by Aria Ford
Biting down on my bottom lip, I blinked away the heaviness that threatened to sink my eyelids. Luciano had been cold to me- much colder than I had experienced so far. Holding my hand to my chest, I chewed on my lip as my heart ached.
“Is-” Whirling around, Luciano cut me off with a glare, and my eyes widened at the sneer painted across his face. Tight, my throat struggled to take in air as anticipation thickened my blood.
“Don’t touch me.” Blood drained from my face, and my head bopped in a nod before he released a heavy, irritated sigh. “Aya…”
Inching closer to him, my legs wobbled slightly and goosebumps rose on my skin as the air shifted between us. Gently Luciano took hold of my bicep, pushing me against the wall even though his expression didn’t change. Pounding hard against its walls, my heart sent sharp pains through my chest. Trapping me with two strong, immovable arms, he pressed his palms on either side of my head hard enough to make the wood creak slightly.
“Sylvi bought whores…” Luciano’s face twisted in disgust as he hissed out those three little words, and my eyes nearly boggled out of my skull. Cupping my cheek, his hand was warm and dry and comforting against my skin. “I’ll kill them if they make problems for you. Sei mio. Nessun cagna può competere con te.”
Heat flushed my cheeks, the pain in my chest lessening as Luciano’s foreign tongue caressed my ears. Leaning forward, I closed my eyes to savor the feeling of his forehead against mine. His breath flowed down my nose, minty and moist, and my shoulders sagged before he squeezed my face.
“Tell me more about the safe.” Taking the last few steps to the first floor, my body thrummed with a giddiness I’d never felt before. My mind could barely wrap around the fact that Luciano offered to kill for me. His voice was gruff as it swept my attentions, and I pursed my lips together. Beating down this new feeling, I rubbed my palms together as the chill blowing from air conditioners hit me.
“W- well… Trevor only talked about it a few times… He said that no one could find it unless he told them. That it was buried in a place no one would think to look. And the numbers… 697-… B- but once he was really drunk and he said that anyone that tried to find it ‘swam with the f- fishes’…” Discomfort clogged my throat, and red bled into my cheeks when Luciano cast his gaze on me. Peeking up through my eyelashes, my jaw quivered at the slight upturn of his lip, and my face flamed like a kerosene fire.
“And his other assets…” Slowly shaking my head as I followed Luciano to the dining room, I took a deep, steadying breath. His stomping footfall was like a drum, rhythmic and soothing, and he didn’t break stride as he passed through a wide door frame.
“I don’t know.”
It took only seconds to journey into the dining room, and I stiffened at the sight that greeted me. Sylvi sat at the head of the table, a woman in his lap hand feeding him. She had thick, bright red waves of hair the color of smoldering coals, and she held her utensil with orange tipped fingers. Even her eyes were a bright hazel color; looking at her was almost enough to blind me.
Swerving to the left, my eyes widened as yet another girl sat on her knees on the floor. Her mouth was wide open, her body visibly stick thin even behind her long, flowing shirt. My gaze flowed upward to the man she sat next to, and dizziness attacked me when confronted by his never ending tattoos.
But what struck me was neither woman looked like what I had pictured.
“Luciano, siediti. Hai trovato qualcosa di più nella cassaforte?” Sylvi’s voice wasn’t as deep as Luciano’s, but it was enough to make me jump. A large hand palmed my lower back, and I looked up at the behemoth next to me. Luciano’s expression was unreadable, stoic, even as he opened his mouth.
“It’s too early to deal with your fucking bullshit, Sylvi.” The words sounded like they’d been repeated more times than anyone bothered to count. Lifting his hand to his face, Luciano scratched his shadow of a beard before I tore my eyes off him. Pancakes filled my vision, and I licked my lips when I spied strawberries baked in.
“Just tell us about the safe, Luciano.” Guiding me toward the table, Luciano grunted lowly, and his fingers flexed against my back.
“Just some shit about fish. The numbers 697. Ring a bell, Tyler?” All was quiet, and Luciano brushed my shoulder with the backs of his fingers. The oak was healthy, shining under the overhead light fixture, and plates were perfectly set in front of each intricately carved, matching chair. Sitting gingerly, I reached for the plate of pancakes with greedy fingers.
“Fuck-” Tyler’s groan was loud, his fists slamming carelessly against the table top. The bang echoed through the room, pulling a gasp from me as my fingers clutched my burdened plate tightly. “The fucking Aquatic Renewal Cemetery. It’s a burial ground underwater for people that want their ashes to be turned into anchors for budding corals. It was a big ass fucking deal two years ago. Trevor isn’t as stupid as I thought. The only people that go there are biologists that maintain the urns and track coral growth.”
“Lots of shit has water proofing. I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard to find something to stick in an urn. No one would lie about their dead loved one being inside it.” The conversation went over my head as I stabbed a pancake, effortlessly transferring it to my own plate. Steam rose from the puncture holes, and a soft, satisfied sigh flew from my lips.
“There was a whole shit storm about six months after its popularity blew up about people going against their dead relatives’ wishes, fights over wills, all that shit. The company instigated a policy to cremate the dead in their own facilities. Anyone that wanted to be buried in their aquatic cemeteries had to have it instated with their legal guardian or ad litem. It had to be videotaped with an officiate present. Basically it was a shit ton of red tape. So Trevor had to have done it before they put all of that into effect.”
“Whatever he knew, he had to have known before Aya’s parents died…” Stiffening at the mention, I gripped my fork tightly as my pancake bit turned to ash in my mouth. Luciano’s words settled heavily on my shoulders, and my throat closed up to block the strawberry juices.
“We need to get that fucking safe. Now. We don’t know who gave Trevor whatever information he had, or who he gave it to. Tyler, send Marco’s team wherever this cemetery is and tell him to kill anyone that gets in his fucking way.” Staring down at my suddenly unappetizing breakfast, I swallowed my bite hard enough to make my throat ache. A chair scraped the hardwood floor, but my mind was lost, wandering aimlessly and unable to conjure thought. My chest throbbed with every beat of my heart.
Trevor must’ve killed them and made it look like an overdose. Blinking at the revelation, my vision blurred slightly.
“I regret killing him so fast…” Luciano’s growl sent shock waves through me as it traveled up through the floor. Whipping to the side, my gaze locked on his tense form, the only solid thing I could see. His hands were thick, white knuckle fists on the table top, and the veins in his neck were bulging. Heat slithered from him like thick ink, his expression a mix of anger and pain.
“It doesn’t matter now, Luciano. Trevor probably wouldn’t have talked before his pathetic body gave out anyway. Let Marco retrieve the safe. In the meantime, I’m thinking you need some R&R, Brother. I haven’t seen you fight in too long. What do you think, mia amata ragazza?”
Luciano slumped to spread his legs under the table. My thighs and butt tingled at the phantom sensation, remembering that early morning I had sat on his lap. Watching him drink his bitter, black brew that appeared out of nowhere, I rubbed my tongue against the roof of my mouth absently. Lazily he glanced over, his eyes sharpening into slits on my barely touched plate.
“Eat.” Blinking at the grunt, I tore my gaze from Luciano to my pancake. The perfect, golden crust was littered with slits of strawberries, creating a red stain that only made it more delicious. Adjusting my grip on my fork, I cut a small piece and brought it to my mouth under an intense, steely regard. My eyelids fluttered shut, the bit melting on my tongue to l
eave behind the strawberry treasure it held.
“Great!-” Flickering to Sylvi, my eyes widened at how boy band beautiful he looked with such a wide smile. “Stasera andiamo allo Stadio!”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
AYA
“Where are we going?” My question was almost lost in the gusts of wind that blew through the open car windows, and I clutched my seat belt tightly. Luciano drove so fast I was being pressed into my seat; it happened every time, and I couldn’t help but peek at the needle as it came closer and closer to the neon 100 marker.
I’d never liked highways.
“You can’t go to the Stadium looking like that, Aya.” Furrowing my brows at Luciano’s grumble, I pursed my lips together before he glanced at me. “The Stadium is one of the one places people like us go no matter who they’re affiliated with. The Russians- the Italians- powerful street gangs- high end slavers- everyone gets together for one thing. Blood. Think Roman gladiators.”
Luciano slowed as he spoke, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Reaching for the center console, he rummaged for a moment before tossing me his pack of cigarettes. My fingers worked absently to pop the top, easily pulling out a thin, heavy cylinder.
“But you hate the Russians…” Across the center console Luciano snorted roughly at my grumble, and I flicked on a lighter. The tiny flame danced in such high winds, threatening to go out completely; but it was resilient. Determination colored the lick of fire as it burned the end of the cigarette.
“I hate a lot of people that go there, not just the Russians, Aya. But this way I can kill them without worrying about retribution or innocent people getting caught in the cross hairs.” Reaching across the car, I held Luciano’s cigarette as he slowed down the vehicle even more. His answer surprised me; I didn’t think he cared about that kind of thing.
It’s honorable. Tiny, the thought bubbled up in my mind as he took a deep drag of his cigarette. My mind drifted as Luciano took an off ramp. Sure he does kill people… but- but it’s not like he kills the wrong people…
Furrowing my brows, my face scrunched up and a sigh flowed from my mouth. Cigarette smoke slithered over my tongue, but I simply ignored it.
“Tell me what’s bothering you.” Luciano’s hand appeared before I had time to react, snatching his cigarette from between my fingers. His demand wrapped around my brain; his tone forcing me to answer. Licking my lips absently, I flexed my fingers against my seat belt before opening my mouth.
“You only kill bad guys?” To my ears my question sounded small, and I trained my gaze on my lap. The car rolled to a stop, and Luciano exhaled harshly only to send smoke billowing at me.
“I don’t kill people just because I can. Like Trevor- he betrayed us. He played double with the Russians, so he was a dead man walking. It was only a matter of time before we found out, and he wasn’t important enough to do any damage. But…” Cringing at the example, I bit down on my inner cheek. “I do kill people that ask. People that look at me and know I’m a killer, and they have nowhere else to go or no one to turn to. I once killed a woman so her 14 year old daughter could have her life insurance policy.”
Whipping up, my head felt heavy as Luciano spoke so casually, so flippantly, about killing someone. He sucked on his cigarette, his chest expanding underneath his plain, gray wife beater. The muscles in his arms rippled in the sun that beat down through the windshield, and I blinked at his sudden glow.
“W- why did you kiss me, Luciano?” Flying from my mouth, the question was high pitched and bounced around the leather interior. Luciano’s gaze met mine, his eyes guarded and his face set hard and stony. Sitting at the stop sign, his car rumbled beneath me and horns honked behind us, but he didn’t seem to notice. Slowly his hand entered my peripheral vision, and my throat tightened with a strangled whimper. My saliva seeped back into its glands, leaving a cotton behind that stuck my tongue to the roof of my mouth.
Caressing my cheek, Luciano’s soft touch wrenched a gasp from me, and my whole body lurched. The coarse weave of the seat belt dug into my palms, and my abdomen clenched tightly before he opening his mouth.
“Do I need a reason to kiss you, Aya?” My pupils widened as his tone wrapped around me, forcing welts to rise up from my skin. Blood surged to my head, making me dizzy even as Luciano withdrew his touch. Staring as he stepped on the accelerator, my eyes watered slightly as the true implication of what he’d said hit me in the face.
“Y- you… you’re… ask-king…? Y- you’re asking… me?” Stumbling over my own confusion, my tongue was heavy and tasted like paint. Am I dreaming? But not even then… Luciano would never ask me a question…
“Yes.” My heart dropped as if a hundred pound weight had been hoisted onto it. Luciano’s affirmation was tight, hard, almost uncomfortable, and I sucked in air through my teeth. The scenery of the town over passed me by in a blur, but his silhouette was perfectly clear. Gulping harshly, my throat throbbed, and blood rushed in my ears, drowning out the sound of the speeding vehicle.
“N- no…” Every drop of blood that flowed through me filled my cheeks at my own murmur. Across the center console Luciano tightened his grip on the wheel, causing the leather to creak and groan softly. He seemed to shrink slightly; it was a barely noticeable relaxation of his muscles. The veins spider webbing his arms sunk into his flesh, and he tossed his head from left to right.
Silence reigned for the rest of the ride, but if Luciano spoke I wouldn’t have heard it. Even that deep, intense voice wasn’t powerful enough to break through my inner ramblings. Staring at my lap, I took a shallow breath while my mind worked at trying to comprehend our exchange. My ears burned, and I reached up with trembling fingers to check for smoke.
The strip mall I found myself surrounded by was bustling, loud, and my skin crawled from the eyes that skittered my form. Mindless chatter became a drone in the background of my scope of comprehension. Sticking close to Luciano, my body was stiff as he pulled me along the sidewalk by my wrist. Sweat beaded the back of my neck, and my breath came in shallow, harsh pants. Combined with all of the people, the sun’s unwavering rays glared down on me to heat up my insides.
Tugging me into a nice looking shop, Luciano released my wrist only to press his palm against my back. The floor was empty of people, and even clothes. Instead, there were small, raised platforms and mirrors.
“Hello, what can I get you this fine day?” The bright, enthusiastic voice gyrated against my ear drums, but there was nowhere to hide. Before me the woman that spoke was dressed elegantly in a long jumper that would’ve brushed the floor if not for her heels. She wore no jewelry aside from the sparkling clip that held back her short, blonde bob.
“I need something for the Stadium.” Nudged forward, I held my breath as this beautiful woman shifted her attention fully to me. For a moment she just stared, and with each passing millisecond my heart rate sped up. Scrutinizing blue eyes scanned my form from top to bottom, her face morphing with thoughtfulness.
“If you’ll give me just a moment, I’ll go see what we’ve got for her. Have a seat and I’ll be right back.” Disappearing deep into the store, the clerk left me to stand stiffly by Luciano’s side. His touch didn’t fall from my back, and I leaned into his hand as a trembling sigh surged from my throat. Licking my lips, my tongue only served to dry my sensitive skin as my eyelids flickered.
It took only three minutes for the woman to come back, and my eyes widened at the fabric that was draped over her arm. Cream colored, the dress was short with only shimmering, transparent sequins at the hem. Carefully the woman held up the piece, and my throat tightened at the sight of it. The skirt was draped in waves that would easily hang at my knees, but it was the top that twisted my insides.
Stiff bones lined the silk fabric from neckline to waist, and a very pale, green ribbon laced down the front. Licking my lips, I tore my eyes from the dress to look to Luciano. His gaze was firmly on my face, his expression blank but for the intensity of his star
e. Nerves tingled my toes, and I turned back to the woman to find a gentle, encouraging smile on her face.
“This will be perfect for you. We have it in cream, black, red, purple, and blue if you like it. There’s also another style in stock that’s very similar, but instead of full bones there are halves and silk cups. You have beautiful legs, so I brought out the half dress, but we have cocktail lengths as well.” Instantly my chin touched my chest, and heat flooded my cheeks as I spied my legs. My only semi-serious boyfriend had complimented them once, but only because he wanted sex. Gulping down the lump in my throat, I peeked up through my eyelashes to watch the sales woman stifle a laugh.
“Let’s get you changed and see if you like it. Come with me, please.” On hesitant legs I stepped forward, but Luciano left my lower back feeling cold. Twisting, my neck ached even as he nodded firmly. My gut twisted, but I turned back to the sales woman to inch closer.
Safely behind the curtain of a dressing room, the woman helped me out of my shirt. Standing naked before her, I struggled to breathe as an emotion I hadn’t felt in a long time washed over me. Self-consciousness and ugliness restricted my lungs. The sales woman in the mirror was beautiful, the picture of poise and grace. Next to her, I wasn’t even worth looking at.
“I can suggest a nice lingerie store nearby for panties. You may not want to wear them around Luciano, but in public is a different story.” Alarm rippled through me as she carefully pulled my arms up over my head. My heart stuttered in my chest, and I sputtered slightly before my tongue untwisted.