“You okay?” she asked.
I nodded, taking her hand and leading her down the side steps of the stage. “Yeah.” I placed a soft kiss on her hand. “Go do your thing.” I didn’t want her to leave my side. In fact, if I would have had it my way, I’d have taken her home right then and there. It was her night, though—her night to bask in the opening of her very own bar. A bar she’d named after my father.
When she’d first come to me and asked if it was okay to name it Luca’s, I didn’t know what to think, but the more I thought about it, the more I understood. He was the reason we were here. He was the reason I’d fallen in love with her. If it wasn’t for my dad dying, I never would have met Aida. I never would have looked at her twice.
“You’ll be at the bar?”
“Yeah.”
I stared at her as she made a beeline for the family’s table, unwilling to move my attention from her. I watched her for hours, milling around, her head thrown back as someone made her laugh, and finally, when everyone was gone, and it was just us and the staff left, she sighed.
“My feet are killing me.” She yanked the heels off her feet and leaned against me, her eyes half-closed. “I need my bed.” I wrapped my arm around her waist and stood, taking her by surprise when I picked her up. She squealed, her soft laughter sweet music to my ears. “If I had known you’d do that, I would have come over to you sooner,” she quipped, resting her head on my shoulder as I sauntered out of the club.
Mateo stood at the door with two other soldiers and darted toward us when he saw us exit. “I’ll go get the SUV.” He ran halfway down the street and to the lone car while we waited. He pulled up right in front of us, and I moved more of Aida’s weight to one side so I could open the door. I bent down, placing her in the SUV so that her feet didn’t touch the ground, then pushed in beside her.
Mateo jerked away from the sidewalk and onto the quiet road. I slid my hand to her thigh, itching to go higher up her leg and feel her bare skin on my hand. It was already 1 a.m., so I had no doubt we’d be home in no time, and I knew exactly what I was going to do to her as soon as we got inside. I couldn’t get enough of her. Her body. Her mind. Her attitude. She was like an everlasting gobstopper—you never got tired of sucking on it. I snorted at my one thought, gaining her attention.
“What?” She grinned at me, her eyes the happiest I’d ever seen them.
“Nothing.” I dipped my head so our faces were closer. “I was just thinking about all the things I’m gonna do to you once we’re home.”
“Lorenzo.” She shook her head, but there was no denying the way her breaths picked up. “You’re so bad.”
“I’m bad?” I pointed at my chest and raised a brow. “You’re far worse than me.”
She gasped. “I am not.”
“You are too! You’re the one who keeps sneaking in the shower with me every morning.”
“I already told you.” She pushed some hair behind her ear, trying to look innocent, but I knew her way better than that. She may have been able to fool everyone else, but there was no fooling me. I knew her too damn well. “I’m saving water.”
“Sure.” I chuckled, whispering my hand up her arm and to the side of her face. “You’re also—”
“Fuck!” Mateo shouted from the front of the SUV, swerving as a car came out of nowhere and nearly side-swiped us. “Sorry, boss.” He looked frantic as he glanced out of the window and then to the mirrors. “He came from—”
The other car swerved, slamming into the side of us, and I held Aida closer. “What the fuck!” Another car came up the other side, only this one didn’t swerve into us, it opened its windows, something glinting off the streetlights, and then I realized—
“Gun!”
I shoved Aida down into the floorboard, trying to cover as much of her body as possible as the other car hit us again. The SUV tilted, Mateo losing control of it, and then metal crunched, mixing with the blasting of bullets.
“Stay down!” I shouted at Aida, feeling the blood pumping through my body and adrenaline taking me over. Her hand gripped on to my thigh, her nails digging in, and then we were both shunted forward. My head smacked off the edge of the center console, but I’d managed to keep Aida safe.
I groaned as the car rolled to a stop. I tried to take stock of everything. My ears pinged, smoke filled the inside of the SUV, and when I looked up, a pair of eyes stared back at me. Eyes I knew well. I opened my mouth, about to say something, but something smacked me in the temple. I lost grip of Aida, lost all sense of where I was, and then everything went black.
CHAPTER 19
AIDA
I wasn’t sure what hurt more: my aching body, or my thumping head. I didn’t want to move, too afraid I’d make my head throb even more, but I rolled my head from side to side, wincing as the banging inside my brain intensified. What the hell had I done last night? I screwed my face up, smacking my lips together, and groaning at how dry my mouth was. I needed a drink, and definitely some painkillers.
I reached my arm out, my eyes still closed, but it wouldn’t move. It took me way too long to realize I wasn’t in bed next to Lorenzo. Instead, I was sitting up. Had I fallen asleep on the sofa last night? I frowned as I tried to open my eyes, but they felt like they were stuck together like I’d just slept for twenty-four hours straight.
My hands jerked to wipe at my eyes, but when they wouldn’t move a second time, my eyes snapped open, blaring sunlight nearly blinding me. I slammed them close again, my heart racing in my chest as I slowly remembered what had happened last night.
Opening the piano bar.
Mateo driving.
Car swerving.
Lorenzo holding me down.
Bullets.
And then…
Nothing. I had nothing after that.
Oh my God, what had happened? Where was I? And where the hell was Lorenzo?
I kept my eyes closed as I listened for any sounds, trying my hardest to hear something. But it was silent except for my own breathing and…
I slowly opened my eyes, sagging in relief at the sight of Lorenzo in front of me. My gaze tracked his body, his legs tied to the chair, his arms tied to his thighs, and rope banding around his stomach. A quick glance at my own lap told me I was in the same position.
“Lorenzo,” I whispered, wincing at the dryness in my throat. His body didn’t twitch, his head hanging forward. I couldn’t see his face—I needed to see his face. “Lorenzo,” I said, a little louder but not too loud to alert anyone that I was awake. He still didn’t move, and I could feel my panic rising. I had no idea where we were, no idea what was—
The sound of a ship horn blared out, so thunderous that it sounded like it was right beside me. I jumped, a gasp escaping and echoing around the warehouse we were in. I blinked. A ship? I pulled in a deep breath, feeling the burn of it against my chest, but it was all I needed to figure out that we were down at the docks. We weren’t far from the city. This was good. This meant we could be found…right?
Footsteps echoed closer, and the sound of metal scraping against metal ricocheted around the otherwise empty space. Instinctively, I slammed my eyes closed and let my head drop forward in the same way Lorenzo’s was. No one knew I was awake, so I’d play like I was still asleep, at least until I figured out where I was…or until Lorenzo woke up.
Heels clicked against the floor, a woman’s voice made my ears perk up, and then a man’s joined in with hers.
“He said he’d be here in an hour,” the man said. “Once he arrives, we can make a plan moving forward.”
“No.” My breath stammered as I recognized the voice. Rage mixed with confusion slammed through me. Veev. What the hell was she doing here? “I get to have my fun before he gets here.”
“He won’t be happy,” the man warned as the woman’s footsteps got closer.
“I don’t care,” she snapped back, and I opened my eyes, just about able to see her legs in front of me. They weren’t pointed my way, though. Th
ey were directed toward Lorenzo. They took another step, and then one went out of view.
“What are you doing?” the man asked, and I was wondering the exact same thing.
“Having fun.” She laughed, the sound so much louder in the warehouse. “Loosen up, Pedro.”
Her other leg lifted off the floor, and I knew in my gut what she was doing. I should have kept my head down and played like I had no idea what was going on, but as I lifted just enough to see that she had climbed onto Lorenzo’s lap, I saw red.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I ground out, keeping deathly still. I’d already tugged at the ropes wrapped around me and knew there was no way out of them, not yet anyway.
She turned her head, her long, wavy hair moving off her shoulder as her gaze met mine. “Oh, good, you’re awake.” She smirked, pushing her chest closer to Lorenzo’s head. “I didn’t want you to miss the show.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask her what show, but I kept it in, not willing to entertain her. That was what she wanted. She wanted my attention on her. I bared my teeth to her, the only part of my body I was able to move. I may have kept my gaze on her, but I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of my voice. It was a small thing, one she probably didn’t care about, but it was the only thing I could control.
“You’re no fun,” she moaned, pushing out her bottom lip in the exact same way Vida did when she wanted something from you. The difference was that Vida was a child, and Veev was a grown-ass woman. “Lorenzo used to be fun.” She winked. “With me anyway.” She licked her bottom lip, her hand trailing over his chest and down to his groin. I growled louder, trying to get out of these damn ropes, but it was no use. I wasn’t going anywhere, and the smirk on her face told me she knew that.
“Veev,” the guy who came in with her said, shuffling on the spot. I turned to face him, recognizing his face from somewhere. I couldn’t place it though, he just looked…familiar. “He won’t be happy.”
Veev rolled her eyes at him, rocking her hips on Lorenzo’s lap. “He’s not here, so what do I care?”
“You’ll care because you’re disobeying orders,” a new voice said, this one laced in an accent. Veev froze to the spot but didn’t make a move to get off of Lorenzo. The longer she was touching him, the more my anger built. I’d threatened to kill her at the gates of the mansion when she’d tried to get inside, and there was no doubt I was going to follow through with that, especially now.
“Awww, come on, I should get to have some fun.” Veev’s head tilted to the side, her attention focusing on the new man, but I didn’t look at him, too afraid of what I’d see. I was trying to tell myself that I was fine—that we were fine—but that wasn’t the reality. We were tied up—I squirmed, testing the binds again—with no way out.
I kept my full attention on Lorenzo, silently begging him to wake up. He’d know what to do. He’d know how to get us out of this. And if all that failed, at least I wouldn’t be alone.
“This isn’t about fun,” the new voice whipped out, his footsteps echoing across the concrete ground. Several more followed him, but still, I couldn’t look over. I just kept staring at Lorenzo, narrowing my eyes on Veev as she stayed put in his lap. “This is about me taking what is rightfully mine.”
“Ours,” Veev tacked on. “Taking what is ours, Papa.”
My eyes widened at her words. Papa? This man was her dad? What the hell was going on? And what did they think was rightfully theirs? I was in a vortex, aware of my surroundings but with a singular focus on Lorenzo.
“Yes, yes,” he replied, and I imagined him waving his hand in the air, shooing the notion away, and I realized that she was just a pawn in his game—whoever he was. “I hope you haven’t killed him—”
The footsteps paused, the atmosphere in the warehouse dropping to icy cold levels. “What is she doing here?”
“She was in the car with him,” Veev said, pushing her chest forward into Lorenzo’s head. I grunted, jerking forward, but it was no use. I was trapped. Trapped with no way out. Frustrated tears leaked from my eyes, my rage trying to break free in the only way that was possible.
“So, you brought her here instead of killing her?” The man tutted. “I thought I’d taught you better than that.” Veev looked down, her lashes fluttering against her cheeks. She was ashamed, the first time I’d see her look anything but undignified. “Get rid of her.” My eyes widened as footsteps neared, my breaths halting in my chest, too scared to move a single inch.
Lorenzo’s head snapped up, his gaze clashing with mine right away. My heart skipped a beat, hope rising in my chest at the sight of him. Dried blood covered half of his face, a bruise forming on the side of his head and part of his eye. “Touch her.” He paused, his head slowly turning to look at the man. “And I’ll kill you.” His lip curled up into a sneer. “Uncle Paolo.”
My face dropped, my head spinning to look at the man for the first time. I should have put the accented voice to the name, but I was too occupied with Veev, who was still planted firmly on Lorenzo’s lap.
Uncle Paolo. Why was he doing this? I blinked. Wait…Veev had called him Papa. I snapped my attention back to Lorenzo. They were cousins.
Holy shit.
LORENZO
My attention was laser-focused on Paolo, not turning away from him for a single second. I needed to make sense of all of this, but it was really goddamn hard when my head was throbbing.
Paolo chuckled as he leaned on his cane, thinking over my threat. I didn’t care that I was tied to a chair because there was no way in hell I was going to let him touch Aida.
“I’d like to see you try.” He tilted his head, his gaze traveling to Aida. I jerked, my body snapping back at the binds. “This may actually work in my favor.” He took a step forward, his eyes lighting up. “Tell me, nephew, did Antonio tell you where he learned his torturing techniques?” He reached out, his finger trailing over her bare shoulder. She was still in the black dress, but it had fallen down her arm, exposing her shoulder.
I ground my teeth together, trying to get out of the binds. “Don’t fuckin’ touch her,” I sneered, trying to push Veev off of me, but she was stuck to me like glue. Her hand pressed against the side of my face, her nails digging into my cheek, but I refused to acknowledge her. I’d heard every word she’d said, every word Paolo had said.
I should have known she was up to something with the amount she’d been hanging around before I got married. She’d call me at all hours, and I’d call her when I needed to relieve some stress. Fuck. She’d been the one to redecorate my office. I’d given her access to the one place that was most sacred in the mansion. I’d been too focused on fighting against my bubbling feelings. I hadn’t paid enough attention.
Paolo placed his hand on top of Aida’s head, stroking her hair. I craned my neck to see around Veev, but she leaned over, obscuring my view. “Get the fuck off of me.” I bucked, causing her to lose her balance, but she soon caught it and righted herself. “I mean it, Veev.” My nostrils flared as I finally gave her my attention. “Get the fuck off. Now.”
She giggled like this was one big giant game. And maybe it was to her, but to me, it was life or death. I couldn’t live without Aida, and I damn sure didn’t want to die when we’d only just gotten started. I’d fight until my last dying breath for her. I’d give up everything—I’d do anything—if it meant she’d be okay.
“Do you remember the night we met?” Veev asked, fluttering her lashes at me.
“I don’t give a fuck about the night we met.” I jolted again, feeling the rope loosening on my arms.
“It was—”
A deafening bang rang out, and for a fraction of a second, I didn’t know what to feel or think. Wetness spread over my chest, bright red blood seeping through the material of my shirt.
“No!” Aida screamed, the sound so haunting it hit me right in the pit of my stomach. “No, no, no.”
I blinked, trying to see through the red liquid sp
atter on my face. Veev stared at me, confusion evident on her features. “What…” she gurgled, her body swaying to the left. “I…Lorenzo,” she croaked out, her hand reaching for me. And even if I wasn’t tied up, I wouldn’t have helped her. She fell to the ground in a heap, blood spluttering from her mouth and a wound in her chest. She tried to place her hand on it, but the blood gushed out of her like a rapid river.
“Finally,” Uncle Paolo groaned out. I turned to face him just in time to see him pushing his gun into the holster strapped to his chest. “She wouldn’t shut up.” He shook his head, disappointment flashing over his features. “Such a shame.” His eyes transfixed on her for a second, and then he shook his head, grinning over at me. “Now, where were we?”
“You…you killed her,” Aida stammered out, her face pale. “You killed her.”
“I did,” Paolo said, stroking her hair again.
“But she was your daughter.”
I cringed at her words. I’d fucked her. I’d fucked her, and she’d known all along that we were cousins. A shiver rolled through me, my gut churning. Had she known the entire time? I gritted my teeth. Of course, she’d known.
Paolo frowned. “And?” He laughed. “What does that matter?” He raised a brow at me and pointed down at Aida. “She’s a bit cuckoo, no?”
“Touch her again…” I warned, completely ignoring Veev dying at my feet. She’d known what she was getting into. This was her consequence for trusting Paolo.
“And you’ll what?” He winked at me and lifted his other hand, playing with Aida’s hair, and there wasn’t a thing I could do to stop him. Fuck. “As I was saying.” He cleared his throat, but I didn’t lose sight of his hands as one traveled down to her neck. His tan fingers reached around, stroking her soft skin. “Did Antonio ever tell you who taught him?” I ground my teeth together so hard that I was sure I heard one of them crack.
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