Page 55 of My Sunfall

“Yeah,” Teo goes on, “Uncle dear got a record of abusing the women he has been with. There is no direct evidence or any lawsuit filed, but there are rumors, and worse, pictures from police reports which have not surprisingly disappeared under piles of bureaucracy. The pictures are”—he clears his throat—“disturbing.”

My blood runs cold. “Fuck,” I mutter. It must be bad if even our enforcer is unsettled. He carves people up for fun, goddamnit. My breath goes shallow and red haze creeps into my peripheral vision as I picture Chiara in the hands of this monster.

The ensuing silence is long and heavy until D breaks it. “Any news about our lingering problem?”

I immediately know what he’s referring to. “Nothing. The men I’ve sent to Florida came back empty-handed. They’ve found jack shit there.”

This subject is getting old, and our frustration is growing with every hour that we’ve not been able to expose Manticore, the human trafficking network that’s been operating under our noses for over two years now.

“Maybe they’ve stopped or moved elsewhere?” I ask.

“Not likely,” Teo chimes in, “they’re dormant, but they’ll slip up eventually.”

I exhale loudly. “I don’t know man, there’s been nothing after the message two weeks ago. And the clue ends in Naples in Florida. Something’s not adding up.”

“You’re right,” Teo chimes in. “They’re silent for now, even in the darknet, not a peep. It’s getting fucking annoying.”

“Keep tracking,” D pushes, “there’s nothing about them in New York either, but it doesn’t mean they’re not there, too. If they come back, we’ll be ready.”

I nod without conviction as I rise to return home. The Mofos must’ve moved elsewhere, but I’ll keep men on the docks and eyes in the streets asking around for them just in case.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chiara

I blink the last remnants of sleep away and look around the room. I am lying alone on the bed, the spot next to me is cool to the touch. Even though the drapes are drawn, I can’t miss the sunlight streaming in through the gaps. My sluggish mind is struggling to catch up, and I stare blankly at the ceiling for a while.

‘If you but knew what my love for you is! ’Tis fire, melted lead, a thousand daggers in my heart.’

Lucas’ quote comes crashing back into my consciousness and I can’t suppress a shudder. In the novel, this had been not love or affection but dark, deadly obsession. Would Lucas hurt me if I kept pushing him away?

No, never. The man I know would never hurt me.

But do you really know him? a quiet voice whispers in my head. The old Lucas would never have accepted to marry for duty. But here we are.

‘See it as our duty, if it makes it easier.’

I press my palms to my eyes with a groan. This man is messing with my mind. Every time I think I have him figured out, he proves me wrong.

Every muscle protests as I push myself upright, my legs unsteady when I swing them over the edge of the bed. My body feels boneless and every inch is sore. Lucas was relentless last night, pulling me back from sleep every time exhaustion dragged me under, ripping blinding pleasure out of my drained body until he became the only reality my mind yielded to. I shudder from the lingering memory of his touch. It’s as if he managed to imprint himself in me, under my skin, marking me.

I shake my head. Get a grip!

I get up and pull the drapes. It’s not early morning anymore, bright daylight streams in through the high windows. I make my way to the shower and let the hot water run over me to alleviate the ache. Steam is coiling up around me, warm and grounding, filling the space until my thoughts blur along with the mirror. I stand beneath the spray longer than necessary, my hazy mind trying to sort all the emotions weighing down my heart. The grief over Father’s death doesn’t feel so acute anymore, somehow it has dulled into a void hollowing me out until all I feel is a numb ache. I had been too distracted to mourn properly, and somewhere in the recess of my mind, I fear that when this is over and things settle, it will all come crashing down, crushing me under its weight. Is it normal to feel so detached? Shouldn’t I feel more? I push the guilt down for now, I’ll deal with it when the time comes.

When I return to the bedroom, wrapped in a towel, I stop short.

A tray sits on the small table by the window. There’s a porcelain cup and a teapot from which wafts up the unmistakable scent of Earl Grey tea. Beside it lies a neat arrangement of sliced fruit and crackers. My heart kicks in my chest. Who…? Lucas. He must’ve arranged for the tray to be brought in. Even away, he is showing his absolute control over what I do and what I eat.

Is it control, though? Or…care? My breath stutters and my heart lurches in my chest. No, he needs to be in charge, he shows his hold over me, that’s all. I chide myself for even entertaining the thought. He needs to control every aspect of his life, and now that I have become a duty entrusted to him, he needs to rule over me, too.

I slowly sip the tea while getting dressed, letting the familiar taste settle my nerves. There’s no rush today. The meeting with our family lawyer isn’t until in the afternoon, and for once, time feels like the only thing I’ve got left.

Someone had moved my whole wardrobe from my family’s villa into the walk-in closet of Lucas’ mansion. And worse, I even see items from my other wardrobe, the one I had been wearing when I was Cara Bailey. I shudder. Nothing is escaping Lucas and his absolute control. I should be used to it by now, but seeing signs of his obsession still sends shivers down my spine.

When I walk down the stairs an hour later in my black dress and nude pumps, I am more composed. I stop short at the bottom of the stairs when I spot Lucas standing by the window in the living room, facing the glass. He is wearing a navy suit, his hair is tousled and his eyes flash like blue flames in the light coming in through the windows he is staring out. He turns my way when he hears me and we lock gazes for a beat. I stand frozen under his stare, heart thundering in my chest. Then he strides up to me and pulls me into him, slowly kissing my lips. When he pulls back his eyes are searching mine.

“Cara mia…”