48. Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Seven
Luca
Watching Elise over the past few weeks has been a slow downward spiral to insanity. Her nightmares have kept me awake at night and pulled me from my work during the day. Her appetite has dwindled significantly, and at multiple times a day, I catch her staring off into nothing with a distant look on her face. Dr. Patterson’s warning didn’t prepare me for this at all.
I knew something was wrong when I found her in my office sleeping peacefully in front of my computer the other night. Elise has never been able to stomach this side of our world. She’s never even been able to look at me if any blood lingered. But she fell asleep to the sight of Alexander’s torture. And I’ll never forget the smile on her face as she watched the life drain from his eyes.
And now, as I watch her from a distance, I see the dark rings around her already darkened eyes from the bruising. I don’t know what she needs, but she can’t go on like this. She’s retreating into herself, having witnessed things I failed to protect her from.
“Elise,” I call to her, making my way out of the house.
She looks away from the water, a small smile appearing on her lips when she sees it’s me. I wish I knew what was going through her mind. But with everything that has been set in motion, I’ve barely had the time to be there for her, or even comfort her.
Her kidnapping was only a sideshow in all of this. My family is being hunted, but now we know exactly by whom. And it starts with agent Jeffries. Unfortunately, he is just another lackey doing his boss’s job for him. Now that I’ve gathered all the information I can, it’s time to hunt him down and find out who I need to take out so we can live in peace.
“Are you feeling okay?” I ask, taking a seat next to her on the patio.
She nods.
“I see the appeal in killing your enemies…it helps,” she says softly.
The words are chilling coming from her lips. I shake my head, pushing her hair from her face.
“Don’t think like that…that isn’t you. Sometimes your enemies are random innocents who have nothing to do with hurting you,” I say.
Elise laughs, looking away. “Like my mother?” she asks.
I release a deep breath.
“Yes. Like her,” I say.
“My father kept a picture of them from their wedding day in his office. I used to think the look in her eyes was because she was scared of marriage. Now I know it’s because she knew she was marrying a monster,” she says.
Her words inadvertently bother me. She picks up what she says, looking at me.
“I didn’t mean it in that way…You are nothing like my father, Luca,” she says gently.
I laugh. “I’m not far off,” I say.
Elise shrugs, leaning into me. She smells like lavender as she snuggles against my chest, and I take the moment to enjoy the feel of her skin against mine.
“My father wanted me dead. You have always stood in the way of that happening. You are not like him. Not by a mile,” she says.
“Hm,” I smile.
“If we had children…do you think I would see them grow?” she asks.
“Why would you say that? Of course you would,” I say.
Elise laughs, and it is barely attached to reality.
“Women are nothing but bartering chips in this world. If someone thought they needed to get you to bend a knee, they’d come for me. Just like they did with my mother and yours,” she says.
“Elise—”
“I almost died, Luca. I was sold like a piece of meat to men who wanted to destroy me, because that was the only way they could make you hurt. Our marriage was nothing but a transaction. It was my father’s way of making use of me, and it was meant to cost me my life—”
“Stop talking like that. I told you I would protect you, didn’t I? I told you, you are mine,” I say, pulling away.
Elise turns to look at me, her eyes searching my face.
“I know you’ll do everything in your power to protect me. But sometimes it’s going to be out of your power, and there will be nothing you can do about it.”
I can’t form a response. My eyes burn as I come to understand the expression on her face. It’s hopelessness. She’s given up. And I hate how right she is. Women who marry into families don’t live very long. It happened with her mother, and it happened with mine. And it’s almost happened to her multiple times.
She smiles at me, a laugh escaping her lips as she reaches for my face, wiping a stray tear.
“The big, scary Luca Pasquino does have a heart,” she says.
As she pulls her hand away, I grab it in mine.
“As long as it’s beating, nothing will happen to you, Elise. I will protect you with every breath I have in my body. You are my everything. Haven’t I proven that already?” I ask.
Her eyes widen as I speak. But before she can respond, her gaze shifts past me to the approaching company.
“Boss. It’s time,” Romelo says.
I slowly release Elise’s hand, standing, and she rises with me.
“Where are you going?” she asks. I note the tremble in her voice. It’s another effect of her capture. She doesn’t like being alone. And lately, that’s all I’ve been doing. I only came out here to let her know that I would be gone for a while.
I smile, pressing a kiss to her lips.
“To do what I promised,” I say.
I turn just in time to catch Nicolai joining us with my newest man. And his dog. I hear Elise gasp behind me as they approach, and I pull her with me.
“You’re okay,” she says, stepping past me to smile at Wyatt. I have to force myself to remember that she is only being polite. And that this man saved her life.
“Of course. Your husband has been very generous,” he says with a reluctant grin. “And I am more than happy to do what I can to help,” he adds.
“Boss, it’s now or never.” Romelo reiterates behind us.
I nod, shifting my attention back to Elise, who clearly doesn’t want me to leave, but doesn’t want to say it out loud.
“I’ll be back, I swear,” I say, pulling her in for a kiss.
“Nicolai and Enzo will be here to keep you safe—”
Before I can finish my sentence, the dog who was in the mountains with them comes barreling into the backyard.
“Rosco?” Elise calls the dog, a smile blooming on her lips as she bends to pet the dog. He’s been staying with Nicolai since we found Elise in the mountains. But now that I have his owner’s loyalty, he’ll be returning to him once this is all over.
Elise looks at me, her smile still beaming, and I feel a tinge of guilt from her expression. Our conversation only minutes ago is still fresh on my mind. Is that all she’s been thinking over the past week? That she’s disposable?
I step into her, pulling her in for a hug. Her body is warm as it melts into mine, and I feel her hands wrap around me.
“I love you,” I murmur.
I walk away from her, and Romelo and Wyatt follow close behind as we depart.
Infiltrating someone’s home is easy. Not only do they think they are the safest there, but so does everyone else. No one suspects their enemy will be waiting for them at their home. They suspect they’ll pick them up at a coffee shop or run them down in the street—maybe take them out in a crowded area. But for me, the home is the easiest place to get a target.
The hard part is leaving no trace of your existence once you finish.
And as I step over Agent Jeffries’ naked body, tied to a chair with duct tape over his mouth, my excitement overtakes my caution. Especially when he begins to struggle, this is the man who caused all the pain for Elise. He traded an innocent woman to get at me. And now, he’s going to pay for it with his life.
I place my hand over the duct tape covering his mouth, looking him in the eyes. Sweat beads over his face, his breathing frantic as he looks at me.
“Now I’m going to remove the tape. And if you make a sound, I will kill you.” I pause once I finish my sentence, giving him an opportunity to understand the true meaning of my words.
Then I rip the tape off.
“Help! Someone please help me!” he screams.
I wait silently as he gets all of his screaming out, until his throat is raw and he finally realizes the extent of the situation.
“Are you done?” I ask, grabbing a power drill from the table of tools. I press the trigger twice to warm it up and vaguely register Romelo calling me.
“Boss—”
“Don’t worry, I know the objective. We need information. But that doesn’t mean I can’t have fun with him in the meantime,” I say, lowering the drill until it is inches from his flesh, the loud whir causing him to shake violently as he begs.
“Did my wife beg you like this when you sent her to an auction house?” I ask, lowering the drill. The sound of tearing flesh fills the air, mingling with his screams, and I continue to lower it, enjoying the feel of it ripping through the thick muscle of his thigh.
“This is nothing compared to what you put her through,” I growl, ripping it from his thigh.
“Ah!” he groans. “Please…I was just following orders,” he sobs.
“I know. And that’s why we’re here. You’re going to tell me who gave you those orders, and why,” I say.
His skin is flushed from screaming as he looks at me with crazed eyes. “You know I can’t tell you! I would be signing my own death warrant!” he cries.
I laugh, looking at Romelo.
“Bring me the jumper cables,” I say.
Romelo quietly moves around the room, grabbing the cables attached to a car battery.
“You still aren’t understanding the terms of tonight, are you, agent? You are dying regardless of what you say. The trick is to give me what I want sooner so I can make your death quick and easy. Or I can drag it out as long as I want,” I say as Romelo places the cables beside me.
“So, what will it be?”
Elise
I barely recognize myself anymore. I thought that with killing Alexander, the nightmares would stop. But they’ve only gotten worse as I relive the horrors each night. It’s made me realize how naive I was in the past. To think that there was anything outside of this life for me, outside of Luca, was childish.
Even now, adjusting to his absence has become difficult. Every second of my day is filled with paranoia. I feel that at any second, someone is going to storm in to drag me away. I know Luca thinks he can always protect me, but he can’t. The world is wicked, and I’ve only ever seen the most unforgiving sides.
“Elise?” I tense as Enzo’s voice pushes through my thoughts. He’s standing in front of me in the sun room, with a concerned expression.
“Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in,” I say.
Enzo has grown since I saw him last. He’s more toned, his hair short. He’s obviously been a big part of Luca’s world with my absence. Even his confidence has shifted. He no longer seems childlike.
The day I was taken, we had gotten into a fight because I didn’t want him to be a part of this world. I see now that I can’t control everything, including him.
“I was seeing if you were going to bed anytime soon. It’s past midnight,” he says gently.
I shake my head.
“No…I’m going to wait for Luca to come back,” I say.
Pity laces his expression as he moves to the cushions opposite me.
“Are you okay? I know you’ve been having difficulty adjusting. If there’s anything I can do—”
“Don’t worry about me, Enzo. I’m the older sister. I should be taking care of you,” I say.
Enzo smiles.
“You tried your best,” he says. “But this is what I was born to do. I have to take care of you, Elise. It’s the least I can do after everything our father did—our family has done,” he says.
I nod, but don’t respond. He has really taken the burden of our father’s mistakes on his shoulders. He feels like he has to make up for them.
“You know, you’re not responsible for them, right? They don’t define everything you can be,” I say.
Enzo smiles. “I know. But that’s why you’re so important to me. Even that day was my fault…I shouldn’t have said those things. I should have—”
“There’s no use in looking back now. It’s just you and me. We’re Pasquinos now. All we can do is live up to the name and pray that our family has no more secrets waiting for us,” I say, laughing.
Enzo smiles, leaning against me. I’m shocked at the display of affection, but I slowly wrap my arms around him when I realize his shoulders are trembling.
“I’m so sorry, Elise. I’m sorry I was ever born,” he sobs.
I gently rub my fingers through his hair. “Don’t say that. I’m glad you were born. I always wanted a sibling,” I say.
Enzo’s tears fall harder as he sobs against me. It’s been so long since I saw him last, and he seems much more mature. But he isn’t. He’s still a kid eager to make up for his father’s mistakes.
I pull in a deep breath, cursing my father in his grave. All of this suffering is because of him. I meant what I said to Enzo. We are no longer Trovolis. We are Pasquinos now. If it’s the last thing I do, I won’t let my father’s plot come true. Enzo and I will no longer be his pawns. I won’t let it happen.