We only came apart when a knock sounded at my door. I pulled in shaky breaths, trying to ground myself back in my body.
“You expecting someone else?” he asked in a rasp, his eyes narrowing just a fraction. Was he jealous? The thought did funny things to my insides.
“It’s like Grand Central Station up here,” I muttered as I slid off the counter. “It has to be Giada, my cousin—she’s the only person who shows up unannounced.” Until you.
As I moved toward the door, Luca placed his arm out and stepped in front of me to look through the peephole. Who did he think he’d find?
When he stepped back, I glared at him. “Satisfied?” I asked smugly.
His responding glare promised retribution for my smart mouth. He never had to say a word. It was there in the glint of his eyes and the gentle pursing of his lips. His brand of retribution wouldn’t be painful—it would be torturous, and I would love every second. Just the suggestion aroused a heat inside me that made me want to jump him and forget about Giada.
I sighed as the knocking came again.
Everyone was so damn persistent.
Opening the door, I smiled at my cousin who grinned in return until her eyes landed on Luca.
“Oh,” she gasped. “Am I interrupting?” Her eyes met mine with a silent apology.
“Actually, I was just leaving,” offered Luca. He came over and planted a sensual kiss on my lips, nodded to Giada, then disappeared down the hall.
“Sweet baby Jesus, who the fuck was that? And where do I get some?”
I busted out laughing and closed the door to my apartment. “That is every flavor of trouble—I’m in way over my head.”
“Tell me everything,” said Giada as she plopped down on my couch.
I followed suit, sitting next to her with my legs pulled up to my chest. “We’ve only been out twice. It’s not a big deal.”
“Honey, everything about that man is a big deal.”
She made me laugh, as usual. “He’s crazy intense, and for all I know, he may be legit crazy, period. But I can’t seem to walk away.”
Giada’s eyes narrowed, and her smile faltered. “You don’t think he’s dangerous, do you?”
“Not to me, no—at least, not physically.”
“What does that mean? You think he could be emotionally abusive?”
“No! It’s just that he’s addictive, and I have this feeling he’s going to break my heart. I can’t stop thinking about him, and I love the way I feel when I’m with him, but I know he has secrets. Dark secrets.”
“Yikes, that is rough. What are you going to do?”
“Hell, if I know. Eat ice cream and watch movies—care to join me?”
A wide grin spread across her face. “I thought you’d never ask.”
11
Luca
I knew the minute she texted—she was running.
My intuition about people was impeccable. There was no meeting. She’d used the excuse to avoid me. As pissed as I was to have her run from me, I was also pleased to confirm she had a decent head on her shoulders. Some women loved to get a taste of danger—enjoyed a walk on the wild side.
A smart woman would be wary of associating with me.
Alessia had not been blind to the dangers and was wise enough to heed the warnings. Not only that, I’d been impressed with her practiced ability to remain composed when she’d overheard my phone call. A part of me even questioned if maybe it hadn’t bothered her, but the text had verified her calm demeanor had been an act.
Fucking Rafi.
I’d been using him to handle my affairs while I gathered information, but there was only so much he was capable of. The others knew he spoke on my behalf, but he had no authority. He was too low-level to give orders, not that I was particularly high up. I’d been surprised when they called me in to do the job, but as they explained, my history made me more qualified than most. I’d get the answers they were looking for, and when I did, it would help secure my future in the organization.
I understood Rafi’s need to call for help, but that didn’t mean it didn’t piss me off. I considered censoring my words while Alessia was in the car, but an overwhelming part of me wanted her to know, wanted her to put the pieces together. She needed to understand I wasn’t some Johnny Homemaker, but there were rules I had to obey. More than my career was at stake if I gave her more information than I should. I had to put the pieces before her and hope she not only put them together, but she didn’t walk away for good.
I needed her. I needed her to open up to me, and that wouldn’t happen unless she trusted me. It would be easy if I pretended to be someone else, but I didn’t have it in me to play weak. I could only be myself and trust I could win her over on my own.
Our exchange at her apartment had been reassuring. She was scared, but she wasn’t beyond my reach. She was just as much a victim to the magnetic pull between us as I was. I craved to be near her when she wasn’t around, and when she was, all I could think about was getting inside her. All of her. I wanted to sink my cock inside her and penetrate that sharp mind of hers. I wanted to possess her inside and out. I wanted to know why she exercised such strict control over all aspects of her life and how she’d remained so naïve and innocent in the City That Never Sleeps.
There were monsters everywhere, and I was one of them.
I hadn’t targeted her only for her luscious body and intriguing mind; I needed information from her. I’d been telling the truth when I said I hadn’t planned to want her. She had likely given her own meaning to the words, but the truth was, I had initiated our little elevator encounter for a purpose, which had nothing to do with my dick. Had I just walked up to her on the street and tried to strike up a conversation, it would never have worked. She was entirely too wary for something like that. I had to come up with an in, a way to slip under her outer walls. There was something intimate about elevators. It had been the perfect way to freeze time and connect us in a shared moment.
I had needed a contact inside Triton, and Alessia had seemed perfect for the job. Then I hit snags, one after the other—the least of which was my growing need for the woman. She was an unholy seductress without the faintest clue of her effect on every heterosexual man who crossed her path. I wanted every ounce of that latent sexuality for myself, feeling the need to pluck the eyes from every other man who dared look at her.
I wanted her, but there was more to it than that. When she discovered I had ulterior motives, and she undoubtedly would, I’d have a fight on my hands. I was going to have to find a way to get what I needed without losing her in the process.
Just like I’d said, she complicated everything.
12
Alessia
The morning after Luca came by my apartment, I had no idea what to expect. Our conversation had eased my mind somewhat, but I still didn’t have any answers. He knew I was worried and had urged me to trust him. I knew he had secrets but had been soothed by his assurances.
Nothing had changed.
I was still uncertain about Luca, but I wasn’t actively pushing him away. There was no deadline to make a decision, so until I had more information, I would try to guard myself and move cautiously forward.
We hadn’t spoken since he’d left, which meant I wasn’t sure if he was picking me up or where things stood between us. I carried on as if it were any other normal day, except for my choice of outfit. In the event I would see him, I wore a silk blouse that was more low-cut than I would ordinarily wear to work. My desire to appeal to Luca apparently outweighed my concerns about him, not to mention the risk of Roger putting on the moves.
Luca hadn’t said anything about giving me a ride, so I kept my scheduled appointment with Leo to drive me. Instead of feeling despair over not hearing from him, I was relieved and reassured Luca had heard my request to slow down and was making an effort to give me space. His actions went a long way to ease my concerns about his domineering tendencies. K
nowing I had a say in the relationship and he respected my wishes was just as attractive as his assertive, controlling nature. The only way for it to work was if the two were mutually inclusive. I wasn’t sure a kind, respectful man with no backbone would stir my interest, just as an egotistical control freak would make me crazy. There had to be a delicate balance between the two, and it appeared Luca could walk that fine line.
My morning went smoothly, answering emails with few interruptions. Feeling a bit more at ease about the Luca situation, I was able to focus on my work and accomplished several tasks that had fallen to the wayside. I was so in the zone, I almost didn’t notice when Roger stepped into my office. I was sitting at my desk, looking over printed drafts of a commercial storyboard when he approached, walking to my desk and standing over me, rather than taking one of the empty chairs.
“Hey, Roger. What’s up?” I asked without the customary pep I might normally infuse in my voice.
His gaze lingered on my chest, making me realize he could see down my already revealing blouse from his vantage point above me. Embarrassment flooded me, my cheeks burning in frustration and outrage. I cleared my throat and leaned back in my chair, lifting my shirt to cover myself as I moved.
“I wanted to ask about the ‘coming soon’ signage on the DMV building,” he said distractedly.
“It’s scheduled to go up on the eighteenth.”
He nodded, his eyes dropping back down to my chest. “You always put on a show for me, don’t you? You like to tease—I know the type. One of these days, I’m going to fuck those tits, and you’re going to love it.” His thin lips lifted in a lecherous smile before he walked out of the room.
I couldn’t move a muscle. I was in shock.
You’d think it wouldn’t surprise me after dealing with the man for a year, but he’d never been so directly lewd. Roger’s harassment was getting worse. Almost just as upsetting, I realized I’d completely forgotten to go down to HR and file a report.
How could I have forgotten?
I felt like I had been drenched in a bucket of ice water as a full-body shiver wracked me head-to-toe. He made me feel so fucking dirty and ashamed, even though I knew I’d done nothing wrong. Roger terrified me, and it made me so angry, I couldn’t see straight. I could picture myself beating him relentlessly with a baseball bat, and I had never so much as harmed a fly—that was how deeply he upset me.
I wanted him out of my life so I could live in peace.
Taking a couple deep breaths, I stood on shaky legs, bracing myself against the desk until I felt steady enough to walk. With my chin held high, I walked down to the ninth floor to Human Resources. The door to their suite was locked, a sign taped to the window, “Out all day for training.”
God damn it! Of all the fucking days.
Tears welled in my eyes, and the tightening grip of a sob clawed at my chest. I wanted this torture over. I didn’t want to wait another day to get his ass kicked out of this building, but I had no choice. Of course, filing a complaint would only be the start of what could be a lengthy process. There was no telling how long I’d have to deal with an angry, vindictive boss who enjoyed sexually harassing me.
I escaped back into the stairwell and leaned against the wall. The fluorescent lights gave off a dim illumination, and it was eerily silent within the concrete walls, but it was precisely what I needed—the protective enclosure of my own private cave. I didn’t think I could manage going back into my glass office to be stared at and scrutinized like jewelry in a display case.
It was all too much.
All morning I had put on a brave face and fooled myself into believing everything would be alright, and I knew deep down, eventually, it would, but at that moment, it felt like everything was a disaster. The constant pressure of my family, the stress of sorting out my relationship with Luca, and the strain of dealing with Roger—it was too much. Each added pressure had wound me tighter and tighter, and Roger’s comment had been the final straw that had sprung my trigger.
I needed to get away.
I couldn’t go back up to my office, not even for my purse. Instead, I took deep breaths as I slowly descended nine flights of stairs, exiting onto the ground floor and walking numbly through the lobby. One of the security guards I often conversed with asked if I was alright and made an attempt to have me sit down, but I assured him I was fine and slipped from the building.
I walked with no destination in mind. Far from my normal purposeful stride, I strolled aimlessly, blind to the people and activities around me. At one point, I noted Stern College, which was only a couple blocks from the Triton building. Other than that, my mind was a blank, as if my brain had overloaded and shut down.
I tried so hard all the time to be who my parents wanted me to be. There was no such thing as perfect, but by God, I had tried, and I felt like I’d come up unforgivably short. I didn’t know who I was supposed to be. Maybe if I had a stronger sense of self, I’d have known how to handle Luca. He swept me away like a tiny leaf pulled out on the ocean current until I was surrounded by him, unable to see my way to shore. I thought I could manage him like I thought I was handling Roger, but I’d been a fool on both counts.
Luca couldn’t be managed, any more than a tornado or an earthquake.
And as for Roger—I’d deluded myself that dressing conservatively and ignoring him was an effective strategy to address his behavior. Realizing how wrong I’d been made me feel weak and pathetic. The only thing I’d accomplished was allowing him to continue to prey on me. I should have reported him from the very first incident, but instead, I’d told myself dealing with him was necessary, not seeing the lie for what it was—cowardice.
I had been scared for others to know the things my boss had said and done, and the longer it lasted, the more impossible it felt to tell anyone. Each inappropriate comment and suggestive stare was a shovel full of dirt thrown on top of where I lay, down in a hole of my own making. The guilt and shame were unbearable.
In a thriving city of millions of people, I suddenly felt no larger than an ant.
Insignificant.
Worthless.
A tear dripped down my cheek, and my vision blurred just as my toe caught on an uneven sidewalk seam, and I lurched forward. Before I could stumble to the ground, a strong set of hands caught me. My head sprung up, and I gasped in surprise, sucking in a lungful of rancidly sweet air rank with cheap cologne. A large man with tattoos crawling up his neck and a shaved head leered down at me.
There was a cold madness to the gleam in his eyes, sending a bolt of electric adrenaline down my spine, all the way to my fingers and toes. The man was enormous and didn’t look like he’d known a sane day in his life.
“Gotta watch where you’re goin’ lady,” he said as his eyes traveled down my body, his hands still firmly clasped around my arms.
My eyes darted around in search of aid, but I quickly realized I had wandered too close to the river and was standing beneath the FDR overpass. There wasn’t another soul around to help me, just the steady whooshing of cars above and the gentle coo of pigeons nesting under the bridge.
“Let go of me,” I hissed, yanking myself free of his bruising grip. I stumbled backward only to walk straight into another body. Two more thugs stood at my back, clearly amused at my mounting fear. I jerked away from them, stepping aside until they flanked me on three sides, my back to a concrete pillar.
The first man took a small step forward. “There’s no reason to panic, we just want your money.”
“I … I don’t have any money. I left everything back at the office.”
“Don’t fuckin’ lie, lady,” he ground out angrily. “No one lookin’ as fine as you is gonna wander around the city with nothin’ on them. Give us the fuckin’ money, and you can walk away.”
“I was upset when I left—I swear I don’t have anything on me. Please, just let me go.” My voice shook, and my eyes pricked with the threat of tears.
“Fine, you wanna do this the hard way, be my guest. We’re gonna find it either way.” He stepped forward and grabbed my hips, feeling for pockets in the seams of my slacks. “You got it stuffed in your bra? Where you hiding it?”
How was this happening?
All I could do was hope money was all he was after. The thought sent a wave of unadulterated panic through my veins, making me shove at the man’s chest. “Get away from me. I told you, I don’t have anything.”
The man barely budged from my efforts, grabbing the neckline of my blouse along with the edge of my bra cup and pulled it away from my body to peer inside in search of hidden cash. It only took a matter of seconds, but it felt like an eternity. As fast as I could move after registering what was happening, I slapped at his hands. “Don’t touch me,” I hissed at his venomous glare.
“What the fuck?” came an enraged growl beside us. Fast approaching our little party, Luca descended like an avenging angel, lips in a snarl and eyes black with fury.
“This has nothing to do with you, man. Just walk away,” warned the thug who had me cornered against the pillar. His two friends stepped closer to his back, helping to form a unified front.
Luca wasn’t fazed in the slightest. If I didn’t know better, I’d say the challenge excited him. He almost looked eager for the fight that was mounting. “That’s where you’re wrong. You see, that right there, she’s mine, so this has everything to do with me.”
Using the moment of distraction, I lunged away from my attacker and fled to a place of safety behind Luca. The dash had only been a matter of feet, but my heart pounded a furious rhythm in my chest, drumming its intense beat in my ears. “Let’s go, please, Luca,” I whispered with my hands curled tightly around his arm.
“This guy thinks he can take us,” mocked one of the lackeys, curling his hands into fists.
“Three to one—not good odds,” added the leader as the men lined up next to one another like a school of fish gathered to intimidate a hungry shark.
Forever Lies (The Five Families Book 1) Page 9