35. Ravenna
Ravenna
G laring sunlight woke me up this morning. Miraculously, we survived the blizzard in the car, and although I feel dead tired from a restless, uncomfortable night’s sleep, I’m ready to see this rescue through to the end.
On the plus side, the weather has cleared, we’re alive, and I can pick the gate’s lock if they won’t come down from the house and let us in.
The downsides? I can’t walk far in these heels, and both of our phones' batteries died. They’re charging but it may be a while.
Starting the car, I blast the heat. Once it’s nice and toasty inside, I roll down the window and press that damn intercom again.
Immediately a voice comes on the line, “De Luca residence. How may I help you?”
I scowl at the polite voice. Like they don’t know we’ve been out here all night long?
“My cousin, Sophia, is a… guest. I’ve come to visit her.”
“I’m sorry. There’s no one here by that name.” The crackling abruptly cuts out.
“Damn it!” I roll up the window, then smack my hands against the steering wheel. “I’ll show that stronzo how serious I am. Wait here.”
“Where are you?—?”
Getting out of the car, I slam the door closed behind me, cutting off Arianna’s question. Fury heats my blood.
I march through the snow to the gate. Up close the bars are actually fairly wide apart. No so far that a large man would fit through them, but I certainly can. Angling my body, I step through the gap, my heels sinking into the snow.
I better make this quick if I don’t want to lose my toes to frostbite.
On the inside, I find the old fashioned padlock. Plucking a bobby pin from my disheveled hair, I pick the ancient lock. At this point, I don’t even care if a security team shows up. I’d gladly give them a piece of my mind.
When the mechanism releases, I manually swing the gates open wide enough to drive through.
Back in the car, I put it into gear and step on the gas. The vehicle lurches forward. About a quarter mile ahead stands Mr. De Luca’s formidable mansion and our destination.
“How did you get the gate open?” Arianna asks in awe.
“Picked the lock.”
“I didn’t know you could do that.”
I shoot her a sideways glance. “We all have our secrets.”
Not even bothering to park, I pull up to the front door and cut the engine. We rush to the entrance. As soon as a housekeeper opens up to see who it is, we elbow our way inside.
“Stop! Come back here!” The woman screams as we dash up the stairs.
My heart hammers as we climb the stairs. We get to the first landing, when a man appears in the hallway. Roman De Luca’s impeccably dressed in a dark suit, his short black hair perfectly styled. Menacing dark eyes stare us down. He’s every bit as intimidating as I imagined.
“What are you doing in my house?” he demands.
I should be afraid. Arianna and I are in a stranger’s home—a dangerous stranger. But I’m too livid to back down, or to take any type of sensible approach.
I confront him head on. “You kidnapped my cousin. I want her back.”
“Is that so?” he drawls.
“Yes. Now where is she?”
He folds his arms. “Get out of my house. You’re trespassing.”
“I’m not leaving until we see Sophia!”
“I said get out!” He snarls.
A door in the hallway suddenly opens, and Sophia flings herself at Arianna. They embrace as relief washes over me. She’s alive. Now we just need to get her away from this man.
I glare at him.
He manages to look bored, like we’re nothing but a minor inconvenience. A hiccup in his daily routine.
“What happened to you last night?” Arianna asks Sophia.
“I fell through some ice and into a lake.”
That catches my attention.
“Are you okay?” Arianna asks before I manage to utter a word.
“I’m fine. Roman rescued me.” She sneaks an appreciative glance at her rescuer.
Now that’s a shocking turn of events. I gaze at the brooding man with interest.
He scowls. “I’m very busy. Conclude your business and get out.”
“Give me my cousin,” I snap at him, “and we will happily leave you alone.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Can’t or won’t?” I challenge him.
He sneers at me. “Both. You wanted to see that she’s alive, and there she is. Now get out.”
Frustrated by the entire situation, I try to reason with him. “Fine. I’ll pay you for her. How much do you want?”
Men like him only understand two things: Power and money.
Chuckling, low and dangerous, he steps closer to me, but I hold my ground. Cian’s much bigger and scarier looking than this man and he doesn’t intimidate me. I’ll never cower before a man again.
“I don’t want money. I don’t want anything you could possibly have to offer me. And if either of you interfere here again, your family will never find your bodies. I have no issues making enemies with the Pontrellis or the O’Rourkes, or anyone else for that matter. So leave. Never come back.”
Sophia speaks up. “You’re such a tyrant. These are my best friends, you can’t throw them out of the house. Not while I’m supposed to live here too.”
Surprise flickers across his features, mirroring my own reaction. Obviously she’s unafraid of her kidnapper.
He studies Sophia like he’s seeing her in a new light.
“You think I’m being unreasonable?” he asks her, frowning as if he’s considering that idea as valid.
“Did my use of the word tyrant tip you off? Or are you simply that intuitive?” Sophia sasses at him.
I swallow a chuckle. I’m so proud of my cousin for standing up to this brute.
Roman’s dark eyes light with amusement. In a second it’s gone. But I know what I saw. Worse, I recognize his reactions to Sophia for what they really are. He likes her.
He stole her from Nikolai.
He rescued her last night.
He finds her sass amusing.
This man would never admit it, not yet anyway, but he likes Sophia. And when a man like Roman De Luca sets his sights on a woman, the world will burn down before he’ll ever let her go.
I glance at her. She gazes at Roman with a mix of irritation and intrigue.
Suddenly, I sense that I’m intruding where I don’t belong. Sophia’s not in danger. Not from this man.
Relief settles into my bones. This situation could have turned out very differently. But these two, I can already see them as a couple. There’s way more spark between them than Sophia ever had with Nik.
We’re allowed to stay, and she invites us into her bedroom, telling us all about what transpired last night.
She’s safe. That’s all that matters.
R iding in the car with Wolfe has never been more strained than right now. After being released from my cousin’s basement, which Gin ended up getting in trouble for with her parents, he tracked us down to Roman’s house.
Arianna went back home with her father’s people, while I’m stuck with Wolfe. He’s never been especially sociable, but now he won’t talk to me at all. He barely glances my way. Keeping his head down, jaw clenched, he drives me home.
“I said, I’m sorry.” My third attempt at an apology goes over as well as the first two.
Wolfe shrugs. I don’t think there’s a forgiving bone in this man’s body.
I sigh. Maybe I should have handled that situation differently. Regret slithers across my skin. I didn’t mean to hurt him, or to make him my enemy. Too late for that now.
Wolfe pulls up to the brownstone and opens my door for me, but refuses to meet my gaze. Anger radiates off him in waves.
I slide out of the back seat. I’m almost to the front door when Wolfe speaks, startling me after the long, silent car ride.
“You dropped this,” he murmurs in a clipped tone.
I turn toward him, arm outstretched to take whatever it is from him, and pause. A gold shamrock pendant dangles from his fingers. The four leaves are encrusted with diamonds, an emerald stone in the center. It’s beautiful, and looks expensive. Too bad someone lost it in the snow.
“That’s not mine.” My hand drops to my side.
“It fell out of your purse.”
“No it didn’t. I’ve never seen that before in my life. Someone must have dropped it.” Why is he pushing that jewelry on me?
“Fine. Whatever.” He lets the pendant slip through his fingers and sink into the snow. Brow furrowed, he gets back into the car and drives off.
I stare after him, guilt ripping me in two. If only I could figure out how to make amends.
The necklace catches my eye. Even if it’s not mine, I can’t leave it out here, it’s much too pretty. Picking it up, I study the piece. Eighteen carat gold. Diamonds and emerald on a four leaf clover attached to a gold chain. Whoever lost this will be sad. I tuck it into my clutch for safe keeping.
As I walk through the front door, I’m surprised to find Cian home. Did he change his plans and come back early?
I’ve never seen Cian’s pale blue gaze alight with so much fury. He knows. Wolfe must have already told him about what happened last night.
Fists clenched at his sides, I can tell he’s desperately trying to control his temper. But I don’t want his control, I want his understanding.
I set my clutch on the entryway table. “I didn’t have any other option. Wolfe would have stopped me from going to Mr. De Luca’s house.”
“Exactly!” Cian snarls. “His job is to protect you . No one else. You! To hell with everyone else if your life is in danger.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” I snap, my own cool-headedness hanging on by a thread. “I’d die to protect those I love. That includes my cousins. You weren’t there, you didn’t see how Roman carried her out of the house over his shoulder, and everyone stood around, watching. Not a single person?—”
“It doesn’t matter!”
“Yes it does! Not a single person tried to stop him. You don’t know what it feels like to never have anybody interfere.
For no one to stand up for you when you need it most. To save you from the monsters of this world.
” I jab my thumb at my chest. “I will not idly sit by and let my loved ones get hurt!”
“Roman De Luca is a dangerous man,” he growls.
“Exactly! I wouldn’t have tried to save Sophia from him if he weren’t.” Why can’t he understand my perspective?