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“Here he is. Had a nice nap?” Rocco tossed at me, grinning.
Rocco was the fun brother, Vincenzo, the heir, and me? I was the miserable bastard, but after finding Chiara, I hoped that might change. She had the power to change everything. At the thought of her, I bolted upright. The attack on the penthouse was murky, and I couldn’t remember if she was safe.
“Where is she?” I asked and groaned as the slice along my side ached.
“If you’re talking about your little poker winnings, the thief, she’s safe,” Rocco said, tilting his head back and eyeing me with unbridled curiosity. “For nothing more than a prize, she seems important to you.”
“Get her,” I grunted at Luca, ignoring Rocco’s irritating speculation.
He studied me a moment longer and then looked at his phone. “Vincenzo and Suna are on their way. You’re lucky father is still abroad.”
I fought a groan. “I don’t need visitors.”
“But you asked for Chiara De Luca,” Rocco reminded me. “Unless she’s not considered a guest anymore? You know,” my insolent brother continued, “she’s quite the looker. If you want me to take over the retribution against the De Luca family now you’re banged up, say the word. I’m sure I can appease the dent in our reputation,” Rocco smirked, making it clear what he was implying.
“Try it and die a painful death,” I told him flatly as the door to the white room slid open.
I recognized the place. It was a small clinic we kept in one of our safe houses. I hadn’t been there in years. Chiara stepped through the door. She was wearing my clothes. They were hanging off her and blood-stained to hell. She looked like she’d barely survived the zombie apocalypse.
My eyes ran across her.“Is that her blood or someone else’s?” I asked Luca.
“It’s yours, mostly.”
I relaxed a fraction. Nodding, I turned my eyes back to Chiara. Those aqua eyes looked at me in a way that made my heart hurt. Silence filled the room as we stared at each other, volumes being spoken that no one else could hear.
“Well, this is awkward,” Rocco said, breaking the silence. He slapped a hand to his thigh and got up. “I’ll be waiting for the family reunion outside. Don’t forget you’re injured,” he said, winking at me before skirting around Chiara. His eyes flickered over her, and the look of evident appreciation in them made me want to smash his face in.
The only thing that saved him was Chiara’s obliviousness. She had only eyes for me, and that made me feel like a conquering king returning home. As soon as the door shut behind Luca and Rocco, she approached the bed.
“Why don’t you change out of those?” I asked her after a long moment of silence. What could we say to each other right now?When I thought you might be hurt, my entire world crashed down and lost meaning?It seemed a little serious to dump on her unexpectedly.
“I don’t have any other clothes,” she reminded me.
Right.
“I’ll tell Luca to bring you something,” I said, my throat dry and uncomfortable.
I coughed, and suddenly Chiara was there. She picked up a glass from the bedside and brought it to my lips. She didn’t need to hold it for me, but I couldn’t deny it felt good, being tended to by her.
“I – I don’t know what to say.” Her voice was heavy with tears. “This all happened because of me.”
“This all happened because of your step-brother. Don’t get confused. Anyway, this is a scratch.”
“But…” she trailed off.
I could see her worry and guilt. I reached out and surrounded her hand with my palm.“Your brother declared war on the Lucianos, and there are always casualties in war. Today it was some of our brothers. Tomorrow, it could be us. That’s the life they’ve all signed up to.”
“Not me. I never signed up for it.”
“We were born into it, Chiara. You have De Luca blood in your veins. Female or not, you’re the spare to your family, just as I am. I promise you I’ll make sure the families of the fallen Luciano men are taken care of and provided for. You have my word.”
“And what about the De Luca men? My brother won’t make the same vow.”
“And that’s why no one will mourn him when he dies,” I said slowly, knowing I had to tell her yet unsure how she would take it.
Her eyes jumped to mine, shock warring with resignation in those blue depths. “You know it has to be done, right?”
“He wanted to provoke you, to have a reason to go against you. Aren’t you just giving him one?”
