“You may find this hard to believe, but I don’t fucking care.”
“Noooo, really?” I say in mock surprise.
He sighs.
“So you’ll be a dung beetle. You know the one that rolls his own shit around and eats it. Ohhh, that makes me hungry.”
Did I just make him snort? This time,Idon’t care. Where did I see those take-out menus the other day? I slide down the bed and move toward the kitchen.
“Stephen King would be afraid to look into your mind,” I think I hear him mutter.
“Are you a flat or folded pizza eater, boo-boo?” I ask, finding the take-out menu from Pasta & Pizza.
“I bet you just scarf it down.”
“Oh, fuck off,” I say, even though my growling stomach betrays me. I can tell from the glimmer of amusement in his eyes that he hears it.
“Food is the perfect mix of indulgence and necessity, plus I’m an emotional eater.” And I have low blood sugar. “Why don’t we go out tonight?” The words just slip out of my mouth without even a first thought.
He stares at me for a long second before coldly answering, “One of Coretti’s lieutenants saw you at the club the other night.”
“And? Isn’t that good for you? You’re trying to spin the fairy tale that I’m having cold feet,” I retort just as icily.
“How do you know that?”
“I heard you talking on the phone.” My explanation makes him growl. Fuck if I care. I add with an exasperated tone, “Everybody knows I like to party. They probably thought I couldn’t resist going to the club.”
“And the fact that you were seen with Marco Moretti’s fiancé sounds okay to you?”
Damn it. I didn’t think about that. All the annoyance is replaced by guilt. “Is Fly in danger?”
“No more than usual. Youareadding to it, though.”
“This is all on you people! If you hadn’t kidnapped me, I’d have kept away from him, like I was doing!”
He’s on me in the blink of an eye. I scream when his fist hits the wall behind me. His other hand wraps around my throat. He forces my head back with it, snarling, “My fault?”
His huge body is caging mine, pressing heavily against my lungs. But it’s the bottomless hate in his eyes that is taking my breath away. How easily I forgot who I am to him just because he held me in his arms for a few hours. He reminds me so quickly with one look.
“This was a long time coming, Enzino. A long. Fucking. Time.” He annunciates each word with a punch on the wall.
I hear Nacho crying somewhere near us.
“What was?” I hiss out, but he remains unmovable. “Fly is my friend.” I try another approach. “I-I don’t want him to get hurt.” Why does he think I stayed away from him?
His eyes dart between mine for a long moment. It’s as if he’s trying so hard to lump me in with them just because of the blood running inside my veins. I need to show him how wrong he is. My fingers tighten around the lapels of his jacket, and I lick my dry lips as I gather some courage to ask, “Tell me what…my family did to you. Please.”
He sniffs at my broken plea, and then slowly backs away until there are three feet between us. The silence around us feels as cold and empty as his gaze.
He pulls his phone out from his jacket pocket and tells Jeff to pull up the car. Then he grabs my bicep and drags me into the bedroom, tossing me on the bed before waiting for Nacho to get inside and slamming the door. I hear the click of the lock, and then him hissing, “Don’t fucking move from there, Enzino.”
Like I’m finally waking up from a nightmare, I jump off the bed and run to the door. I pull down the handle, but it won’t budge. It’s my time to use my fists against the wooden surface.
“Come back here! If you don’t open this door this instant, it’s going to be your funeral today, you fucking wacko.” My dog barks near me while I scream all my fury. “Ahhhh!”
After a few seconds of venting, I turn my back to the door and slide down until my butt hits the floor. My phone is in the bathroom. Fuck! Nacho climbs onto my lap, and I start caressing his back. I got out of a closed room before; I can do it again. I just need to find the right tool. At least I’m not handcuffed. I lookaround. There are snacks on the nightstand, but my stomach is not interested now.
It’s worse than I imagined. Luca is hunting for blood. My family blood. And I’m standing right in the middle of his crimson path.