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CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO
ONCE AGAIN, LUCA had fucked up. That much was obvious as Dom walked back into the room with a scowl on his face, but Luca couldn’t bring himself to care. It wasn’t his fault that the Rossetti family dynamics meant shielding Caterina from what was really going on. All he’d done was tell the truth, and if Dom didn’t want her to hear it, that wasn’t Luca’s problem. She was such a spitfire that maybe, just maybe, it would occur to her to help Luca get out of there.
Then again, she didn’t seem to have much freedom to do whatever she wanted either.
“Couldn’t help yourself,” Dom said, leaning his hip against the island. “Could you?”
“No. She’s more perceptive than you give her credit for.”
Dom lifted his glass and downed the rest of his drink. “Ten minutes and you think you understand the complexities of our family.”
“I definitely wouldn’t say that. But sheisyour sister, and she deserves to know what’s going on.”
“It’s none of—”
“My business. I know. Message received.” Luca got to his feet and stalked out of the kitchen and into the living room. The sky had darkened considerably while they’d been upstairs, thick, angry clouds threatening an imminent downpour. It matched his sudden change in mood. All the drinking had made him feel so much lighter, not to mention horny as hell, and God had the aftermath been worth it. So fucking hot and filthy, just like he’d expected Dom to be.
But Caterina’s unexpected visit had only reminded him of what he was missing.
He sank into a couch and dropped his head into his hands. All the worry and stress were seeping back in, and unless he wanted to keep numbing himself with alcohol, he’d have to just ride out the feelings.
“You don’t need to worry about Caterina,” Dom said, taking one of the chairs closest to him.
“I’m not.She’llbe fine. You’ll all be fine. My life is in ruins, but don’t worry, at least the Rossettis are fine.”
“Ah. This is a feeling-sorry-for-yourself moment.”
Luca rubbed his face, his elbows on his knees. Nothing he said to Dom would make him understand. And Luca didn’t care enough to try. Whatever was happening between them, it apparently didn’t mean a thing. They were just two broken people using each other while the clock counted down.
“You don’t get it,” Luca said. “Someone like you will never understand.”
“Someone like me. I thought we were past insults.”
“Just stating the facts.”
“What don’t I understand?”
“Uh, any of this. You’ll never know what it’s like to be taken out of your life and thrown into someone else’s.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I’m fully aware what could happen to me at any time in the wrong hands. That’s a risk I take every day.”
“But youchoosethis life. My choices have been taken away. Don’t you understand that? Now that I know the truth, you think I’d actually choose to be a part of it?”
Dom drummed his fingers along the arm of the chair and cocked his head. “Knowing what you do, you’d still choose your old life? Medical school? Fake parents?”
“They’re not fake. They may not be my biological parents, but they raised me away from all this. I can’t imagine who I’d be if I’d stayed. If I’d even be alive. So, yeah, my old life sounds pretty damn good right about now.”
“Well, you got out once. Maybe you can do it again.”
Luca shot Dom a glare. “Don’t be a jerk.”
Dom cracked a smile. “I wouldn’t know any other way to be.”
“If you’d grown up in my shoes, maybe a serious med school student. Or a zoologist. Social worker?”
“Highly unlikely. It’s not in my nature to be of service.”
“I don’t know, you were pretty good at servicing me earlier.” It wasn’t until the words were out of his mouth that Luca realized what he’d said. He’d meant “with alcohol,” but realized a naughty train of thought was accurate too. After all, his ass was still feeling the savageness of Dom’s huge dick—not that Luca was complaining. That had been the hottest fuck he’d ever had, and it was part of what was screwing with his head.
