Lucca (Made Men #4)

by Sarah Brianne

  Turning around, she looked at him in confusion. “I am a prisoner.”

  Drago’s appearance went dark as he took a step toward her. “We both know what being a real prisoner feels like, Chloe. Tell me, how is this compared to the last time?” He took another step toward her. “When you dream, who is it that haunts you? Lucca? Or the man who gave you those scars?”

  She could only stare back at the huge man, knowing all too well he spoke the truth.

  Leaving Chloe to her truth, he said one last thing, “I’m sure Lucca is hungry, too.”

  Turning back, she observed her captor for a few minutes alone.

  We both know what being a real prisoner feels like, Chloe.

  The way Drago had talked to her was like he had hinted … she was here for a reason. But … I am a prisoner, aren’t I?

  Shaking her head, she went to the fridge, deciding to make herself a sandwich. She made just one then put all the stuff back. Now staring at her lone sandwich, her eyes drifted to the back door. Should I? She shook her head harder, trying to get the thought out of her mind.

  Grabbing her plate, she sat at the kitchen island and quickly ate her food, glancing out the window to watch him every now and then. To say the least, Chloe found it interesting that the boogieman knew how to garden of all things.

  She cleaned up after herself then started back upstairs, but her feet stopped her when she went to look at Lucca through the window one last time.

  A small voice she hadn’t heard before whispered, Do it.

  Chloe listened to the voice, making another plate. She decided he would probably be able to easily eat two, filling the bread with a bunch of meat, lettuce, and tomatoes. If he didn’t like something on it, he could simply pull it off.

  She took the sandwiches, along with a bottle of water, to the back door. By the time she opened it, though, she realized the mistake of listening to the unknown voice. But with Lucca turning to look at her, it was too late.

  Biting her lip nervously, she went toward him, wishing she could turn back. Then, when she reached him, she paused a moment, looking down at him.

  His long, unkempt black-brown hair that he kept slicked back lay messily around his handsome features. The dark jeans and black shirt he always wore were dirty, giving him an even rougher look than he usually had. She wasn’t used to men who looked like him. She was used to well-dressed, well-groomed men who wore expensive clothes. He was the complete opposite.

  Lucca waited for her to say something before giving her a smile when he realized she was taking in his appearance.

  “Is that for me, darlin’?”

  “Y-Yes. D-Drago said you might be hungry,” she stammered, quickly moving her eyes to the plate.

  “I’m guessing he made it, too.” His voice seemed to lose pitch, like he was disappointed.

  Chloe shook her head, looking at him again. “No, I did.”

  The smile was brought back to his lips as he pulled off his dirty work gloves and stood. Coming over to her, he took the plate and water from her. “Thank you, darlin’.”

  “Y-You’re welcome.”

  She finally released the breath she held when he turned.

  She found herself wishing he could be less good-looking. His combination of terrifying yet beautiful was too much for one man to have.

  He took a seat on the grass, patting the spot next to him. “Come sit down with me.” He didn’t say it like a command, which was strange. It was more like he was asking.

  Taking a deep breath, she found herself doing the opposite of what she thought she should, sitting on the grass a little over an arm’s length from him and staring out at the stunning garden while he began to eat.

  It was different being down here with the grass and flowers, like it was even more peaceful than it usually was in the gazebo.

  From the moment she first stepped out here, the garden had taken her breath away, and it only continued to do so. It seemed to only grow more and more beautiful to her.

  “I didn’t know you gardened.” The thought that was meant to stay in her head came out in a whisper.

  “I don’t really. I mean, I used to with my mom, here and there, when I was young, but it’s more of a recent thing.”

  Chloe really looked around now, seeing that the garden looked better taken care of since she had first seen it months ago. That was why she thought it had only grown more beautiful.

  Looking over at Lucca, an eerie feeling settled inside of her, something that sunk to her soul, and she asked, “Why did you start gardening?”

  Asking him a question was a dangerous thing since the answer would be nothing less than the truth. You just had to be prepared for the answer.

  His eyes turned the most beautiful shade of green she had ever seen as the sunlight played off them. It almost hurt to stare back at him, but to look away from them would be impossible.

  “I did it for you,” he revealed the answer she already knew. “When I saw you under that gazebo for the first time, surrounded by the snow, I wondered what you would look like surrounded by flowers instead. Then I wondered how much more you’d love it out here.”

  Swallowing hard, she finally managed to look away from him, taking in that piece of information and trying her best to understand it. To understand him.

  I’ll never understand him …

  Lucca stood. “Stay here.”

  She watched him take his now empty plate and water bottle into the house. Then he returned a minute later, putting on his gloves and moving to the same spot where she had found him when she had come out here.

  “Come help me, darlin’.”

  Huh? “What?”

  “There’s an extra pair of gloves in that bucket.” He pointed to the bucket as he slipped on the last glove. “You wanna help me? Or do you wanna stay in the house all day again?”

  She thought about the calculus she really didn’t want to do before she stood and went over to the bucket, pulling out the spare gloves. She put them on before she came over to Lucca and got on her knees on the ground beside him.

  “Do you know anything about gardening?” he asked.

  Shaking her head, she figured she was in way over her head right now.

  He laughed, sensing her thoughts. “That’s okay. I’ll teach you.”

  She swallowed. “Okay.”

  “I’m just cleaning up the garden, getting rid of weeds and any dead flowers.” He showed her how to do so by explaining what the weeds looked like and how to spot which part of the flower was dead. “Now you try.”

  Going to the next patch of flowers, she carefully removed the weeds surrounding it and clipped off a now dead bulb. “H-How was that?”

  Lucca grinned. “Perfect.”

  For the first time since being here, she smiled. “You were right.”

  Confusion marked his handsome face. “How?”

  “I do love it more.”

  His features went back to his usual haunting appearance, knowing she was talking about her loving it more surrounded by flowers. “Good.”

  Thirteen

  Good Night

  Is his leg getting closer?

  Chloe focused on the television screen, trying her best to ignore the heat coming from Lucca’s leg next to her. She had thought it was getting easier, but tonight, she felt like there wasn’t enough space between them.

  Strands of hair moved off her neck, causing her to look back, and when she did, her breath caught in her throat. Lucca was twirling a piece of her black hair.

  “Did you enjoy today, darlin’?” His voice was as dark as the strand he expertly twirled around his finger.

  “Y-Yes,” she quietly spoke.

  “Would you like to help me finish up the rest of the gardening tomorrow?”

  Her nerves over watching him continuously twirl her hair made her blurt out, “No!”

  The stand he held fluttered to his lap, falling along with his face. “Okay.”

  “No, I-I mean …” She turned to bett
er face him. She hadn’t meant the word to come out as harsh. “I would like to, but I can’t.”

  “Why can’t you?”

  “I haven’t finished my calculus assignment, because”—looking down at her hands, she began wringing them—“I don’t really understand it, and I have a test coming up.”

  “Oh.” He once again picked up the strand of hair, beginning the twirling motion again. “If I can get someone to help you with your calculus tomorrow, would you want to help me garden on Monday instead?”

  She looked up from her hands, stunned. “You would do that?”

  “Yes, darlin’.” He grinned down at her. “Even if you didn’t want to help me.”

  Chloe found herself strangely smiling back. “If you’re sure you can call in Monday to get off work, then I would like to.”

  He seemed to be amused by what she said. “I’m sure.”

  Unsure of what she had said, something told her she didn’t want to ask.

  “Okay.”

  After he gave her hair a final twirl, she sensed a longing in him as the silk left his fingertips.

  “You may go to bed now.”

  Standing felt different than it had the other times. She felt the same release she usually did, but she didn’t feel the need to run. What’s wrong with me?

  She slowly began walking away, trying to figure out this other feeling that seemed to be scratching to get out.

  “Good night, Chloe.”

  Turning back to him, her heart stuttered. “Good night, Lucca.”

  “Where the fuck is she!” He slammed his fist down on the desk.

  The two other men in the room looked down at their feet before one finally spoke up.

  “We still haven’t found her ye—”

  “How fucking hard is it to find an eighteen-year-old girl?” When he slammed his fists down on the table again, he shot up.

  “It’s … It’s like she disappeared. Like she fell off the earth.”

  Going over to them, he pulled a knife out of his pocket and put it to the man’s throat. “Do you remember what we did to her?”

  The man began shaking as he nodded.

  “Your daughter is her age, right?” He lightly slid the blade over the man’s now crying face. “You either find her, or I’ll show you how a girl fucking falls off the face of the earth.”

  When the man nodded again, he let him go, and the two flew out of the room.

  Sitting back at his desk, he leaned far back in his chair, closing his black, ominous eyes. The image of a fourteen-year-old her came to his mind as he started dreaming of the past…

  The girl was starting to lose consciousness, and her now traumatized, gray eyes began to drift away. There was something he enjoyed about seeing the eyes change from the person they once were to the person they were after he was done with them. It was his mark; how he claimed them.

  He had taken away the young girl she once was and made her into his beautiful creation. Her body, her mind, her soul belonged to him and always would … until he took away her last dying breath.

  Her eyes rolled to the back of her head before her eyelids closed.

  “Good night, my little girl.”

  Fourteen

  Not Even God Could Save a Man Who Lays His Hands on You

  Coming down the steps the next day, she heard a voice talking to Lucca that she didn’t recognize. Has someone found me? Their voices drew nearer, and then she could see a man in a suit with light brown hair. Lucca noticed her then.

  “Chloe, I want you to meet Sal.”

  Chloe knew of Sal, had seen him around the Carusos when she had been with Elle, but she had never seen him so up close, never took a look into his deep black to deep blue eyes. Something about him made every hair on her body stand up and every alarm go off in her head.

  “Hello, Chloe.” He gave a wicked smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  Frozen in place, she could only stare at the well-groomed man.

  “Sal came to watch you and help you with your calculus while Drago and I take care of some business matters.”

  “H-He d-did?” Her shaky hands clasped together and squeezed.

  Lucca stared at her for a moment before his voice turned dark. “Come with me, darlin’.”

  The command made her follow him through the house and down a hall. He opened a door, and then waited for her to go in first.

  Stepping into what seemed to be his office, her heart began to pound then beat out of her chest as he shut the door behind him, closing them in.

  Now alone, lines of worry marked his face. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  Still trying to shake Sal’s eyes out of her mind, she tried her best to speak. “I-I just d-don’t know him.”

  He took a step closer to her. “Drago is much scarier to look at than Sal, and you didn’t know him, either, so don’t lie to me, darlin’.”

  Biting hard on her lip, she thought she was going to draw blood soon. I don’t know why he scares me.

  Lucca took another step toward her when she didn’t answer.

  “I don’t know …” she whispered. “I feel like I know him, but I don’t.”

  Taking a final step, he pinned her against the big desk behind her when she tried to put space between them. They were barely inches apart when he picked up a strand of her hair and twirled it in the same motion he always did.

  “Do you think I would leave you with just anyone, Chloe?”

  Her chest fell as hard as she raised it. It was strange, and she didn’t understand how, but somewhere deep down she knew he wouldn’t. “N-No.”

  “Do you think I’d ever let someone get close enough to possibly touch you”—he pulled her hair ever so slightly around his finger, his eyes travelling down her pale face to her neck—“when I have yet to touch you first?”

  She slowly shook her head, biting harder into her bottom lip. She was sure this was it, when he was finally going to touch her, though she wasn’t ready. Please, not yet.

  He looked at the dark silk he spun. “I keep twirling your hair around my finger, because this is as close as I can get to touching you for now. I promise you, no one else will ever touch you in this house or outside of it. Not even God could save a man who lays his hands on you.”

  The pressure in her lip lessened, and she breathed easier. She believed every word he said, but what scared her was that it also put her at ease. She was almost grateful about the fact she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone ever harming her, let alone touching her again.

  What is happening to me?

  Lucca gave her a few inches of breathing room. “I consider Sal my only friend, but he’s also more than that. I’m closer to him than I am to Nero, who’s my own brother.” This was one of those times he allowed any emotion to show. “My father took Sal in when we were young, and we were raised together. Sal may not be my blood, but he’s my brother. I trust him with my life, and I trust him with yours. He won’t hurt you, darlin’.”

  Lucca wasn’t the type of man to put trust in anyone but himself, so she would trust him at his word that Sal wouldn’t hurt her, regardless that Sal made the hair stand up on the back of her neck.

  “Okay.”

  He gave her a smile before letting the strand slip from his grasp. “Drago and I will be back as soon as we can.”

  Nodding, she put on her best brave face as she followed Lucca out of his office and back to where Sal was waiting. She sat down at the kitchen island with her laptop, while the men talked quietly amongst themselves. She couldn’t help wringing her hands to the point her nails dug into her palms. Never did she think she would ever wish Lucca wasn’t leaving her, not until now.

  Chloe was left with two thoughts. The first, she wondered why Drago had been the one to watch her every move when it was Sal who was his real friend.

  The front door closed, and she heard footsteps get closer. Turning her head, she swallowed hard, trying to keep down the unknown fear of the man Lucca called his brothe
r.

  Her other thought … Why does he remind me of him?

  Fifteen

  The Monstrous Name

  Staring out the window at the emptiness surrounding them, Lucca focused on the dirt path, waiting for the cars to come into view. The Caruso family had arrived two hours earlier to scope out the place, something the possible enemy should have done. Their black Cadillacs were lined up in front of the empty warehouse, and each soldier was packing in case this was the year the Lucianos decided to end the peace.

  Once a year, the two mafia families of Kansas City had a meeting on equal ground outside the city. It was a way to keep the peace between them; to keep another war from happening, as the last war had almost wiped out the Luciano name.

  Lucca began flipping his lighter open and closed, not removing his eyes from the road. Since joining the family every year to the date, he had come here feeling nothing. This year, however, he couldn’t help feeling an uneasiness in the air.

  He was starting to lose his patience. He didn’t like leaving Chloe at home while he was this far away with only Sal there to protect her.

  If I didn’t want to see him … I would leave.

  Finally, the cars started appearing. Lucca watched them pull up and the men get out. He observed each man until he finally saw the one he was waiting for.

  Lucca slid his lighter back into his pocket, hearing it hit the other metal object. Pulling out a big, heavy gold ring, he stared at the design of a rectangle with a stamped horseshoe in the middle, surrounded by small diamonds.

  The warehouse door opened, prompting him to slide it back into his pocket. Turning around, he looked at the two long tables facing each other. Dante sat in the middle of one table with his consigliere, Vinny, to his right. There was an empty seat to Dante’s left for him. However, he was waiting for the Lucianos to fill up the other table before he headed toward his seat.

  Before he sat down, he placed his pack of cigarettes and lighter on the table. Then Lucca listened to the two bosses commence the meeting, not once speaking. Instead, he took in the men.