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Lily winces. “A match-up huh? That’s rough. No wonder you’re in a mood.”
I go to argue the fact I’m not in any type of “mood” but the moment my eyes meet hers I know I’m in denial. Okay maybe a slighty pissy mood. I’m on total edge from the arson act I’d committed in the early hours. Every time my mind drifts to it a hot pump of adrenaline courses through my veins. If anyone finds out it was me… If Luca finds out… I have more reason to fear him than the police. I am going mad. I am certain I finally hit my pinnacle and have gone full blown crazy.
We’re two hours into the reception and I’m doing everything I can to actively avoid my date, Leigh. I would rather gouge my own eyes out than deal with small talk. I find myself continuously looking at my phone instead. Not entirely sure if I’m waiting for an appropriate time to leave or a text message to come through instead. Not that I want one from him, but it unnerves me he hasn’t in three days considering how many I received on the daily before. When someone like Luca goes quiet it is all the more terrifying.
“There she is,” Leigh says. I freeze under his higher pitched, irritable voice. My father could’ve chosen the most purebred of men and I would’ve still despised having to be in his presence. Because it’s not my choice.
“I’m going to go over and talk to Sienna and Michael while they’re free real quick,” Lily says excusing herself and I do everything within my power to not chase after her.
I offer a polite enough smile to Leigh. “Are you enjoying the party?”
“The Americans certainly do it differently,” he says with a thick French accent. “Also, I’ve had better champagne, but it suffices.”
I squint inquisitively. “Tell me, Leigh. Why did you move to New York? You seem to miss home.”
He offers a polite smile. “I do miss home and try to fly back as often as possible, but we wanted to expand and opened a new branch in New York. And the only person my father trusted to run that was me. No one will work half as hard unless it’s someone who is actually invested in the family business. Surely you understand that?”
“Quite.”
The difference between Leigh and me is that he is praised for his efforts in his role. I am constantly reminded I only have a certain amount of time, no matter how well I do.
“What do we have here?” a voice creeps. It’s predatory and elicits a chill up my spine. When I turn to face Luca it’s already too late.
He swings and Leigh hits the floor. I step between them, shocked by the spectacle Luca’s creating. “Are you out of your goddamn mind?” I whisper shout.
“I thought I made it very clear to you that no one else is to touch you,” he says with a lethal edge and he doesn’t look like he’s slept in days. Despite his disheveled state he’s still immaculate and beautiful—if you find insanity attractive.
I lean into him, my voice so hushed only he hears as I push him back. “You can’t kill him in front of all these people.”
People are already gathering around the spectacle. Eyes on our every move.
“You seem to think you can tell me what to do, my little stalker.” Finally, those cold blue eyes shift from Leigh on the floor to me. I shudder under their intensity.
Does he know what I did?
Hell, wrath and fury burn in his gaze.
Its unsettling when they’re fixated on me.
“What the actual fuck?” Leigh says as he tries to stand, blood oozing from his nose.
Everyone is watching. Whispers begin and I feel the blood drain from my face. Fuck. I know when my father hears of this… No no no.
The one thing I depended on from Luca was he’d always maintain his public image no matter what. I thought I was safe in environments such as these. That was a miscalculation on my behalf. Clearly, right now he didn’t give a flying fuck who saw.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I say to Luca.
“I’m anywhere you are, sweetheart.” His smile is anything but endearing.
“Ara?” Sienna says carefully as she steps toward us. Her fiancé, Michael carefully helps Leigh to stand. “Perhaps you should take this conversation elsewhere?”
Lily is standing behind her with a hand over her mouth in shock.
Fuck.
This is the first slip of the mask anyone has seen from Luca Armani. This madness is no doubt derived because of me. In the same way mine is from him. I won’t apologize. We are both going insane. We bring the worst out of each other.
“I think you should leave,” I quietly say to Luca.
