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He slams the palm of his hand on his steering wheel. “Damn it, Star.”
“I already know what Tatum did,” I divulge. “If they’re not after me because of you, then it’s because of that.”
His eyes flash to me, surprise lighting them a silvery hue in the semidarkness of the car interior. He scrubs his jaw for a moment, grimacing as he tussles with himself.
“Fuck, alright, I’ll tell you what I know. But swear to God, Star, if you fuck me over, I will hunt you down across every continent of this godforsaken earth. Try running as fast and far as you can, but Iwillcatch you. And when I do, I will tan your hide. You’ll scream for mercy, but I won’t give it.” His sharp eyes flicker over to me. “Feel me?”
I nod, gulping over the lump in my throat.
It’s official: I’m sick, because the vision of him running after me in the dark and catching me has me squirming in my seat, trying to distract myself from a flood of arousal.
He blows out a long breath and starts. “Tatum, along with Alex’s brothers, Luca and Nicu, blew up the Russian boss as revenge for killing their father, your old Lupusef.”
My mouth drops open but I quickly snap it closed.
“Yes, that’s right. Your oldsef. Alex, Luca, and Nicu’s father.”
He lets out a belabored sigh. “From the intel Cristo received, your father turned against your clan, aligned himself with the Bratva, and helped kill Alex’s father. After the assassination, the Bratva turned on your father and killed him. Tatum somehow found out and hid everything from Alex. As you well know, nothing remains secret in themafie. Eventually Alex found out. He spared Tatum’s life on the condition that he kill the Bratva boss and then disappear.”
I swallow around what feels like a lump of coal in my throat. Of course, Tatum already confessed this to me. I just didn’t realize that everyone else knows. With my family’s tainted past, it’s a testament to Lucian’s determination that he wants to marry me instead of Roxie. Even if a Lupu-Popescu alliance is necessary right now, it makes no sense that Lucian would want to marry me, instead of staying with Roxie. Maybe it’s the final sacrifice Cristo demanded of him…but why me?
“If Luca and Nicu were involved, why would the Bratva focus on me? Luca and Nicu are Lupu royalty, with wives and children. Compared to them, I’m nothing.”
“They may be better targets, but the Lupu brothers have their women—theirwives—under strict protection. And anyway, killing any one of them will guarantee a full-scale war. You’re the low hanging fruit that can satisfy the Russians’ thirst for blood while possibly avoiding an apocalypse of gang warfare on the city streets.” He swallows. “It’s the plan I would pick if I were them.”
I lean forward to read his reaction as I ask, “Since when did I become important?”
Frustration is what I see.
“Woman, you’ve always been important. You’re your father’s daughter and Tatum’s sister.”
“But they’re both traitors.”
“If nothing else, traitors wield power in people’s minds. Your father was a powerful man and Tatum is married to the queen of the Hagi clan in Los Angeles. You’re under the protection of Lupu clan. Alex could have exiled you and your mother, but he didn’t. That’s very telling. It means you’re valuable to him.”
“Why haven’t they killed me yet?”
“I don’t know. Maybe they were focused on the Lupu brothers and their families but then decided that it’s not possible or not worth killing them. It doesn’t matter. For whatever reason, they’re focused on you.”
Another question nags me. “Why would they show their hand in public like that?”
He scratches his chin thoughtfully.
“It’s a smart tactic,” he muses to himself. “The whole point of declaring our engagement at Nelu’s party was to make it public. They might have chosen you but killing the fiancée of a Popescuconsilier—and they do not have a direct beef with us—is a risky proposition. Yet taking out a fiancée is not like taking out an actual wife. They tested my interest in you. Whether it’s to kidnap you or outright kill you, they want to see whether this another loveless arranged marriage or whether you matter to me.”
I sputter in stunned disbelief. This new information changes everything. I want to leave, sure, but I don’t want to die. At the same time, it won’t change my mind about marrying Lucian.
“What do I need to do to stay alive?” I hurry to add, “Other than marrying you. That’s still off the table.”
His cheek muscles flexes in frustration. “We need to make them believe that the engagement is real. That we’re in love. If they believe you’ll be my wife, and that you matter to me as much as Luca’s and Nicu’s wives matter to them, then you’ll have a chance of surviving.” His gaze sears into mine. “But we need to eliminate any opportunity of them getting to you. You stay by my side 24/7. I mean it, Star. Every minute. I either sleep at your house or you sleep at mine. It’s the only thing that will prevent them from killing you in cold blood.”
The breeze coming from the window chills my skin. My teeth chatter slightly. I wrap my arms around my chest. The window instantly rolls up.
I glance over at Lucian; his finger is still pressed on the control button for the car windows.
I gently lay a hand on his arm and say, “Thank you.”
The muscle of his forearm jumps. His gaze lands on my hand, his eyes turning to liquid silver again. I suppose this is the first time I’ve willingly laid a hand on him, if you don’t count being in bed with him or clutching his shirt when those two thugs came up on us.
