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CHAPTERTWELVE
LUCA DIDN’T KNOW how long he stayed up in his room, but it was long enough that morning light had turned into bright midday sun, and now was fading, embers of pink and orange touching the edge of the sky.
His stomach was growling, and he’d debated for a while now whether to go downstairs to fend for himself. He’d tried the doorknob earlier out of curiosity, and it wasn’t locked. Dom had just wanted him out of the way, and Luca was more than happy to oblige. Dom’s crew made Luca’s skin crawl, so it didn’t bother him not to be around them. Even Dom, with the way his mood could turn on a dime, wasn’t company Luca wanted to keep—even if hewasundeniably hot half-naked.
Which Luca hadn’t been thinking about at all. Really.
When his stomach growled again, Luca sighed and pushed up off the bed. If he was quiet and stayed out of the way, they wouldn’t even notice he was there, and it was with that thought that Luca headed quietly into the hall and down the stairs.
It was so silent that he wondered if anyone was even there. Some background noise from a TV would’ve done wonders to make the place feel more alive, but of course he hadn’t seen any of those around either.
He turned the corner into the living room, and the sight of Dom standing at the window made him stop. Dom didn’t seem to know Luca was there as he stared out at the city, lifting a glass of amber liquid to his lips. He’d changed clothes since the last time Luca saw him, and even he had to admit Dom made a striking figure in head-to-toe black. The perfectly tailored collared shirt and slacks molded to his fit body in a way that exuded power and confidence.
Dom lowered the glass, tapping the rim with the gold ring on his right hand, and then he turned around.
Sweet mother of holy hell, the fierce intensity in those dark-as-night eyes rolled across the room in waves as Luca remained paralyzed in place. It was like he was having some out-of-body experience where his brain was saying,Turn around and run,but his body had other ideas.
There was no denying it: Dom was as terrifying as he was enigmatic, and had this been any other situation—such as one where he didn’t want Luca dead—Luca would be trying to get closer to the man. As it was, the stairs back up to his current prison cell were looking really good. If only he could remember how to move.
Just as he was about to speak, a locking mechanism sounded behind Luca, making him whirl around to face the main doors. They flew open with a force that made Luca jump back as a man dressed in an impeccable suit marched in as though he owned the place. He didn’t bother with a glance in Luca’s direction as he strode across the living room to Dom.
Luca had pretty much figured that Dom was the boss of everybody and everything when it came to who entered this place, but when the man stopped toe to toe with Dom, Luca’s eyes almost fell out of his head.
“You disobeyed a direct order,” the newcomer barked, and when Luca expected Dom to tell the man to back the fuck off, he merely stood silent, a twitch in his jaw the only visible response to this dressing-down. “I told you to lie low, and what did you do? Go out and get yourself shot.”
“I—” Dom started, but the man snapped his fingers and Dom’s teeth clicked shut.
“You what? You thought I was making a suggestion when I told you not to go anywhere? You thought you knew better than me?”
“No, sir.”
“Then what the hell do you think you were doing out there?” The man let out a sigh, shaking his head. “Figlio mio, what are you trying to do? Put me in an early grave?”
Luca sensed a form of affection between them as the initial outrage passed.
“I’d never want that,” Dom finally said. “I just wanted to get some of my belongings before I was otherwise…sequestered.”
“And what was so important you would put your life at risk, huh?” The man ran a hand through his thick, gunmetal-colored hair. “I’m not keeping you here to punish you, Dom. I’m keeping you here to make sure you’re safe, and you can’t even bother to call me and let me know you got shot?”
“I knew it would upset you, and there was no need. I’m fine.”
“Where were you shot? Did you call Doc?”
“There was no need.” Dom’s eyes shifted to Luca. “It was just a graze on my arm, and it turned out we had a budding young doctor right here under our roof.”
Oh God, please don’t bring me into this.But it was too late; the man turned to pin Luca with inquisitive eyes. They widened slightly. “Dio Mio.”
Then he walked toward Luca, who could do nothing but stand there as this man, whoever he was, stopped in front of him and grabbed his chin. He turned Luca’s head from side to side, and Luca felt like he was being inspected for an auction.
The man dropped his hand and stepped back, giving Luca a long once-over.
He smiled.
Smiled?
“Luca, is it?”
How does he know that?
