Fallon & Luca

by Soraya Naomi

  “What does that mean?”

  “He isn’t among us anymore,” I state.

  Stupefied, she goes still underneath me. Although I’m sure I witness a flicker of satisfaction crossing her face and she understands that I mean we killed him.

  “You don’t seem saddened by that,” I comment, taunting. “As long as we only kill bad men, it’s fine?”

  “He hit me!” she cries and stops sharply after the realization of her reaction sets in. Fallon didn’t deny my question.

  Point made, so I drop it because I’m fucking exhausted after one final attempt to speak my mind. “And by the way, you are the one who’ll regret it in the morning if we fuck, and I won’t do that to you.”

  At last, I roll off Fallon to lie beside her, adjusting my boxers as she turns onto her side with her back to me. Disregarding her attempt to block me out, I spoon her and hook my arm around her waist, pulling her to me, situating us into my favorite position.

  Naturally, she makes an effort to scoot away, but I hold on to her resolutely. And for the second night in a row, I’m unable to find solace in sleep.

  CHAPTER 32

  Fallon

  A ray of sunlight illuminates the room. I’ve been awake for hours and so has Luca, I think, but we’re still in the exact same position with him plastered at my back while the events of this weekend continually torment me. Luca’s right. I wanted him to be forceful so that I could hate him. My mind is angry, but my heart still loves him and my body still wants him. I don’t hate him though. I hate that I felt relieved after hearing that the guy who hit me has been taken care of. I detest that in my confused state, I mistakenly thought I could seduce him into letting me go. The sheer fear I felt that first night has been quelled by Luca’s presence, and I dislike that fact because I’m skeptical about whether or not to trust him – he’s been lying to me for six months.

  There’s something much bigger going on. I’ve known it for weeks, but I didn’t listen to my gut instinct. And I’ve already been held here for two nights, but tomorrow is Monday, and if I’m not at work, thankfully, people will start to ask questions.

  My worries are temporarily suspended when Luca breaks our embrace and moves to the edge of the bed, stares ahead for a quiet moment, and then says, “I’m going to tell you everything. You need to listen and understand what I’ve been doing and why it’s important for you to stay here with me.”

  I sit up and clutch the sheet over my naked body, concealing my cleavage.

  Luca sighs. “You have to listen to me, okay?”

  I don’t think I have a choice. “Okay.”

  Turning sideways, Luca gazes at me and begins, “Danny used to work for me.”

  My ex-boyfriend? “Danny Mancuso?”

  “Yes.” Luca swallows heavily.

  “For the Syndicate or your company?”

  “The Syndicate,” he replies. “Danny was our hacker. He betrayed us and has been hiding for months. I’ve been looking for him ever since. I found out he was somewhere in the Loop, and a quick search showed me his only connection there was his ex-girlfriend: you.”

  My mouth drops open at his revelation. I knew Danny was a hacker, but I never imagined he’d be working for the mafia. A horrible feeling of dread overwhelms me. “Wait, so you planned to meet me?”

  He holds up one hand. “Let me finish; then you can ask all your questions. I was following you that night at the club, yes. I wasn’t supposed to make contact, but you literally made contact with me. I wanted you from the moment I saw you there, Fallon.” And he shifts closer, but I’m too shaken to move away from him.

  “On our first date, I saw that he tried to call you. Your phone rang when we were talking.”

  I’m searching my mind about our first date. “When did he call? When we were at the restaurant?”

  “No, our first date was the first time I met you in the coffee shop,” he comments matter-of-factly.

  He sees that as our first date? Danny did call me, but I never contacted him. “So it wasn’t a coincidence when we met at the coffee shop either?”

  “No, I followed you. I knew your routine and that I could find you there in the mornings. After that first time, I realized you would be of no help in finding Danny, but I was attracted to you. I didn’t want to walk away after I met you, and I fell in love with you, Fallon. But I knew I needed to keep you safe because your being linked to me would put you in danger. It has put you in danger. One of the other bosses, the boss of the New York Syndicate, has been out to get James and me. He had a guard spying on me when you were with me, so at times, I’ve had someone watching over you to make sure you were safe when I wasn’t with you. This other boss, Leggia, has been waiting for the opportunity to use you against me.”

  I’m silent as his stare bores into me. As if my life is ending, every piece of information flies through my thoughts. Because he was looking for Danny, he met me. He’s an underboss of a powerful and influential Syndicate – they must be powerful because they’re functioning completely under the radar. He kills people and deliberately kept his criminal life a secret by stacking lie upon lie while letting us grow closer. What have I gotten myself into by getting involved with this guy?

  But that’s not all as Luca continues, “At Lake Forest...there was a guy following you. Remember you had the feeling that someone was trailing you when you walked back to the car? It was Leggia’s man, but he’s been taken care of. I also know you saw me at the church when I was supposed to be on a business trip. The priest I was talking to that day is Leggia’s priest. I’ve been gathering information on Leggia to make him back off.”

  I didn’t even realize how much I’ve been at risk. And he knew all along that I’d spotted him at the church? All the pieces are starting to fall perfectly into place. “That’s why you called that day and showed up at my apartment unexpectedly. You already knew I’d busted you at the church.”

  “Yes, I was expecting you to start questioning me about the priest. You didn’t ask though. And I didn’t know how to react in that moment. You’ve been slipping away from me for weeks, Fallon. I’ve felt the disconnect between us,” Luca says in a vulnerable voice.

  I’m tempted to soothe him like I’ve always done before, but I remind myself that I’m still a captive here. None of this is right. “I felt like you were slipping away from me. But I never had you to begin with.”

  “That’s not true.” He waves his hands around, starting to get annoyed about having to defend himself; he’s definitely not used to explaining his conduct. “This doesn’t define me. I’m still the Luca you fell in love with.”

  “How can you say that?” My tone rises as I let the sheet flutter from my grasp while I lash out with excessive gestures too. “Of course this all defines you. Do you even realize how differently you think from normal, everyday people? No, you don’t. Yesterday, you just pragmatically confessed that you killed another person. I’m not used to being around people who kill, for god’s sake! I’ve never been subjected to criminals or any criminal activity. I’m a simple girl who never thought she’d become mixed up in this...this mess. You have no idea how it all affects me. You live in a completely different world than I do. People are dispensable in your world of violence. A world outside the law.”

  A condescending snort escapes him. “The law? The law is also us. The Syndicate is everywhere.”

  “I could go to the police as soon as I escape this house,” I blurt in anger.

  “We have people on the police force. You can’t go to the police because the Syndicate will know,” he says.

  Is that a threat?

  “And what would you accomplish by going to the police anyway? They’ll draw up a statement and never look at your case. And the guy who assaulted you has already been dealt with by me. Don’t people go to the police looking for justice, looking to have the accused punished for his crime?”

  His logical explanation disconcerts me, and I have no response.

  Luca leans
forward, his palm right beside my hip, yet he doesn’t attempt to touch me anymore. “Your boss, Alex, is also connected to us. He’s been borrowing money from us for his charity, and he’s also embezzled money from said charity. You were already indirectly tied to the Syndicate before you even met me.”

  I scrub my palm over my forehead. “This has to be some kind of nightmare I’m about to wake up from.” The sheet has fallen into a pool around my hips, and I tug it up again.

  Luca keeps speaking, “If I let you leave now, I don’t know how to protect you. And one more thing: Leggia has Danny. I was planning on taking you home last night, but Leggia wanted a meeting with us. He had someone watching you Friday, and he knew you were taken by our soldiers. Leggia’s determined to break this Syndicate apart because he wants more power, the kind of power and influence James has. He’s offered to trade Danny for you.”

  With that last confession, I jump from the bed. Terror has found its way back into my limbs, and oxygen isn’t filling my lungs as I gulp for air.

  Luca immediately mirrors my action and cups my cheeks in both hands. “Look at me, Fallon. Breathe calmly, in and out. Nothing’s going to happen. Breathe, dolcezza.” Luca inhales and exhales slowly with me until my gasping subsides.

  My panic gradually regresses as time ticks by, and I rest my forehead on his chest but pull back instantly because I don’t want any of his comfort. “What does this Leggia want with me?”

  “Nothing. He’s only out to rile me up.” Luca guides me backward to sink down on the bed.

  I wrap my trembling, naked body with the sheet when he squats in front of me.

  “James and I will find a way to eliminate Leggia,” Luca tells me.

  Suddenly, a thought arises. “What about my parents? Are they safe?”

  “They’re fine because your father’s a lawyer. Leggia isn’t stupid enough to have a civilian lawyer involved in this. That will create too many problems.”

  This is so much information for me to take in. The situation is an even bigger mess than I ever anticipated. His rival has Danny and wants to trade him for me, which would make me a captive of the New York Syndicate’s boss. The enormity of my dire situation dawns on me. I fell in love with a man I don’t know at all. I fell for what I thought he was. I’m in way over my head in a world I never realized existed so close to me, and he brought me into this treacherous world.

  “You never once said you were sorry.” I catch his pained eyes.

  “Sorry for what?”

  “For bringing me into this.”

  “Would it have made any difference?”

  I avert my gaze. “No.”

  “For your own safety, you need to stay here a couple more days. Fallon, do you trust me?”

  No.

  However, my best option is to let Luca believe he’s convinced me. Hopefully, Camilla will have to bring me food again today, and I can try to talk to her once more.

  “I don’t know. I’m hurt, disappointed. I’m mad at you. This is all too overwhelming and so...so surreal. But I’m trying.”

  To my complete amazement, Luca rests his head in my lap, and I tense while he obviously tries to manipulate me with sweet-talk, which, granted, would have worked in the past. “You know what attracted me to you? Your serene appearance. In that club with your loud-mouthed friend jumping around you, you carried yourself with grace and a quietness that was simply stunning.”

  His words have lost their intended goal after everything I’ve discovered, so I avoid touching him. “Stop. I don’t want to hear this.”

  I’m inclined to believe him. And yet, I’m inclined to distrust him.

  He looks up at me. “What are you thinking?”

  “Have you told me everything?”

  “Yes, full disclosure. I took a risk here too by telling you. I vouched for you. If you go to the police and anyone in this Syndicate finds out and tells James, you and I and your family could be in far greater danger.”

  The first tear I’ve shed since I learned the whole truth leaks down my cheek. “This is such a...”

  “A clusterfuck. I know.”

  “Am I to stay in this room?” I’ll let him believe I’ll be cooperative.

  “No. I’m trusting you not to run. But do know there are guards, Fallon. You can’t just walk out the front door here.”

  “I figured that. And after this business with Leggia is over, am I safe to go home? Is my family safe?”

  “Yes, but your life will forever be connected to me. I’ll look after you.”

  That’s what I’m afraid of. “Is that a threat or a promise?”

  Luca winces. “Not a threat.”

  Should I confide in him? No. If I can walk around, I can find Camilla and she might help me. “How many people are in this house?”

  “Not many. I’ll make sure as few people as possible will be here as long as you are. No one will bother you. If you want to leave the room, you can. If you want to stay, I’ll bring everything you need here.”

  “I’m overwhelmed. I don’t know what I want.” Just then, my empty stomach rumbles.

  “You need sustenance, Fallon,” he urges. “You have to eat something.”

  “Fine,” I snap.

  He’s a Syndicate underboss who kills and has lied to me from the beginning of our relationship. I don’t trust him, and I need to get out of this mess in one piece.

  CHAPTER 33

  Luca

  Fallon has fallen back asleep after our talk as I’m still perched on the edge of the bed, watching her. There’s an elusive undertone in her behavior that I can’t decipher; she’s hiding something from me. And I’m not sure about how to interpret her simple acceptance of the situation. Last night, she was all over the place and I was bracing myself for one hell of a battle with her this morning, yet apart from one outburst, she seemed quite composed.

  Nonetheless, I despise myself for bringing her into a world filled with insecurities and lies, but I’d do it all over again if given a second chance. There hasn’t been a moment I’ve considered walking away. I realize now that I never stood a chance of resisting her. Her beauty attracted me. Her innocence countered my ruthlessness. Her body challenged my passion. Her humor addicted me. Her disarming touch fed my love for her. I had forgotten what it was like to live in a world where the Syndicate doesn’t exist. And even though I can and will never leave the Syndicate, maybe, in time, she can accept it.

  Unfortunately, I have other matters at hand too, so I shower and dress in record time. In the walk-in closet, I remove the fake back of the top compartment next to where my suits are hanging and take my Smith & Wesson out before I leave Fallon, who’s still sleeping, and make my way to the first floor.

  Downstairs in the kitchen, I get yogurt and fruit for Fallon to eat and find Adriano searching the fridge for food.

  “Did you talk to Cam?” I ask him.

  He comes around the kitchen island to grab a green apple from the bowl of fruit. “Yes. She was a little upset.”

  “What did Fallon tell her?”

  “I don’t know. Cam was being secretive. She acted distant and just said that Fallon didn’t say anything. By the way, she knew of Fallon. Well, not by name, but she knew you had a girlfriend.” Adriano’s inquisitive eyes rest on me.

  “That’s because Cam helped me pick out a birthday gift for Fallon.”

  “She wants to see and talk to Fallon to make sure she’s okay. I obliged her and told her it would be fine.” Adriano smirks and pleads, “I can’t deny Cam anything. You have to help me out here.”

  “I don’t know if it’s smart to let them talk. Fallon’s erratic right now. Yesterday, she was afraid, then, apathetic, and then, angry. I was expecting the range of emotions again this morning, but she was accepting of the situation. It was peculiar – I told her all of it: the Syndicate, Danny, the trade. To reclaim some trust, I gave her free passage through the house. Now she’s sleeping, thankfully. I’m not keen on letting her out of the room in her cu
rrent state.”

  “She’s confused and scared about accepting her situation.”

  I nod absentmindedly. “I’m taking this food to Fallon, and then James and I are going to discuss a course of action regarding Leggia and Danny, so I’ll fill you in later. I’m leaving the key inside the room. I don’t think she’ll venture out, but if she does, follow her every move. And have Cam buy her some books, romance novels.”

  “Will do,” Adriano replies as he takes a bite of his apple.

  Fallon’s still sound asleep when I slip back inside my room, so I set the food on the nightstand before I go to meet James in his office one floor down. He’s sitting behind his desk, and I claim my usual seat opposite him.

  “Do you have a plan yet?” I demand to know what he has in mind.

  He’s silent before he carefully touches the issue. “Luca, I think we need to trade—”

  “No!” I lunge up. “A trade is not an option for me, James.”

  He holds his palm up and points back to the chair, so I plow down.

  “Calmati, Luca. Ascoltami.” Be calm, Luca. Listen to me. “The only way to get Leggia to agree to another meet is if we trade Fallon for Danny, and we need a meet to take him out. Leggia wasn’t expecting me to take the time to think about his offer, and I only did that for you, Luca. But, son, we have no choice here. He’s upped his security since yesterday. Prolonging the inevitable will cause us more trouble. Danny has too much insider information that he can, and will, share with Leggia in exchange for the right amount of money. Leggia’s taking a huge gamble with this offer. He’s waging war with all his power against the fixed hierarchy, and the LA Syndicate and I want him out. He’s too big of a risk and an immoral Capo crimine; he’s not suited to be a boss, or else he would’ve never tried to come between you and me with this trade. Our rules state that the Syndicates are obliged to work together, not fight each other, and Leggia has broken that rule.”

  This will be it. Fallon will never forgive me. She’ll never let us have a life together again beyond these walls. She’s going to throw a fit after I only just regained an ounce of trust back.