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“Luca. What is it?” he answers with a yawn.
“Did I wake you?”
“No, it’s only nine o’clock.”
“You sound tired.”
“I was about to say the same about you. Are you good, brother?” I hate that he always treats me like the younger, weaker one, so I ignore his question.
“What is happening over there? When will you be back?”
“Shit has hit the fan here. I've not slept in two days. We have three shipments missing, and the authorities are not cooperating with us.”
I run a hand through my hair, feeling my own exhaustion. “You should have let me come.”
“Right now, I need you right where you are. I may be away longer than I anticipated. There is some business I need you to take care of while I am gone.”
“How long?” I ask impatiently, needing him to come back A.S.A.P. and deal with the devil in my closet.
“A week, two at the most.”
I don’t bother to complain, I know he is stressed and tired, and it will be a futile fight. It is what it is, and I just have to persevere.
“The girl, is she behaving?”
I laugh. It’s full of frustration and resentment. “She is contained for now.”
“Luca.” Nicolai chastises me. “Why do I get the feeling you mean that literally?”
“It’s nothing to concern yourself with. Scarlet is secure.” I pause for a moment before continuing, “And relatively unharmed.” I smile, envisioning her tied up in my walk-in.
“I can only imagine. Just promise me you won’t ruin her before I can talk to her. We need to know what it is she has hidden on us and how she managed to get into Alessio's wedding.”
“Yeah, well, good luck with that.” I chuckle. “I told you already, she is no ordinary woman.”
“I am well aware. She had you chasing your own tail for twelve months. That alone has me intrigued to meet her.”
I groan under my breath. Why does everyone insist on reminding me that she had me playing fox and hound for way too long?
“I have to go. Keep me posted.” The phone goes dead. I throw it across the room in rage.
Touching the long claw mark on my cheek, I growl. Two weeks! I have not managed to get through two whole days without being attacked by Scarlet. What the hell am I going to do with her? I can’t keep her tied up in my closet for that long.
I shouldn’t be as pissed off with her as I am. Honestly, I don’t know what else I expected. I should have known the moment she was left alone, she would snoop through my things. Not that I own much, I keep my life simple. But out of the few possessions I do have, the ones she held in her hand today were the most precious ones to me. Everything else in this apartment is replaceable except them.
I was young when my mother died. Those handful of pictures are the only remnants of her that I have left on this earth. I have no memories to relive, only mere images that capture my time with her, so I look at them often. She looks happy in them. I looked loved and cherished by her. Even as a small child, you could tell that I absolutely adored her.
What would she think of me now if she knew the man I had become? She had to have known that as a Valsetti child, I would be brought up surrounded by so much evil it would be impossible for me not to conform.
Muffled screams come from the hallway. Scarlet yells out to me, but I can't make out what she is saying through the closed doors. I hit the remote on my stereo, pumping up the volume to drown her out. I can’t deal with her right now.
Nineteen
Scarlet
My wrists burn, and my arms feel like heavy dead weights. I lean my butt against the wall, trying to lessen the shooting pain in my legs. I’m not sure how long I have been tied to this stupid rail, but it feels like an eternity. Every piece of me throbs with agony. My throat is dry and raw from stupidly screaming out to Luca for God knows how long.
Music blares through the apartment. It’s morbid and only adds to the already deafening throbs in my head. I need to pee. I need to sit down. I need water.
