Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Luca
The moment I see Gabriel look at Nina, a pure rage consumes me. I’ve never been a passionate man. I believe in order and logic and doing what you have to do to make things better. But right in this moment, I can’t stand the idea of my enemy looking at my wife.
“Nina,” I murmur, “stand up.”
Slowly, she pushes herself to her feet and moves to stand behind me.
“What’s going on?” Susanna asks, looking back and forth between me and Gabriel.
“You think you can come into my house?” I growl, storming over to him. The man who has stolen money from me. Who has tried to kill me in the past. Who wants my empire I’ve built.
“You were hosting a party. I figured I could come.”
“You’re not invited. Leave.”
Gabriel chuckles. His eyes flick over to Nina once more. “You really do have such a pretty wife. Interesting that she was on her hands and knees like that. You like being kinky with your wife, I take it.”
I grab his shirt and draw him towards me. “Don’t talk about my wife.”
“Luca,” Alek warns. “Nina and Susanna are here. My wife is here. I don’t want any of them getting hurt. Let Gabriel go. Gabriel, you need to leave.”
“I’m just having fun,” he says in an innocent tone that I know is the opposite of innocent.
“Leave before I fucking kill you,” I threaten.
Gabriel huffs and backs away from me, fixing his shirt. “Fine.” He looks at Nina again and it takes everything inside of me not to fucking punch him. “I’ll be going. It was nice seeing you again, Luca’s wife.”
Nina recoils backwards but doesn’t say anything.
He chuckles to himself before leaving.
I run a hand down my face. “What the fuck was he thinking coming here?”
“He was trying to get under your skin,” Alek says. “And it’s working. Don’t let him come between you and Nina. Focus on your marriage. And Luca, don’t make Nina get on her hands and knees ever again. I gave her to you to make an alliance but you will treat her with respect.”
I shoot a glare at Alek. “She is my wife to do what I want. And I am not doing it to hurt her. I am doing it to make her better. Which was something you should have done.”
He flinches. “Fine. I’ll admit. I didn’t control Nina and Susanna as best as I could have but don’t be an asshole towards her.”
“I’m not. Now, I think it’s best if everyone leaves.”
“But the party hasn’t even begun,” Susanna objects.
“Susanna,” Nina says in a tired voice. “Please.”
Susanna stares back at her sister for a long moment with a ton of different emotions in her eyes before she nods and follows Alek and her mom and the rest of the guests out of the house.
“Fuck,” I mutter. “Gabriel is closing in. He came here to show me that he could. It was a power play. Fuck. And he kept looking at you.”
“Why? What am I to him?”
“You’re my wife, Nina. Don’t be na?ve.”
She takes a step away from me and yet, it feels like she’s leapt across a canyon to get away from me. “I am not na?ve. This is all new to me.”
“I don’t need you giving me sass right now. Not when I need to worry about Gabriel. He was looking at you. It made me want to…” I clench and unclench my hands, trying to get myself under control.
“Makes you want to do… what?”
“Kill him,” I say, looking her right in the eye. “I hated it. I don’t want another man looking at you. You’re mine and mine only.”
Her eyes widen and her lips part but nothing comes out.
“You look surprised,” I comment.
“I just… I didn’t know if you cared about me. That’s all.”
“You’re my wife now, Nina. Of course I care.”
“You just have a funny way of showing it,” she mutters.
“Don’t,” I warn. “Now, I need to go get some work done. Gabriel coming here cannot stand. I’ll be to bed late.” I walk away from her before she can say anything else.
Nina
With Luca busy dealing with Gabriel, I decide to leave the house. Still in my party dress, I find myself going back to my old home. To my mom. To Susanna.
I know it’s not what Luca wants but I didn’t get the chance to talk to my mom tonight and I want to see how she’s doing. Susanna will make things difficult, I’m sure, but I can manage.
What surprises me after I knock on the door and my mom opens it, is that I can see Alek and Katya in the house as well. I guess Mom and Susanna are not the only ones with worries.
I give my mom and Katya a hug while Susanna remains back, eyeing me over with suspicion.
“We didn’t get to talk.” I say to my mom after I finish hugging Alek.
“What is Luca doing?” Alek asks.
“Dealing with Gabriel… somehow. He didn’t give me many details. I just wanted to see my family again.”
“Luca is your family now,” Alek gently reminds me.
“Yeah,” Susanna agrees. “You should just go back to him.”
I know coming to my sister’s house was a bad idea. I should leave before she drags me down with her but I can’t get my feet to move. Luca’s house is still too new. Too much uncertainty. I miss the chaos of my old house.
“I am not here to fight you, Susanna,” I say.
“Well, I want to fight,” she snaps.
Before I can get a word out, a knock on the door makes everyone stop. Alek opens the door with a frown… only to reveal Dimitri Ivanov on the other side. Katya’s brother.
And the man who once kidnapped me and Susanna.