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I didn't know that I needed someone until her. Until she ripped my heart out of my chest and pumped it back to life with her possibilities. Last night we shared something special. Maybe because of her expiration date, she just let go. She gave in to the need to explore us further.
How can I defy my brother's orders? It goes against everything I have ever been taught. It’s pointless anyway. It wouldn’t make a difference. If I don’t follow through with his order when it comes, he will. There are no choices here. I have to end her. There is no other way.
Scarlet has to die.
If there is an irony in all this, let it be that I lose in the end. I lose the chance of ever being happy and content in love and fulfillment because, goddammit, it all lies in her. All hope dies with Scarlet.
Thirty-Five
Scarlet
I wake abruptly, sitting up in Luca’s bed. Memories of last night flush my cheeks as I look at the empty spot next to me in the bed. I feel the sheets. They are cold. He’s been gone a long time. Part of me feels relieved not to have to have the awkward morning after chat. But part of me is also disappointed that he’s not here.
Flopping back down, I sigh. My body aches in all the right places. When I close my eyes, I can still feel his skin on mine, like silk on silk. I wait for the guilt and regret to sink into me, but it doesn’t come. I don’t regret it. Last night Luca unveiled his vulnerabilities to me. He showed me the man underneath that he could be.
Luca’s choices in life have hardly been his own. Born into a world with so much death and destruction, he is an image of his upbringing. The very man he was trained to be. It’s hard to blame him for that. I couldn’t imagine what his life has been like. If I had been born into the same fate as he, would I be the same?
I am not making excuses for him, nor does he make any for himself. He owns who he is. However, after meeting Nicolai yesterday, it explains so much about him and why he operates the way he does.
Naivety is not one of my traits. I fully understand that last night will not change the inevitable outcome. I think I have known all along that the day I sent the story to Montana to post online, my life was living on borrowed time. It was reckless and stupid, but in a moment of sheer grief, the dark cloud that was hanging over me was too much to take. People may see what I did as bravery, but in truth, it was a selfish and cowardly act. My desperation to feel numb from all the pain of losing my family was incredibly narrow-minded. I not only endangered my life, but Peters’, Montana’s, Michaels’, and now possibly all the catering staff from Alessio and Eden’s wedding. I invited the Valsettis into my life, and now I must pay the consequences.
By the time I get out of bed and shower, it’s noon. Pumpkin meows impatiently at me to feed him. It makes me anxious to think about what will happen to him when I am gone. Will Luca kill him too?
The front door opens. I dart around expecting to see Luca, but it’s Joe.
“Miss Reed, Luca has asked you to be ready to leave in one hour.”
My eyes widen. “Where am I going?”
There is a flash of compassion behind his serious stare. “You have a meeting with the boss,” he answers.
I have so many more questions to ask, but he closes the door, leaving me all alone with my panicked thoughts. Flopping down onto the sofa, I let out a long, painful breath. I don’t want to face the angry lion again. Where is Luca? Why isn’t he here? Fucking coward! Leaving his minions to do his dirty work for him. What did I expect, honestly?
Even though my stomach is queasy and unsettled, I make myself a coffee and toast. At least that way I will have something in my stomach other than bile to throw up later. I cradle Pumpkin in my arms, scratch under his chin, and stroke his belly.
“I guess this is our goodbye, little one,” I say softly as he purrs in my arms. “I’m sorry I won’t be around to protect you anymore.” There are no tears to fight back. I think I have shed them all in the last twenty-four hours. Instead, I am almost numb. Robotic. Really, there is no use in me sitting here stewing over what will happen today. Nothing will prepare me for what is to come.
I just hope that it is Luca that pulls the trigger in the end. I want him to look me in the eye and burn my face into his memories so that I will be the last thing he sees when he closes his eyes to sleep and the first when he awakes. My ghost will haunt his sorry ass and take great pleasure in it.
It feels like only minutes have passed when the door opens again, but as I look up at the clock, it’s been an hour. “Let’s go, red.” Luca’s voice startles me. I had expected Joe. When I turn around on the sofa to look at him, he doesn’t make eye contact with me. Busy texting something into his phone, he stands tall in the entrance. His usual black jeans, t-shirt, and army boots have been swapped today for a black suit. He looks so handsome, mature, and serious. I inwardly mock him. He’s dressed for business. I remember his words from what feels like a lifetime ago. ‘You are my business.’ My life is his, and he is about to end it like a bad business deal.
Giving Pumpkin a kiss on his head and one last stroke. I place him down and walk to Luca. He doesn’t look up at me from his phone to point to the waiting opened elevator in the lobby. I walk past him quietly. I won’t give him the satisfaction of an argument. He doesn’t deserve any of my attention.
The ride down is long and silent. Awkward air fills the space between us. Joe is accompanying us, which only adds to the trepidation that poisons my mood. We all get into a black SUV, the windows tinted so dark you can barely see out, let alone in, and as we leave the driveway and enter onto the roads of Manhattan, my heart rate increases with every mile we take.
There are no words of warning, no advice to be given or reassuring notions. Luca drives silently while Joe in the front passenger seat occupies himself on his phone. The quiet is unwelcomed as dreadful thoughts eat away at me.
It feels as though we drive for hours. The city fades in the distance as forest and country estates take us further and further away. Eventually, we pull off the main road and are met by tall iron gates which connect to a long brick wall like a fortress. They automatically open for us as we continue down a long driveway until we reach a beautifully restored old manor house. It looks like something out of a movie. Perfectly manicured gardens display an old fountain, making it appear that royalty lives here. All I can think about is what a beautiful place this is to die in.
As the car comes to a stop, so does my heart. I fist my shaking hands as Joe opens the door to usher me out. As we come to the entrance, Luca stops, picking up a small wooden truck. A child's toy? What the hell? Then it dawns on me. This must be Nicolai’s home. I know he has a little boy. He was just a baby at the wedding, but given the timeline, he would have to be a toddler now. Why would Nicolai have me brought to his home?
We are met at the door by a friendly-looking older woman. She is dressed like a staff member, so I assume she is their maid. I follow Joe inside. Luca is behind me. But just as I get inside the door, Luca pulls me back to him by my wrist. My back hits his chest. The contact with him immediately electrifies my body, sending all my nerve endings sizzling with heat. He leans into my ear and whispers, “This will go easier if you just tell him what you know. Please,” he almost begs me. “Just tell him.”
I take a deep breath, shoving all his warmth away. “Easier for who?” I bite back the venom that threatens to escape and pull my arm from his hold. I turn around to face him. He struggles to make eye contact with me.
“For both of us,” he murmurs softly, just about knocking me over with his words. Does he care about me? Have I gotten under his thick skin and shaken him? Surely not. He can’t even bear to look at me right now.
“Ahem.” Someone clears their throat. I spin around swiftly. “Are you two coming in, or are you just going to stand at the front door all day?” Nicolai narrows his eyes at Luca.
