveway before walking through the open gate. It was somewhat scary. Had the guy placed a bomb threat? Wouldn’t they have escorted me off the grounds if that were the case? I kept waiting on my cell to ring, for Luca to call me and ask if I was okay. If they had an emergency on the property, wouldn’t he want to make sure I was safe?
True to the guy’s word, a car was waiting for me. I got in the back seat, and a male sat in the driver’s seat. He didn’t say anything to me. Just put the car in gear and drove off.
I quickly look around as he pulls into the back of a parking lot. It looks to be a two-story red brick building with a white door. The car comes to a stop, and the guy just sits behind the wheel. The door unlocks, and I take that as my cue to get the hell out.
I open the car door just as the back door to the building opens. A guy dressed in a three-piece black suit stands there, holding it ajar for me. He looks like a million bucks. No street thug wears Armani suits and a Rolex watch.
“Did you call me?” I ask him.
He doesn’t answer. His black shades hide his eyes from me, but he jerks his head toward the building.
I take a deep breath and step inside. He grips my upper arm and pulls me farther into a hallway.
“Hey,” I snap, trying to pull free, but he just tightens his hold. “Let me go!” I shout.
“Do as she says,” a man orders as we enter a room.
I come to a quick stop, and a gasp escapes my lips before I can stop it when I see the man who spoke. He sits behind a desk, his arms crossed over his chest while he leans causally back in his black leather chair. His dark eyes stare into mine, challenging me.
Oh, fuck!
I have made a grave mistake. I spin around to leave, but the muscle steps between me and the door, keeping me hostage. “Let me out!” I shout.
Code of Silence Page 14