16. Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Fifteen
Elise
My father never prepared me for life. He didn’t teach me the importance of finances, working, or social skills. He isolated me and raised me to be the perfect wife—and up until a few weeks ago, I was. Now that I’m on my own, I realize just how sheltered I was and just how much more there is to the world.
“Elise! Table three?”
I cry out as I burn my hand on the coffee warmer, trying to multitask once again. When I first ran off, I thought all the planning and waiting were worth it. And though I had gotten a proper education, it still didn’t prepare me for just how big the world is. The one state we reside in stretches so vastly that it’s been impossible to get out. I find myself constantly moving to newer cities, hoping I’ve gone far enough but failed.
And because my husband is such an influential man, leaving the country is out of the question. He’d have me as soon as I walked into the airport. I’ve been forced to avoid public transport for that very reason, making it even more challenging to relax in my escape.
I quickly make my way to the table, pulling out my notepad.
“I’m so sorry about that wait, what can I get—Ari?” I blink rapidly to make sure I’m not seeing things as my cousin sits in the dingy booth with a scarf that costs more than everything on the menu combined on her head. She keeps her head trained forward, composing herself as she looks at me.
I don’t know whether to feel joy that she’s alive or dread that she’s found me here. I had always hoped she escaped Luca’s wrath, but I never knew where she stood on the issues involving my father. Or my life, for that matter.
“Elise,” she says with a soft smile.
My chest is tight as I slide into the booth next to her, wrapping my arms around her. My eyes burn as tears spill down my cheeks. It feels like a dream to have her here.
“I thought you were dead,” I whisper.
She gently places her gloved hand on me, comforting me.
“No, I am very much alive…most of us are,” she says softly.
I nod, continuing to sob until I’m forced to compose myself.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as I wipe my eyes.
Ari scoffs, looking me up and down before responding. “I should be asking you the same.”
I laugh softly, lowering my head.
“I couldn’t take it anymore. I tried to kill him, and I ran away,” I say.
Ari is silent for a moment.
“We want you to come home, Elise,” she says.
“What? I thought… But my father said—”
“Your father is gone, and we need our successor. You’ve been living with Luca Pasquino for months; you know everything about him, including his location. We could really use you in getting revenge for what happened to your father,” she says.
Her words are like a breath of fresh air. They’re what I’ve always wanted to hear from someone in my family: That I am needed. That I am safe and loved.
“Elise! If you’re not going to work—”
“Keep your hat on. She’s busy,” Arianna snaps from behind me. She gestures to the restaurant as she speaks. “It’s not like this shithole is busy.”
My eyes widen as I watch her move into the role of my protector once again. The manager grumbles something under his breath before moving to the kitchen, leaving me to my conversation.
“How did you find me?” I ask.
“Heard through the grapevine you were missing. From there, it was just a matter of finding little pieces of your trail,” she says, eyeing me.
My heart skips a beat as she admits I left a trail. If she found me, then Luca can’t be far behind. I thought I had killed Luca with my plan. The state I left him in suggested it since he was bleeding from a wound on his head and coughing up blood. But I was foolish in my first week of freedom and pawned my ring. I was lucky to be across the street, eating when he arrived, angry and alive.
“Ari… I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to come home,” I say. “Everyone thinks it’s my fault my father died. They hate me because I was unable to do anything to stop Luca. They think I betrayed them,” I say.
“Then come home and prove you’re on our side. Prove them wrong. Help us avenge your father and realize his dream,” she says.
Her words catch my attention. My father’s dream had nothing to do with me. It had everything to do with killing me and taking over Luca’s birthright. Luckily, I don’t have to respond as my manager comes out of the back, his face flushed with anger.
“Elise! I need to see you in the back. Now,” he snaps.
I quickly stand, dusting off my apron.
“I’ll be right back,” I say quickly.
I can see Ari wants to protest and even yell at my manager. But I’m glad for the interruption. It will give me space and time to think. Especially since Luca’s words about my family’s true intentions keep playing across my mind. I don’t want to admit it, but I don’t think Ari’s intentions are pure.
I glance in her direction one last time, but she isn’t looking at me. She’s on the phone, her body language suggesting it’s a tense conversation. I turn away from her, stepping into the back as my manager holds the door open to his office. I know he’s probably about to fire me, and I will once again be left to figure out how to live independently.
As I step into the office, my manager gestures for me to sit in front of his desk, but he doesn’t enter.
“Wait here,” he says.
I quickly notice something is off with his demeanor. Maybe it’s in the way he suddenly speaks more patiently to me as if he doesn’t want to scare me off. And if he were going to fire me, he’d have done it already and not wasted time. But I remain in my seat, twiddling my fingers as I try to think of possible escape routes should this be a trap. Though I don’t understand why Ari would show herself in the first place if the plan were to kidnap me.
This was never the life I envisioned for myself. Being on the run is exhausting, especially from Luca. He was wise not to let me in on his family’s business. I don’t even know how far his power reaches. Evading his clutches feels like blind luck at this point. But it’s obvious I made a mistake since Ari found me. Maybe I should leave with her. She can offer me protection in exchange for my cooperation.
The door to the office opens, pulling my attention.
“If you’re going to fire me, I’ve already decided I’m going to quit—”
My breathing hitches in my throat as fear I didn’t know existed claws at my insides. My body grows warm in discomfort as my heart pounds against my chest, and I feel clammy in this suddenly too-small office as my husband stands in the doorway with a look of disgust on his features.
I can’t even find words to speak. I just stare at him.
“Quit?” Luca chuckles, shaking his head. “Even in the face of a slummy commitment like this one, you can’t even follow through,” he says, gesturing to the office.
His steel-colored eyes land on me, narrowing as he approaches. He stands out in this environment, and his crisp suit forces me to acknowledge just how much of an anomaly this man is.
“Got nothing to say? Not even a ‘sorry for leaving you for dead’?” he says sarcastically.
My instincts to run kick in, and I’m up from my seat, snatching the letter opener from the desk. The moment I turn to face him, Luca has me in a death grip, smashing me into the wall as his hand grips my wrist, holding the makeshift weapon.
“Drop it,” he growls.
He emphasizes the command by squeezing hard enough that I whimper in pain, my hand releasing the weapon. Luca’s scent suffocates me as he leans in, his warm breath tickling my ear as his hands roam under my shirt.
“I missed your skin,” he murmurs.
His hand moves over my stomach, lingering over my ribs as he trails the healed mark of his possession on my body. He then chuckles, his tongue tracing my exposed throat.
“You thought you could run away from me? Your husband? Your Capo?” His hand drifts higher, gripping my bra as he gently pulls, forcing my breast to slightly pop out under my shirt. He gently rubs at my nipple as he enjoys the sound of my trembling breaths.
“Your naivete, as always, is endearing. I do hope you weren’t planning on leaving with your cousin. You wouldn’t have lived once they used you to lure me out and give them what they really wanted,” he chuckles.
I tense as he presses himself against me, the bulge of his erection pressing against my stomach.
“All this time, all I could think about was getting you back to punish you for what you did…Now that I finally have you, I only want to bury myself inside of you and never leave,” he groans.
“Please,” I finally manage. It’s all I can manage. I have no clever quip, plan, or hope as Luca reveals why he is the predator in this situation. Luca chuckles, pulling away from me. He releases my breast, his hand shifting from under my shirt to grip my tear-streaked face.
“Save your begging, wife. You’re going to need it,” he says, moving away from me.
“Now, let’s go—”
Luca’s expression shifts to shock briefly as my palm shoots out, aiming for his nose. He dodges at the last second, and I manage to hit him in the chin instead. He cries out, stumbling briefly, but it’s enough for me to move past him and wrench the door open. I’m only a few feet out of the door before hands on either side grab me, flipping me roughly so that I land on my stomach.
I open my mouth to scream, but someone presses a knee into my back, making it difficult for me to breathe, let alone scream. As I struggle, my husband steps through the dimly lit doorway, rubbing his chin lightly, a twinkle of excitement in his eyes as he looks down at me, seeing me as a challenge. There’s a wicked gleam in his eyes, one that I associate with his interrogations. In the past, he’s always kept his expression unreadable. But now he reveals his true intentions, ready to do whatever it takes to make me pay.
He pulls out his gun, kneeling to my height.
“Let me explain to you the severity of your situation. You almost killed me—”
“Good,” I snap. I emphasize my words by spitting at his feet.
Luca doesn’t retaliate, though. He watches me closely, a wicked grin forming the longer he stares.
“One word from me, and a bullet goes in her head.” The words are chilling, falling from Luca’s lips. I know he means it. It isn’t an empty threat. He’ll kill Ari. And he knows that’s the only leverage he needs. I glare at him, feeling my bravery disappear. And finally, I lower my head. I’ve lost. At every angle, I’ve lost.
Luca chuckles, standing.
“Take her home.”