8. Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
Elise
Life goes on. In my case, it has completely passed me by. Luca has set off a war between our families, and my family has heard the starting bell loud and clear. My father’s funeral was held earlier this week, and I was not invited. Not that it matters. In all of their eyes, I am no longer a Trovoli.
It’s been a tense week between Luca and me. Luca not only revealed a disturbing secret to me, but he also brutally ended the life of my father in front of me. My father may not have loved me how I wanted, but he was still my father. And Luca doesn’t seem to understand that. In his eyes, my father used me and deserved death, and I should see it that way as well. As we arrive at the restaurant, I ignore Luca’s outstretched hand as he attempts to help me out of the car. In doing this, I know I am pushing him, especially since he’s proven he’s capable of virtually anything. But it’s all I can do to keep my sanity.
The hostess leads us to the back of the restaurant, where a private dining area has been reserved for someone as important as Luca and his father, who insisted on having this dinner.
“Luca! My son and his lovely wife have finally arrived!” My stomach dips in discomfort as we are greeted upon our entrance by Luca’s father. Lorenzo Pasquino. His boisterous voice echoes as we approach, and Luca steps up to greet him. They embrace, both men happy to see one another, before Luca pulls a chair out for me.
I am barely seated before they launch into conversation, Luca’s face lighting up as he speaks to his father. They talk of trivial things like games and business. It’s obvious Luca and his father get along very well. The wall that usually surrounds Luca is gone as he speaks to his father.
My chest aches at the sight.
It’s obvious now why Luca never trusted me in the first place. He believed I was part of my father’s plan. And now that he has proven I had nothing to do with it, he has shattered everything I’ve ever known, leaving me completely alone.
“Elise.”
I look up at the sound of my name and see Luca watching me with a concerned expression.
“I… I’m sorry, I seem to have drifted off,” I say quietly.
Luca doesn’t speak, but his father clears his throat, his gaze intense as he speaks.
“I said I was sorry to hear about your father,” he says. His tone is oddly gentle.
I nod, unable to form words from the sudden lump in my throat. I figured speaking of my father was now considered taboo. But Luca’s father seems intent on talking about it as if he isn’t the one who ordered the final blow.
“It’s a shame, really. I thought the Trovolis would be useful to us in the long run. Especially the way your father framed the union. But he just had to get greedy,” he says.
Luca’s father is watching me with the same expression his son inherited from him. His eyes calculate my every movement to understand my reactions and how to use what I love against me. He’s watching me for signs of weakness.
“If I’m being honest, I would have preferred Luca killed you as well in that warehouse.”
“Papa—” Luca starts, his tone in warning, but his father continues with his hands raised.
“All I’m saying is, I told Luca to kill you as well, and he defied me not only as his father but as his Capo. I hope you understand what that means, Elise, and what my son is saying by sparing you. Do not make your father’s mistakes,” he says.
I’m trembling from his words. I had no idea he told Luca to kill me as well. The thought never even crossed my mind. I flinch when I feel a hand on my leg under the table, looking up to see Luca watching me with an unreadable expression. I turn back to the table, the linen blurring as my tears grow.
“I’m sorry, I need a minute,” I rush out, standing from the table.
I quickly make my way to the bathroom, ignoring the looks that are thrown my way. As soon as I reach the bathroom, I slam the door shut, locking it. Hot tears spill down my cheeks as I slide down the door, cradling myself. I don’t know what to do.
I’m overwhelmed.
Luca’s father just proved that my life had zero meaning from the moment I was born. My father only ever saw me as temporarily useful and was willing to forfeit my life for his plans. And in the aftermath of it, Luca’s father felt the same. I am nothing more than a tradeoff. I have no purpose, no meaning in this world.
My hand flies over my mouth as I attempt to quiet the screams threatening to leave my lips. My emotions feel physical, forcing themselves past my lips, but I can’t let them. I can’t scream, I can’t cry. I can’t let anyone know what is going on beneath the surface.
I don’t know how much longer I remain in the bathroom. But by the time I compose myself, my eyes and cheeks are still red from crying, and all of my makeup has been washed off.
I silently study myself in the mirror, my eyes immediately falling on my hair. It lingers past my jaw slightly, thanks to my husband. This is who I am now. I see now what Luca’s father was conveying. I can no longer cling to my family. Luca has chosen me to be part of his and has overlooked my father’s betrayal for some reason. I suck in a trembling breath, attempting to find some resolve within myself as I exit the bathroom.
My head is down as I exit the bathroom, wiping my eyes so I don’t notice the server I walk right into. I quickly mumble an apology, trying to sidestep him, when he gently grabs my hand and pulls me to the side.
“Whoa there, miss… Are you okay?” he asks.
I nod, lifting my eyes to take in the stranger. He’s tall and handsome, his brown hair pushed away from his face to reveal kind eyes.
“I’m fine,” I say.
“You don’t look fine to me.” He pulls a handkerchief from his apron, handing it to me with a small grin.
“Looks like you’ve been crying,” he says, holding it out to me.
I take it gratefully, silently wiping my eyes again.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but I hope it gets better for you,” he says.
“Thank you,” I murmur, offering him a smile as I hand him back his kerchief.
“I’m sorry. It’s just been a rough week, and it finally got to me, I guess,” I say as he takes the handkerchief from me.
Everything after that happens in a blur.
The waiter is slammed against the wall, his cry of shock cut short when Luca presses his forearm into the man’s throat, murder apparent in his gaze. Luca whips his head in my direction, his eyes narrowing.
“You go to the bathroom and this?” he snaps.
I begin to speak but he cuts me off. “Don’t.”
He looks back at the waiter, a blade coming from a hidden place on him as he plunges it into the wall inches from the server’s face.
“I suggest you find another job. I never want to see your face here again,” he says in a dangerous tone.
Luca releases the server, snatching me by the arm. He doesn’t stop at his father’s table, dragging me to the door.
“We’re leaving,” he says as we pass his father’s table. He doesn’t wait for his father to respond, and when I look back, his father is leaning back in his seat with his glass raised high, a wicked glint in his eyes.
We reach our home in record time. I have Luca’s temper to thank for that. It transferred to his driving, ensuring that we reach our destination in much less time than it took to reach the restaurant. Luca didn’t speak to me or look in my direction the entire way, and this moment is no different. He gets out of the car without glancing at me, slamming the door to enter the house. I know he expects me to follow, but I don’t. I remain in my seat, quickly locking the door as fear settles in my stomach.
Luca stops midstep, turning back to the car when he realizes that I am still in the passenger seat. Irritation comes to the forefront of his intimidating features.
“Get out of the car,” he snaps as he approaches the door. I shake my head, placing my hand on the rail and holding it closed as he attempts to unlock it with the sensor.
His steely eyes shift, looking at me in shock before clouding in anger.
“Do not test me right now, you will not like the results. Get out of the fucking car!” His anger flares as I once again shake my head no, keeping a firm grip on the door. Luca’s rage is calm and almost visible as he glares down at me.
“Open the door, Elise!” he shouts.
He waits for me to repeat my answer before releasing an irritated sigh and stepping away from the door. My eyes widen as he steps back, pulls his gun out, and fires a shot right into my window. I scream, covering my ears and squeezing my eyes shut out of reaction, but nothing happens. When I open them, I realize Luca’s car is made up of bulletproof glass. As he fires more rounds into the window, I know it’s only a matter of time before he destroys the integrity of the glass.
“Stop!” I scream.
But he is beyond listening. He is focused on his task, his eyes void of emotion as he steps into the role of the man I’ve feared from the moment I heard his name. Once his gun is out of ammunition, he steps closer to the window, using his elbow to pound away at it.
My body vibrates in fear, and I slowly lower my head between my legs as I wait for the inevitable. Each pounding against the window is accompanied by another significant crack, the noise burrowing deep within me until the glass shatters, sprinkling all over me.
I’m screaming, my panic fueling me as I scramble away from Luca. But he’s fast. He opens the door, his hands clawing at my legs as he finds his grip, dragging me out of the car. I kick and scream as he pulls me up the paved driveway, but he doesn’t care. He drags me through the house, his quiet adding to my terror the closer we get to the bedroom. Luca finally gives up on dragging me the entire way, settling for one of the guest rooms.
He throws me in, locking the door behind him as I scramble against the wall, tears burning my eyes.
“All of this kicking and screaming, and for what? Do you want to be with someone else? Would you rather I let you die in that warehouse alongside your father?” he shouts at me.
I tense, whimpering in response to his tone. I’ve awakened the beast inside of him.
“Look at me, Elise,” he says.
I can’t. I can’t look in the eyes of the man who killed my father, even if my father gave me away to him. I can’t look into the eyes of the monster who cut my hair as part of his interrogation. I was not born to this side of this life. My father kept me sheltered. All of this is too much for me.
“Maybe you should have let me die in that warehouse.” I finally find the courage to look at him. “Then I wouldn’t be stuck with someone like you,” I finish.
Silence washes over us, the sound of my heart beating in my ears growing louder by the second as I watch my husband react to my words. Luca scoffs, pushing his hair out of his face before looking down at me.
“So you would rather be with someone else. Even when I was so generous in sparing you.” His eyes narrow, and he lowers himself next to me, pulling out a blade. I whimper as he presses it lightly against my collarbone, the cool steel sending chills up my spine.
“You’d rather have someone else touch you the way that I do?” His blade presses against the fabric of my dress, the loud rip echoing over the room as he slices it open, revealing me to his gaze. His eyes roam over me heavily before resting on my face. Luca brings his hand to my cheek, his palm warm against me as he pulls me close, closing his lips over mine.
He kisses me deeply, intimately. He holds me captive with his kiss, his hand drifting from my cheek down the front of my body before settling under the waistband of my panties. He dips his fingers, and my body slowly warms to his knowing touch. A shaky moan escapes me, and Luca pulls away slightly, his lips finding my throat.
“Who are you married to, Elise?” he murmurs.
“You,” I whimper.
“That’s right. Me.” I flinch as the sharp tip of his blade traces my stomach. I attempt to pull away, but Luca grips my throat, holding me close.
“Ah, Ah,” he chastises as he smiles against my lips.
“Luca, please,” I whisper.
Luca pulls away from me, his eyes focused on mine as the blade presses deeper into my flesh.
“Who are you married to?” he asks lazily.
“You,” I sob. My answer is immediate, bringing a bigger smile to Luca’s face.
“Say it again.”
“Luca,” I whisper. The blade traces my stomach, heading in the direction of my ribs.
“One more time,” he coaxes.
“Luc—Ahhh!” I’m cut off as agonizing pain rips through my side as Luca drags the blade down my ribcage. Blood trickles from the wound, and the instant I try to move, Luca has me pinned.
“I can’t hear you, Elise. Who?” His tone is eerily calm as I groan beneath him in a pathetic attempt to catch my breath.
“Lu-Lu—”
Luca doesn’t give the words time to leave my lips. He drags the blade once again, and I scream and writhe in agony. This time, he doesn’t stop. He doesn’t stop until he’s satisfied with his torture, and then he releases me, letting me fall against the carpet in a sweaty, shaky mess.
I jolt awake.
The room is dark and I feel an arm wrapped around me, a warm body spooning against my back. A soft whimper escapes me as the dull throb that pulled me from my sleep intensifies. Tears spill down my face, soaking my pillow as I come to grips with my situation. Luca carved into me like a pumpkin because of his jealousy and anger. I shift in the bed, slowly moving away from Luca’s grasp before heading toward the bathroom.
Luca must have bathed and clothed me while I was passed out before moving me to our bed. I’m wearing one of his shirts, the material hanging over my thighs barely. I look back toward the bed, and Luca is still fast asleep before turning on the bathroom light. I flinch from the sudden brightness, attempting to blink away the headache as my eyes adjust. The material of Luca’s shirt feels heavy as I lift it from my side to reveal thick gauze wrapped around my torso.
The throb has erupted to more than what it was, growing worse with each passing second. I ignore my shaky breathing, peeling each layer off. My terror grows as the gauze grows thinner until I can see the pinkish tint seeping through in spaced-out patterns that I can’t quite make out. Finally, the gauze runs out, and I let it fall to the floor, my loud gasp filling the air at what’s been carved into my ribs. It reaches all the way from the underside of my breast to the top of my hipbone.
L U C A
Angry red lines of his name are reflected back at me, a reminder of the blade he used to do it with. I tense when I hear shuffling, shifting my gaze to see Luca himself standing in the doorway. His stormy-colored eyes study me intensely, and once again he says nothing. He pushes himself off the archway approaching me in silence before wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me into him.
He places a kiss on my throat, his words filling the silence.
“You’re mine, Elise.”