LUCA Read online

  His throat made low rumbling sounds and his lips hummed, and he kept lashing his tongue at my clit as I moaned in pleasure, clutching the sheets and his hair and whatever I could grab to hold on.

  He was amazing with his lips and his tongue, licking my clit while kissing my pussy. Gentle and rough at the same time, and always insistent, inevitable, pressing, speeding up, focused on sending me off. On keeping his promise. I arched my hips as the sensations shot through me, they weren’t the slow waves building, they were tidal waves, fireworks and gunshots, tearing through me. The sensations were so intense from his soft and satiny lips and his firm rough but soft tongue and his hand holding my hips down, I had no choice but to let him do whatever he wanted. I was in his hands, and he had my pulse racing, and my skin on fire, radiating the heat from his mouth and magnifying it inside me. I started to lose control, rocking my hips into him, into the firmness of his tongue, one hand clutched the bed, the other his hair, just trying to hold on as the explosions started inside, the shock waves slamming into me, setting off chain reactions in my hips, my stomach, my thighs, my arms, everywhere all at once.

  I shuddered and moaned, my whole body trembling against him, repeating “Please Luca,” over and over as the explosions died down, and he held me tighter with his good arm and he climbed up my body, lingering on my breasts until he kissed me on my cheek, sloppy and wet with my taste on his lips.

  I was warm and blissful, and still coming back to earth. I grabbed him and hugged him close to me, wanting his weight on me, crushing me or else I might start trembling again or laughing.

  “Did you like that?” he whispered smiling over me. Knowing the answer, but wanting to hear me say it.

  “I loved it,” I said breathlessly. Holding him on me, “Can you please fuck me now?”

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  CHAPTER 15 - LUCA

  “We had better not.”

  I still couldn’t believe I said those words. She was begging me and despite the fact I may have bled to death on top of her, I would have done it. It would have been worth it.

  She looked at me as if I had grown a third head but she didn’t ask me again. Maybe my stupid mouth wouldn’t have screwed it up if she had asked again.

  She rolled off the bed and went into the bathroom, but kept the door open so I wouldn’t follow. I heard her sigh deeply and wash her face. Then she came out, “Let’s go then. The sooner we arrive, the sooner I go home.”

  There was no arguing with her. I wanted her to lay in my arms for a few hours, and maybe tempt fate. Tempt my loyalties, see how strong I really was. How loyal I really was. I would have lost I’m sure. Instead we walked to the car in silence and I drove away.

  Probably for the best. There was no reason to cross Elio unnecessarily. Better to keep things simple. It would be a short ransom for Nina. Ezrah would pay whatever price for her and then maybe, just maybe I could see her again. If she would see me. I would even risk castration by her father, and maybe by her. But those were daydreams for the future. For the present I had to do my job and deliver her and hope it stayed simple.

  Driving on empty roads are meant for daydreaming. I entertained the disloyal thought of just going with her, wherever we could, just keep going. But she had loyalties and responsibilities to get back to and so did I. She was quiet, staring out her window, maybe daydreaming just like me. Maybe planning how she would see me suffer when all this was over.

  “You understand why I have to go through with this even after what we’ve been through?” I asked her.

  “Your loyalty is impressive but it’s not to me. I understand that,” she said.

  Those were words that cut me but she was right. Loyalty was to my family, not to her, an outsider, a prisoner. A bargaining chip to make my family stronger.

  But those lips and that trembling body.

  She would run out on me the moment I turned my back. Despite what we had gone through. Freedom was more important than I was to her. And her safety was more important to me than my lust. Elio was unpredictable. I was about the only person in the world who had some control over him and his worst urges and decisions.

  But if Jack was right about his wanting Nina. Her rejection of him and any hint that we were somehow involved might push him. Might make him push her. Cristiana and the bloody mess of her body flashed into my mind.

  He had come a long way from that day and so had I, still it was safer for all of us that I didn’t touch Nina. Not touch her more than I already had.

  “Do you remember what I told you about Elio?” I asked her.

  “That he’s dangerous.”

  “Dangerous because he’s emotional. Hot headed. He’s impulsive. I only want you to know this so you don’t get harmed.”

  “What if I tell him about what just happened in the motel?”

  I couldn’t tell if she was teasing or challenging me. I spoke softly, knowing the words were true. “Then maybe we’ll both be harmed.”

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  CHAPTER 16 - NINA

  This was it then, all I was to him was something to be ransomed, a bargaining chip. That was all. I should have ran when I had the chance. Whatever was waiting for me, I doubted Luca would be much help. He was loyal to the point of stupidity. It wasn’t a strength for him the way it is for most people, it was a weakness.

  We drove along a river broken up by mansions and huge estates. The river was green and lush with great big houses on its edges. Mountains sprang up on the edges of the river, so most house were half on stilts, half on land.

  But not the one we arrived at. It was a great two story Gothic mansion that spread over acres. I was escorted up to the house across a great big well-manicured lawn and delicate stone pathways. It was a beautiful house but my stomach turned, knowing what was up there.

  I walked alone. I could have used an arm to steady me but I wouldn’t take one from Luca and he was barely in shape himself to get up the stairs.

  He still held his close to him. I would have given him a hand but it was his fault I was here. The attraction and the friendship he offered did nothing for me now. And his vague promise to protect me didn’t seem any good if it was up against his stupid loyalty.

  Finally we were brought into a waiting room, waiting for Elio. It was a dark library, with green lamps and dark ox blood wood, very regal and intimidating. The bookshelves were filled with beautifully bound books, but they were all untouched. Decorations.

  Luca seemed out of place in this room. The other men were larger, especially around the belly and jowls. Luca was younger, certainly in better shape but when the gun is your weapon, physical prowess isn’t that big of an advantage. The men seemed to look at Luca suspiciously. Maybe the family was loyal to him but these guys were not. They were Elio’s men.

  Elio arrived through a back door and took a seat at the end of a long table. I had pictured him as small and short, someone with a Napoleon complex. He was short, but he was muscular and wide and powerful.

  He sat and looked up at us in silence, studying me and Luca. He looked either disappointed or put off by Luca’s presence beside me. Luca took the hint and limped to the side of the room.

  Elio trained his eyes on me, beady little things, but addressed Luca first, “You look injured brother, did she put up a fight?”

  “This was my own fault. A bobcat on an empty island. She saved me from it.”

  “Rescued by a girl? Nothing changes.” The large men in the room laughed like trained monkeys until Elio shut them up with a snap of his fingers and turned to me.

  “Welcome Nina Brown, I hope you’ll enjoy your stay as my guest here.”

  “Guest? Do you usually kidnap your guests?” I asked.

  The careful fake smile fell off his face, “Sometimes. Fine, I thought guest was a better, more polite way to say hostage, but fine we won’t bullshit each other. You’re my hostage, but it’s up to you if I treat you like a guest or like a prisoner. Entirely up to you.”
/>   Luca spoke before I could, “She’s resistant to the idea, but she’ll accept it, Elio. No need for threats. She’ll be a peaceful and good guest.”

  Elio stared at him the way I would have, “Thank you Luca for your advice. Leave us for a minute, the two heads of their families need to speak.” It was an insult to Luca, reminding him of his place. But he took it docilely, he put his head down and left but not before shooting me a look of warning. I had nothing but contempt for him now, just because he kowtowed to Elio didn’t mean I would.

  The other men left too, when we were alone and he silently stared at me, I spoke, “What are your plans? My father will pay almost anything, but he’ll seek revenge too.”

  He stood up and walked around the table to stand in front of me. He looked up at me with those little eyes, almost bulging from his face like they wanted to escape something chasing them, “Will he? I thought he’d be happy that you found a new husband.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “It’s clear he wants you to marry so your husband can be a firm hand in your family. Originally I was going to ask for concessions for your return, as a ransom. But you’ll be a fun wife, and getting a hand in your family will be an added bonus.”

  “I’ll never,”

  The backside of his hand came at me, too fast for me to react. It was weak and vicious thing. I slapped him back. “Don’t you ever lay a hand on—”

  His fist came this time, a balled up fist against my neck, I fell over and he stood over me. “It can go like this or a lot easier. It’s your choice.” His voice almost squeaked in anger and rage, “And it’ll be a long marriage. So, warm up to me, or keep fighting. I don’t really care.”

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  CHAPTER 17 - LUCA

  I heard everything through the doors outside. My stomach knotted and I wanted to burst through the doors, but his men waited at them and even though I could have taken them on, what then? He was the boss.

  Finally when his men opened the doors to check on the noise, I went in behind them and saw Elio standing over her, his eyes crazy.

  I grabbed his shoulders and shook him, “Elio, you can’t do this, you have to treat her well.”

  He looked at me like he wanted to hit me but he knew better, he knew I would fight back. Finally he calmed down enough for me to let go of him, he turned away and yelled, “Take her away.”

  I bent down to help her up, her face hardened against me, her eyes accusing me of breaking my promise, like a punch to my stomach. “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “Of course not,” she spoke, her eyes frightened, pained, betrayed.

  The words twisting in my stomach as I saw blood form on her cracked lip. I wanted to kill Elio. I wanted to kill Nina for not being more careful.

  “Come on,” I told her while I helped her stand up. The anger she had for me was better than seeing her cry or worse. She could use the hate towards me as resolve to strengthen herself. She would need that. And even though I wanted to take that away, to do anything to change it, she needed that strength more than I needed to feel better about myself. Let her hate me.

  I walked her down to her room, but by the end we were carrying each other. My stitches tearing at me, my heart tearing at me. She walking unsteady, on the verge of crying but a woman like her won’t let anyone see her cry. She’ll do it in the dark, alone, in secret.

  “I promised to return you to your family unharmed. And I still plan to but you have to be more careful around him. He’s unpredictable and I can’t be outside the doors every time.” I told her, trying to scold her but also be tender with her.

  She looked at me and laughed but her eyes weren’t smiling, it was a mocking laugh, her eyes still full of hurt and hate and betrayal. “Your brother no longer wants me as ransom or a bargaining chip. He wants me for his wife. And no matter your promise, I don’t think we’ll have a long and happy marriage.”

  Her words, her spite towards me, the sound of her voice giving up like that twisted in my stomach. There was nothing I could say or do for her. I left her on her bed, wrapped in a warm blanket and my hands shaking with anger.

  I went to the library to find Elio while I choked back the anger, “Marriage?” I asked him, not believing it. A crazy idea even for him. “You know the men won’t approve. They’re the black crime family, we’re Italian. Do you expect the other families come to the wedding?”

  “The men are already unhappy with me. Adding the revenue of that family to ours will make them happy again.” He said, dismissing my advice. Then he stopped and looked closely at me, “Or do you mean you will be unhappy with me? Is there something between you two? Did anything happen out there between you?” He studied my face for a reaction.

  “She was my prisoner that’s all.” I said but turned away from him in case he could read something into it. “I saved her from that man you planted in her family. Your man was going to rape her. She saved me from a bobcat. That’s all that came between us but I did promise I would return her safely and nothing would happen to her.”

  “You made a foolish promise then. And so what if David had raped her? She’s not one of us. She has worth as the daughter to Ezrah Brown but that’s all.”

  I put my clenched fists in my pockets and tried to straighten them, tried to restrain myself. “You’re right of course Boss. But if she’s to be your wife, we should treat her a bit better right? Until her father accepts the fact anyways? We don’t need his men coming after us right now.”

  “I know, that’s taken care of. I have plans too Luca.”

  “What are they? Tell me”

  “When you need to know, I’ll tell you. Just keep your head down and obey orders okay?”

  I left him before he dismissed me. I made my way to her room but didn’t dare enter it. I put my ear against the door, but couldn’t hear anything inside.

  I sat down across from her door and stared at it. I couldn’t forget about her in there. A woman had never stuck in my head like this. This was something new. Not even alcohol, not even getting drunk would wash her out of my head. She needed protection but there is only so much I could do against the boss of the family. Only so much I would do. But I could protect her. I could keep my promise.

  I fell asleep like that, I don’t know for how long, until one of Elio’s men woke me and made me follow him to see Elio again.

  “Are you still my man Luca?” He asked me.

  “Of course I am,” I answered without thinking.

  “Then why do you wait outside her door like a lap dog? Do you really think I plan to hurt her?”

  “Do you really mean to marry her against her will?”

  “It won’t be against her will, she’ll come around to the idea. Trust me.”

  “I know her. She’s strong willed. I think this is the wrong course Elio, really I do.”

  “You would do things differently?” He asked me.

  This was my time to answer him honestly, “I would have done everything differently. I never would have kidnapped her. I would have dealt with Ezrah and offered him money. That’s how we should do business, with money.”

  “I tried that first Luca. We may need their family. As the boss, you have to make decisions for the whole family, not just for yourself. I know that. She knows that. Maybe you’re the only one who doesn’t. She sees it a political alliance, she can’t rule her family by herself, and if she doesn’t want it to fall into others’ hands, then an alliance with me makes sense. She’s not a fool, she knows what’s best for her. And she’ll come around to me. I don’t feel much for her and she doesn’t feel much for me, that can change, but we’re heads of families, we have to do things we don’t want to do from time to time. It comes with the responsibility. You would need to do the same if you were in my position.”

  “I can’t see how she would be willing. She is very headstrong and independent.” I was arguing with him, I was arguing with myself.

  “And she’s smart. Luca, whatever happened on th
e journey, she saved you I take it, but she’s mine. You know I can’t let anything happen to her, especially with you. And she knows it too. She tried to turn your head, I’m sure. Some ploy to turn you against me, to save herself. I don’t blame her for that and you shouldn’t either. But now, she’s here and safe and will settle down with me. It’s the way things go.”

  “I still don’t see it.”

  “You will. Believe me, you’ll see it. Anyways, I have a job for you it won’t be a very long one and you can watch her through her social media. See how she accepts it.”

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  CHAPTER 18 - NINA

  They didn’t let me sleep.

  They removed all the blankets and the mattress and left me shivering on the cold for hours. When I finally fell asleep, they came in and woke me up and took me to another room with a soft warm robe for me to wear and a soft luxurious bed. I fell asleep almost immediately, but again I was woken, the robe removed and I was tossed back in the other bare room to shiver.

  When I slept again they brought me back to the comfortable room, this time food was spread before me, a great big wonderful spread and I ate as much as I could, not caring if it was some trick. Then they took me away again, to the bare room to shiver and left me a piece of bread and small glass of water.

  This went on for what seemed likes weeks but I couldn’t keep track of time at all. I only knew the warmth of the bed and the food and the peace of sleep. Then the absence of all those and the cold floor.

  Finally, the door flew open and I was brought to Elio in the library, sleep deprived and hungry. He watched me walk in and his eyes sparkled and delighted in my misery. This room was warm and there was food in front of me.

  “Please sit and eat.” He said.

  I didn’t want to, but I was starving. I ate ravenously.

  “See,” he said. “I can be very nice. I can treat you like a guest, or I can send you back to your room without heat or food. I’m not without kindness, but how kind I am depends on how kind you are.”