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Fuck. He’s going to kill him.
The moment I stand, however, Luca’s attention gravitates toward me again. Please, I mouth desperately. Because, although I don’t often have attachments to people and even though Dmitri might’ve betrayed me, I don’t want him dead for it. He is the only resource and help I’d had up until this point. I don’t want him being murdered by the same man who was most likely going to kill me—because of me.
Luca lazily smiles as he reaches out his hands. The crowd goes wild while Dmitri is trying to stand. I plead with Luca as best as I can. I hate this. Every part of it. He might be a lethal man. An underworld king of sorts. However, I can’t pretend to enjoy this.
Please, I ask again, this time bringing my hands to my chest.
Dmitri stands back up, wincing as he puts his hands in front of his face as if to block whatever Luca might do next.
It’ll only take one hit to bring him down. Most likely permanently.
Luca’s head rolls to the side as he stares at me. It’s primal and terrifying, a crazed look in his eye frightening because it has never been directed my way. I take a step back and Lorenzo catches my elbow, so I don’t fall back hastily into my chair.
By the time I look back up Luca is exiting the ring. The crowd goes silent and the announcer is licking his lips, the microphone suspended near his mouth as he waits to be in on what Luca is doing as he makes his way up the staircase. Dmitri is now squinting in my direction as well, confused as he wobbles back and forth.
One of the white masked men whisper into the announcer’s ear and the announcer breaks through his own fumbling to update the confused crowd. “I-It looks like The Playboy is the winner tonight. It would seem our host has previous engagements to attend.”
The crowd remains silent, still in disbelief and I doubt most are willing to vocally announce their annoyance. Everyone seems to be in shock. My heartrate rises as Luca stands before me. He towers over me in size. Blood runs down his eyebrow and lip as he reaches his hand out to me.
“You’ll be making it up to me, sweetheart. For not killing your disloyal friend.”
My mouth opens to dispute Dmitri isn’t my friend, but the words die on my lips. “You heard me,” is all I can manage to say. It’s my version of desperate pleading and somehow…this monster actually stopped.
“You were the only one I was ever listening to from the moment we stepped in here,” he says matter-of-fact. It shouldn’t have the effect it does on my heart. He doesn’t even realize what he said or the small heartstring it pulls on my chest. That’s bad. Very bad.
Lorenzo leans over to Luca. “It would appear your brother is here, sir.”
Any fleeting moment of reprieve or kindness slips as Luca yanks me up and into his chest. I’m so small against him and feel caged as he escorts me out of the room. I look over my shoulder at Dmitri who’s furiously staring up at us.
Not at me. Luca. Possibly for throwing the fight?
When we reach the staircase, Luca’s younger brother, Dario is making his way down the hall with two friends. I make a point to hide my face further into Luca’s chest. Although I look different from the one encounter Dario and I had, I don’t want to leave anything to chance. I can’t have him recognizing me—especially considering how much trouble that night has already gotten me into.
His brother pales slightly as Luca storms the hallway. “We heard you were fighting like the old days so we wanted to come and watch.”
“Leave,” Luca says as he barges between them.
“But—” With fierce speed and ferocity, Luca releases me and pins his brother against the wall by the collar of his shirt. Dario immediately puts his hands up, indicating he doesn’t want a fight.
“I clearly told you that you aren’t welcome here. You fuck up everything you touch. And if you fuck up one more time, I promise you I will call Ivan back to take you back to Italy.”
Ivan.
If he were called back to New York, wouldn’t that also raise the likelihood of Luca returning to Italy? They always swapped to maintain duties both in New York and Italy simultaneously.
What would be the catalyst to piss Luca off so much he has to send his brother back? What would divide them? In the way they interacted now, it obviously wouldn’t take much.
That’s what I need to exploit.
Instead of drawing Luca closer, perhaps I need to break him from the inside on a very obvious wound. And that is his brother.
Luca releases him and tucks me back under his shoulder as he leads me away. Dario is left behind, embarrassed. His friends actively avoiding one another’s gazes.
Luca whispers into the top of my hair as his knuckles tighten through my threaded fingers. “Now you owe me some explanations.”
34
ARA
