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“La tua candela rimane accesa per aiutarti a trovare la strada per tornare da me attraverso l’oscurità. Ti amo,” I whispered and closed my eyes.
Your candle remains lit to help you find your way back to me through the darkness.
“D’Artagnan.”
CHAPTER12
D’Artagnan
“Son of a bitch.”
I clamped my hand around the steering wheel as I watched Enzo Lazarro leave the jewelry store. As always had happened when I’d been forced to deal with the man, a rush of adrenaline scoured my system. I remembered him more as a scrawny kid two years younger than Lucia. Even then he’d been a prince, his father doting on him as if the sun rose and set on the kid.
I’d initially seen him as an annoyance, constantly asking me questions, bugging the crap out of me. Then I’d been stupid enough to allow him to help me with the horses, his acting skills far too impressive for an eleven-year-old with a twisted mind.
I’d caught him hurting one of the mares and it had taken everything I’d had not to break the fucker’s neck. That was the night I truly understood that justice was entirely different in the world of the mafia, blood much thicker than water. I’d given the kid a lesson in what it felt like to be used a punching bag, breaking his nose in the process.
Even though I’d resisted squeezing the life out of him, his father, the bastard who’d raised Lucia had required I be whipped like a criminal. The deep marks were the first scars inflicted on my body. They certainly hadn’t been the last.
It had also been the second to last time I’d shed a single tear.
But it was the last time I’d sobbed like a freaking child that I would remember the most, the tragedy I’d suffered alone. And I had no doubt Enzo had enjoyed every second of the anguish I’d gone through. The taunting of an eleven-year-old monster had boosted my need to live on my own.
The hatred for the kid had turned into the need for vengeance when he’d become a man. Now was my chance to find salvation and avenge my family’s murder at the same time.
As I rubbed my finger back and forth across my lips, I watched Enzo slide into the back of a dark SUV, the windows tinted. He’d arrived at the store with only one of his soldiers in tow as the driver. There were three others traveling with him, his flight into town confirmed. On a hunch, I checked on his most recent travels. He’d been to New York on three other occasions.
I wondered if Lucia had any idea. My guess was she did now.
While a part of me wanted to follow him, discovering his real reason for being in the Big Apple, I waited. My need to see Lucia, to ensure she was alright was far more important than dealing with the twisted fuck.
When she finally walked out fifteen minutes later, I sensed she was upset, her usual confident walk gone. What had the asshole done to her? I started the engine, continuing the wait as she headed for her car. Seconds later, she zoomed into traffic from the exit ramp, almost getting herself killed. I trailed behind her, curious as to where she was going.
When she pulled into another parking garage still several blocks from her house, I knew I’d be forced to drive around the block to avoid being seen. Damn it. There were several stores on both sides of the street, although many of them I doubted she’d be interested in frequenting. I didn’t like the odds of finding her. So, I took a chance, jerking the wheel and pulling into the garage. Given it was a Saturday, the multiple floored open building wasn’t completely full, but I drove past her just as she was climbing out.
I glanced into the rearview mirror. She seemed lost in thought, which also wasn’t like her. I quickly found a parking space, jumping out and following her. I’d become very good over the years in my hunting skills, whether in daylight or darkness. However, I took extra care since meeting her again in a parked garage couldn’t easily be explained.
Given Enzo’s involvement with her life, I had a bad feeling her father had plans to expedite the wedding. If I didn’t make my move prior to her being returned to Italy, my attempt at retrieving her would lead to a bloody war.
When she darted across the street, I took a deep breath. The local hardware store. A smile crossed my face as I waited for the lights to change, taking the crosswalk when they did. By the time I walked inside, almost five minutes had passed.
I grabbed a couple of switch plates as well as some caulking, tossing them in a small basket. I noticed her almost immediately but took my time moving closer. She never looked up, concentrating on whatever she was looking at. When I started to head down the aisle she was on, she bolted in my direction, never looking up.
“Umpf!” she said breathlessly, the pitch against me forcing her to drop her basket.
“Shit. You okay?” I’d allowed her to run into me, the surprise an excellent cover for the second meeting.
Lucia scrambled to grab the box of screws, a screwdriver set, and the new brass deadbolt that had tumbled onto the floor. She was frightened of her own brother.
I took a deep whiff of her perfume, the scent entirely different than she’d worn the night we’d met.
When she lifted her head, the shock in her eyes was immediate. My surprise was that there wasn’t a hint of suspicion or concern of any kind. She trusted me. She trusted a man who could tear her life apart.
“It’s you,” she said, the lilting sound of her laughter warming the ache that had remained since the last touch of her fingers.
“Yeah, it’s me. Sorry about that.”
“No, it was my fault,” she said listlessly as she tried to grab the box holding the lock. My hand fell on hers and I instantly squeezed my fingers around hers.
