by Soraya Naomi
“I don’t know either.” She glances at me briefly with a lost look similar to mine.
“Let’s just get out of here first and—” I start but stop abruptly when, in the far distance, I see headlights approaching, and my spine stiffens in alarm.
“Fuck,” Camilla mutters when she spots them too.
“Turn off the lights,” I order and miss the latch as I try to buckle my seatbelt with trembling hands.
“What?”
“Cut the lights!” I scream, still desperately trying to buckle the damn belt. “The other car won’t see us then.”
“Shit! Okay.” She checks the dashboard and turns them off. “Fuck, I can barely see anything!” Automatically, she steps on the brake, and the vehicle slows down.
But at the same moment, the other headlights switch off too, kicking my unease into even higher gear. “Keep hitting the gas; don’t go too slow.”
I’m bumped out of my seat from left to right when Camilla drives off the road and steers us back on the right track.
“Sorry! The other car should pass us soon.” Camilla’s gripping the steering wheel with deadly force. “I have to slow down. I can’t see shit.”
And just then, the other car blazes past us and we both yell, terrified of a collision.
Camilla studies the rearview mirror. “Their lights are still off...”
“Turn on your lights and step on it. It’s someone from the Syndicate, or else they wouldn’t have cut their lights too.” Sweat trickles down the side of my face.
We’re so close. Don’t break down now. Help Camilla stay calm.
“Our best chance is to hurry and reach a populated area as soon as possible,” I say.
Camilla nods hesitantly with her gaze glued to the road ahead.
All of a sudden, we’re engulfed in light from behind, so I swing my head around and am blinded by the bright lights of a car that’s now following us.
“What do I do?” Camilla shrieks. “Who is it?”
The vehicle gains speed on us fast and moves in beside us with an absolutely furious Adriano motioning like a rabid dog for us to pull over.
Camilla’s trying to control the car, which is going over a hundred miles an hour. “What do we do?” she shrieks again.
I grip the door handle to brace myself when I see Luca pulling his steering wheel to the right.
“Brake. NOW!” I yell.
She hits the brake too late, and Luca hits the side of our car, causing the convertible to jerk to the right. Camilla and I both scream as she’s desperately trying to avoid being forced off the road.
I’m jolted sideways and to the front, and my temple hits the window with a loud bang. A burning pain shoots through the side of my head as Luca’s car speeds on forward.
The tires of our car screech on the asphalt as it comes to a full stop, and the seatbelt pulls me back into the seat when I’m thrown forward. Our breathing is irregular, and we sink into our seats. We were so close to getting away, yet my hope is crushed now.
“You okay?” Camilla asks in a regretful tone.
“Yes.” I rub my aching head.
The other vehicle turns around and moves toward us, stopping sideways and blocking our convertible, and both men jump out and flank us in a few determined strides that emanate their fury.
Panicked, Camilla presses the button that locks the doors, clearly sharing my concern about the men’s deadly demeanor.
“Shit!” she utters and aims her attention on me just as Adriano stands beside her window wearing a menacing look. “What are we going to do? I’ve never seen them this mad.”
We stare at each other, not knowing what to do next. We just dug ourselves a little deeper into this mess.
Adriano roughly pulls the door handle and orders in a dangerously low voice, “Open it, Cam.”
I’ve been ignoring Luca, who’s silently burning holes into the back of my head while I’m facing Camilla.
“We need to go with them. The longer we wait, the madder they’ll get,” I comment.
Luca taps on my window once with his knuckles, but I stoically keep my sight on Camilla.
“Fallon, open this door or I’ll smash in the window and drag you back by your hair,” Luca speaks in a scarily calm tone.
Tears are brimming behind my eyes, and I want to give Camilla a hug or something because she wears the same defeated expression as me, but I don’t want Adriano and Luca to witness our interaction. With a sigh, Camilla pushes the button to unlock the doors and they fly open immediately. Then we’re both yanked out of the vehicle.
Adriano inspects Camilla and asks if she’s hurt while Luca’s fingers curl painfully around my biceps as the wind blows pass us, cooling the layer of sweat covering my body. A shiver runs through me, and I flinch away from Luca’s touch when he tries to examine my head injury. While I can practically taste his rage, I also sense concern in his dark mood.
“Injuries?” he asks in that same level voice.
I shake my head, wondering what to say to salvage this situation, yet nothing comes to mind, so I start, “Luca.”
“Don’t,” he warns, effectively shutting me up. His nostrils flare in an attempt to maintain control over his spiraling emotions. This is Luca almost losing control as he continues to spit fire into my amber irises while he barks orders to Adriano, “Drive the convertible home. I’m taking Fallon; you take Cam and restrain her. We meet in my room.” And Luca tugs me with him by my upper arm to the trunk of his car.
No! Am I going into the trunk?
Popping it open as he firmly keeps his grip on me, he searches through it until he uncovers a stack of black tie-wraps.
“Put your hands behind your back,” he demands.
“What? No, don’t tie me up,” I protest.
But Luca pays me no heed and pulls my arms back, easily capturing my wrists with one hand while I uselessly attempt to break free, and secures one wrap around my wrists.
“Don’t say another word,” he hisses in my ear from behind. “You’re pushing my limits with you.”
His warm, unsteady breath fans my cheek as I crane my neck to see Camilla being heaved into the back seat by Adriano. And, of course, the same is done to me.
The drive back is excruciatingly silent as the vehicle returns to that damn house. Not once does Luca look at me in the rearview mirror. Instead, his focus remains on the road, but his silence is scaring me the most.
Parked back at the house, he stares ahead for several minutes, his labored breathing increasing my anxiety.
In the meantime, Adriano pulls in behind us, hiding the damaged part of the convertible from the front guard’s view, jumps out of the car, and approaches the guard. Adriano and he disappear into the house, and then Adriano comes back alone, striding toward Camilla.
I’m startled when Luca finally moves, trying to wrench me out of his car, but stops sharply when he notices my bare feet. Didn’t he see earlier that I wasn’t wearing shoes?
He stands up straight as I hear an anguished fuck being muttered. And his fist comes down on the roof with furious power, causing me to shiver in my seat before Luca grips my arm and hauls me out with heavy force. “Get out and move.”
Adriano and Camilla are already going into the house, and Luca’s commanding attitude discourages me from fighting, so I comply, and with Luca at my back, I’m propelled inside his room within minutes.
Camilla’s been deposited on the foot of the bed as Adriano, who’s standing by the window, scowls at her. And Luca shoves me down next to her.
Adriano provides Luca with a pair of scissors that he uses to cut the tie-wrap, freeing my hands, and I gently rub the skin on my wrists just as, without preamble, the men unleash their fury on us.
“How the hell did you get in possession of Damian’s car keys and out of the house?” Luca seethes, towering over us with his arms folded across his chest, still avoiding eye contact with me.
I look sideways to Camilla, whose lips are quivering as b
adly as mine.
“I stole them from him,” Camilla answers quietly.
“How?” Adriano bellows at her and joins Luca standing in front of us.
Her shoulders hunch forward and she admits, “I spiked his drink.”
In agitation, Adriano throws his hands into the air, and Camilla and I rear back on impulse, but he braces them behind his neck. “What the fuck? Where is Damian?”
“Passed out in one of the private rooms,” Camilla replies.
The second Luca’s glare is fixed on me, I feel the hairs along my nape stand on end. Through my eyelashes, I meet his terrifyingly bleak stare as he glowers at me without blinking or moving a muscle.
“Why the hell is Damian in one of the private rooms? Did you fuck him?” Adriano snarls angrily.
“No.” Camilla shifts closer to me. “We...kissed...”
The storm brewing inside Adriano erupts at Camilla’s confession. “Are you fucking kidding me!” he roars and starts pacing back and forth.
I gawk at her too. She has some balls to seduce this Damian guy. While Camilla was obviously as scared as I was when we attempted to escape, she was also tough and determined. But now she’s acting like a shy victim. The noticeable difference in her personality has me frowning in thought. Though I try to disguise my surprised reaction, Luca – who’s been watching me – notes it.
Luca then motions for Adriano to simmer down, and they move to the door, whispering to one another until Adriano turns and tugs Camilla up and out of the room.
Once I’m alone with Luca, his quiet rage suffocates the air in the room. I’ve never encountered him with this level of intense ire.
Luca closes the door with his head bent down and one palm planted against it. I can clearly hear him inhaling deeply before he smashes his fisted hand through the wall, once, twice.
My body tenses up at seeing him give free rein to his anger.
And a third punch ensues before he spins around and fumes at me, “Why can’t you just fucking listen for once?!”
A lump fills my throat.
“I’ve done everything to keep you safe. All you had to do was listen to me until I could safely take you home. But because of you, I’m constantly worrying about fucking damage control. And did you think beyond escaping? Without any shoes?” Luca grits his teeth, stalking toward me. “You have no clue who you could’ve met or what could’ve happened without having anything to protect yourself!”
On instinct, I scramble backward on the bed as Luca’s control completely shatters in front of me. He crouches before me, roughly pulling me back to the edge of the bed with his hands behind my knees. In turn, I remain still when he nuzzles my throat and hugs me to him while my arms hang limply to avoid returning his suffocating embrace as his lips press against my collarbone.
“I’m fucking furious with you. Yet I can’t retaliate the only way I know how. I don’t even want to. I want to go back to the way we were.” Luca rests his forehead on my chest. “I’m so fucking conflicted...” His voice chokes as he looks up into my eyes.
Where’s he going with this?
Abruptly, he cups the back of my head and kisses me on the lips with bruising force. And in one swift move, he drives me back on the mattress with his entire rigid body and surprises me by cuffing one wrist to the bed railing before he stands back up just as quickly.
“No, Luca!” I yank at the restraint, then sigh and go slack. I’m back to the way I was Friday night – cuffed to the damn bed, and Luca and I just scowl at each other.
The previous few days have progressed slowly, except for this morning and during the last hour when so much has happened that my brain still hasn’t caught up. From being taken Friday night and thrust into an underworld where Luca works, to constantly being on edge about what’s to come, I’m weak and my mind is in disarray. But I’m not confused enough to forget the most important thing.
“When’s the trade, Luca?” I ask.
Luca tilts his head to the side and sifts his hair back. Just when I think he’s not going to answer me, he speaks in a voice I don’t recognize, “Tomorrow. At midnight.”
The last shred of hope leaves my body with a tormented sob. I fought my best to escape. For nothing.
“I’m not trading you, Fallon,” Luca reveals suddenly.
“What?” My gaze snaps to him in astonishment.
Luca sighs tiredly. “I know you’re confused, but you have to cooperate for one more day. You constantly trying to escape is only making this more difficult. I get that you don’t trust me, but for now, stop being clueless. See and feel how much I’m sacrificing for you. I thought you were smarter than this.” His manner is filled with disappointment. “Yes, we’re taking you to the trade. However, I’m not trading you. We need you so that we can end this. You’ll be safe, and after you’ve cooperated with us, you can return home, back to your life.”
It can’t be this easy. “What will happen at the trade?”
“We’ll capture the other boss, Leggia, and Danny.”
“Then I’ll be free to go?”
“Yes. But you’ll be tied to this crime and won’t be able to inform the police without facing charges yourself,” he relays without any emotion.
There’s the catch. “Are you blackmailing me?”
“I like to call it insurance. I think we’ve both lost all trust in each other,” he retorts coldly. And with that, he moves to the bathroom.
Grateful for this moment of reprieve, I shut my eyes until Luca returns with a glass of water in one hand and a towel and first aid kit in the other. Tenderly, he cleans my feet with the wet towel and hands me a Tylenol.
“There’s a bruise forming.” Luca hunches beside the bed and caresses my temple. “Does it hurt?” he asks surprisingly harshly, in contrast with his soft touch.
I shake my head, and the tears that I’ve been swallowing back find their way out.
Luca wipes them away with his thumb and cradles my jaw. “Please just do as you’re told for one day. I’ve been protecting you from the start, and I’ll still protect you, even though I’m so fucking angry at you. But I’m also angry at myself.” He rests his forehead against mine for a brief and painfully sweet moment. “I didn’t want any of this.”
I know he didn’t want any of this, or plan this for that matter. But this mess was caused by him. By him allowing me to fall for him. By him lying to me. And yes, he’s taken care of me in his own way while I’ve been preoccupied with failing to escape. Still, my muddled feelings tell me not to trust him, but the exhaustion of tonight is weighing my fighting spirit down. Maybe for this one day I should trust him? I’m cuffed anyway, so I can’t do anything else.
“What kind of life is this, Luca?” I say sadly, my lips brushing against his.
“Not a life for you, Fallon.” He combs my hair back with his fingers and then stands to leave me alone.
Having no choice anymore but to follow his instructions for one day, I resign myself to my fate. I’m too tired to argue, and working against Luca is pointless; he’s too powerful.
I lie back and try to relax, but my futile escape attempt and the unbearable wait until the trade doesn’t alleviate the tension from my body at all. And sleeping with a cuffed wrist is impossible.
CHAPTER 43
Luca
I barge into my office where Adriano’s already seated with his elbows on his knees.
Shrugging off my suit jacket, I drop into my chair and rake my fingers through my hair twice before clasping them behind my head. I’m torn between wanting to punish Fallon for being stupid and wanting to whisk her away to safety, away from all of this, forever. I’m still livid at her for escaping and putting herself in that kind of danger, and I despise that I had to cuff her. She’s being led by her fear instead of logic.
When I cleaned her feet and saw her empty eyes, I wanted to comfort her despite my anger. Yet I held back, and it took everything in me to walk away from her.
The reality remains that I’m
the one who took the risk by falling for a non-Syndicate-related woman. But I haven’t only fallen for Fallon; I’m consumed by her. I belong to her. Although I’m beginning to grasp that she can’t be mine anymore.
She would be eaten alive in this Syndicate.
Perhaps I need to accept that she can and will never be able to live in my world. Perhaps I need to accept that I can never trust her again and she’ll never trust me again.
Adriano demands my attention by breaking the silence first. “Damian is indeed passed out in the private room. But he’ll just think he drank too much.” And he leans back slowly, also worn out from this long night. “I texted Damian that I took his car and had a slight accident. It’ll go to the garage tomorrow. Cam’s in one of the rooms of the strip club, and I’m sleeping there with her to keep an eye on her.”
I never would’ve predicted that these two women would collaborate, but they have, and now Cam’s a liability to us too.
“Cam has to go,” I tell Adriano, and he understands that she can’t work for us anymore.
“I know. But we’re not hurting her.” He gives me a pointed look.
“No, we’re not hurting Cam. Fire her and make sure she’s bound into silence. I don’t care how.” At least they did manage to escape quietly, and at this point, we can call it a night since Adriano took care of every loose end and no one witnessed them escaping. “Get some sleep. We’re done for tonight.”
“Thank god,” he mutters and clears out first to join Cam.
As I trudge through the deserted house, I battle with myself about sleeping in the strip club room and not running up those stairs to Fallon. Eventually – after several minutes of standing in the hall, feeling lost – I step into the lonely room of the strip club with nothing but regret and resentment to occupy my mind. The depth of my conflicting emotions concerning Fallon haunts me until deep into the night and triggers constant insomnia.
CHAPTER 44
Luca
At around six the next morning, I go into my room to check on Fallon. I adjust her sleeping body after releasing the cuff and leave her food and drinks, along with a note to let her know that I’ll be back tonight. Then I spend the day in my office at the Loop. But I’m preoccupied the entire time with obsessing about how to keep Fallon safe at the trade, and she’s most likely spending her day obsessing about it as much as I am. Tonight, at midnight, the trade will take place at The Parish of the Blessed.