4. Luca
4
LUCA
D ominic can’t seem to get away from me fast enough. Despite not knowing he was even here, the party feels so much more empty now than it was with him here. I paw around me for the drink that I placed down when he came at me. Throwing back what’s left of it, I stand up straight, getting back to where I was before he shoved me aside.
He really can’t bear being around me, but why?
“You okay, Luca? What the hell was that?” My friend Emilio places a hand on my arm to steady me.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just—” I struggle for the right words. In shock? Mad? Frustrated? Disappointed? “I don’t know…” They’re the only words I can find.
“Who was that guy? Wait, was that him?” Emilio gasps.
“Yep, that’s Dominic Rossi.”
“What’s he doing here?”
“I think he goes to Valmont too.”
“How come we’ve never seen him before?”
“Maybe it’s just my luck?” It was a fair question, though I don’t feel very lucky. “Or it’s because last year I had no idea who he was.”
“Hopefully that’ll be the last we see of him.” He tries to reassure me, but it doesn’t quite work.
“I doubt it. I think I’m going to call it here.”
“What? Don’t let him ruin your night. I’ll grab you another drink.” “It’s fine. The drama’s just tired me out,” I say. “Don’t want to ruin your guys’ night. I have an early class anyway.”
Emilio takes a long, hard look at me, “Fine. Just let me know when you get back.”
“Of course. Now you guys have fun, okay?” I try my best to crack a smile and leave quickly before anyone can see through it.
Strolling down the driveway, I look out for any sign of Dominic having stuck around. I don’t know what I’m hoping for. As if five minutes of air will make him talk like a reasonable adult. I replay my encounters with him over and over in my head.
At the wedding, he came to me looking for a fight, and tonight, he did the exact same thing.
Maybe I should seek him out?
That won’t work. He’s far too territorial; he’ll fight me off like a wolf fending off another predator. He’s such a meathead—not thinking anything through and simply driving forward fueled by pure emotion and testosterone.
I wish I could act like that. To give in to my carnal desires and pursue what I want with no second thoughts or regrets. But I can’t. I’m a Valenti. We are held to a higher standard, and if I want to get anywhere in life, I will have to live by them.
What would I even want? To be like my father? To grow into a leader and take over the family? Or is that only what he wants?
Is that what separates someone like me from someone like Dominic? Having true passion and desire? Pursuing what you want and breaking down any obstacle that stands in your way with reckless abandon?
If so, what does he want in life? Am I his obstacle?
At the wedding, he came after me and tried to start a fight and cause a scene. Back at the party, he basically tried to drive me away.
Does he want the Valentis and Rossis to divide again? Or maybe… Does he want me ?
My whole body shudders at the thought. There’s no way. The idea is almost laughable.
Dominic may act like a blind fool, but even he would know that such a want is not only wrong but dangerous. Right? Then again, why do I now feel so frustrated at that fact?
Is that what I want…? Dominic Rossi?
I toss and turn in my bed, doing the best I can to banish any thoughts of him from my mind, but no matter what, fragments of my feelings still linger. I rip the pillow from the mattress and slam it against my face, bellowing out a scream of frustration into it.
This is wrong; all of it is. He’s my stepbrother, and our family’s alliance is fragile enough already. If anything were to happen between us, it could fracture it for good. I have to stop thinking about him. Yet I can’t.
I grip the cold sheets around me, feelings and fantasies of Dominic flashing and pulsing in my mind. The vision of him shoving me into the wall again, but this time we’re alone. And unlike me, he’s not afraid to act and presses his lips against mine. Feeling the heat of his hands radiate onto my body as he gropes at me.
I fight off the image.
Another dream of him having already thrown me to the ground and mounting my exposed body, tearing my legs apart, and burying himself deep inside of me.
A gasp of breath escapes my lungs as I’m drawn back to the reality of my empty room. My entire body shakes, the remaining feelings of pure ecstasy course through my veins, and I know that my mind has submitted to the idea of Dominic.
My head sags under the weight of my lethargy. Keeping my eyes toward the front of the lecture hall is almost too much for my body to manage. The droning sounds of my professor lull to become white noise that nearly sends me to sleep.
“Luca? You awake?” Emilio whispers as he nudges my arm and startles me into consciousness.
“Yeah, sorry. Didn’t sleep too well,” I groggily respond.
“You should’ve stayed out last night. It would’ve tired you out, and you would’ve slept fine,” he pesters.
“I’m fine. It probably wouldn’t have changed much either way.”
“Don’t tell me you were kept up all night thinking about that guy,” Emilio groans.
“No, of course not,” I lie. “Just family stress.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, man. You want to talk about it?” “Honestly, I just want to forget about it all as soon as I can. Avoid all of them as much as I can, you know?” I doubt my words, but they’re not outright lies.
Emilio goes quiet beside me, letting me return to my thoughts again.
I don’t want to push Dominic away and forget about him forever, but it’s what he seems to want. It’s what’s right for both the families. So that’s what I’ll do.
After class, I keep my eyes on the ground as my feet patter quickly on the stone walkways that divide the campus into its many different quadrants, taking quick turns and shortcuts as I make my way to my dorm. This way, I shouldn’t see Dominic and he shouldn’t see me.
I hop across a grass partition between the paths and continue onward, my pace only getting faster with every step. I cut close to the college’s full parking lot, seeing all of the students flee the scene of their final classes, desperate to get away.
“Luca!” a voice calls out for me, halting me in place .
I scan the surrounding area frantically, looking for the voice’s owner, praying that it doesn’t belong to him .
“Luca!” it calls once more, and this time I’m better able to track down its origin. I spot my father standing beside his car, his arms clasped neatly in front of him and his salt-and-pepper hair slicked back. I can just barely catch a glimpse of his personal driver waiting at the ready in the front cabin. This is a business call.
I rush toward him. “Dad? What are you doing here?” I ask, terrified of what the answer may be.
“Get in the car,” he directs, his voice still and ice cold.
“What’s happened?” I push back slightly, trying my best to stand up straight to match his stature.
“I said get in the car. Then I’ll explain.”
The car's interior is sleek in its design, not a single thing unnecessary or inconvenient in either size or location. The privacy glass is pitch black, masking the conversation and leaving the driver completely in the dark. My father sits parallel with me in the fine leather seats, and he finally lets himself go, sprawling out slightly.
“So, what is it you wanted to talk about?” I ask yet again.
He reaches out and grabs a freshly poured glass tumbler, taking a deep swig of whiskey from it. “You’re being impatient,” he scolds. “I thought you’d be ready for this kind of thing by now, but it’s never right to rush business. So perhaps I need to reconsider?”
His words are meant to taunt, but nonetheless, he said he thinks I’m ready. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I can just tell that this is important.”
“And what gave you that impression?” His eyes are already examining me for my answer.
“Well…” I pause. I must get this right. “You spoke before at the wedding about maintaining the Valenti image, as well as concerns about future enemies.” I ensure my words are precisely what I intend. “That as well as you coming to get me with no warning and making sure we only talk once in the car. All of this backs the idea that this is an important and serious meeting, not just a family visit.”
He listens intently, taking another sip of his drink. Anxiety pulses through my veins, and each additional second feels like my head’s going to explode.
Dad finishes and places down his drink, taking yet another moment of pause. “Well done. You’re not too far off.” He smiles.
Relief floods through my body in an instant.
“Do you recall the Greco family?”
Every part of this conversation feels like a test. “We had some problems with them before the Rossis, right?”“That’s right, we did. And they’ve been keeping their distance for some time now, but now it seems like that interval was spent planning.” He sucks his teeth. “Because ever since the news got out about the wedding, they’ve been having talks and making small plays.”
“What have they done?” I try my best not to sound nervous, forcing my voice not to shake.
“Well, Antonio Greco is pushing his empire further by the day. He’s squeezing us out of everything we do.” There’s venom on his tongue.
“How do we plan to react?”
My father takes a moment to look me over once again, lingering on the thought. “We plan to do nothing. For now at least. Antonio has made his efforts to reach out to us himself. I suspect he has something important he wants to say.” He looks me dead in the eyes. “It is reckless to act before knowing what cards are in play. That’s what a Rossi would do, not a Valenti.” He chuckles to himself.
My teeth grit behind my faux smile. “Then why align ourselves with them?”
“Because now they are under our thumb where we can keep them in line,” he snaps.
I hold in my spite, knowing I must appear cool and calculated in front of him. I attempt to alter the conversation’s course. “Why are you sharing all of this with me?”
“Well, son, it’s about time that you stepped up in the family business. When the time comes for our meeting with the Grecos, I want you there with me.”
“Are you serious?” My voice is teeming with both eagerness and anxiety. “Are you sure I’m ready for something like that?”
“I think so, but do you?” He remains cold, his question being just another test.
I pause, already realizing that doing so is a mistake. This is everything that I want to be doing but also the very thing that I’m scared to do.
“Yes, I’m ready.”
“Good. When the time comes, I’ll come get you like I did today. Make sure you’re ready for it. It will be good to see how you handle such a situation. They’ll be a common thorn in your side when you take over from me,” he declares as he reaches for a button by his side. Holding it down, the privacy glass lowers to reveal the driver in the front seat. “Filo, you can bring us back now.”
Filo nods without a word, and suddenly the window rises as quickly as it fell. The car reduces its speed, smoothly coming to a halt.
“I won’t keep you any longer,” my father says, showing off an authentic smile for the first time since picking me up.
The door beside me is swiftly opened, Filo standing outside of the car holding it for me. Awkwardly, I shuffle across the pristine seat and make my way out of the vehicle.
Once I’m out and standing on the sidewalk, Filo closes the door behind me, gets back into the car, and drives off before I can say goodbye to either of them.
This is what I need. This is something big and important enough to properly distract me. Right now is the time for business and strategy, not some petty crush. I can dedicate myself to the family, help my father, prove myself, and soon forget all about him .
This is perfect.
Looking up, I go to take my first stride away from the curb but instead, I catch a glimpse of him—Dominic, walking alone across the campus square. He’s so far away from me, but yet he is the first thing that catches my eye. Tall, strong and handsome.
You have got to be kidding me.
Is the universe testing me as well? Or is he doing this on purpose?
No. It doesn’t matter. This is just my first step to proving myself. If I am to take over the Valenti legacy, then I need to push past these thoughts and feelings to focus on what actually matters .
“Hey, Luca!” The voice coming from another direction pulls me from my spiral. I search for whoever spoke, finally spotting Emilio and rushing toward him and away from where I last saw Dominic. “Where have you been?” “Sorry, just had to talk with my dad real quick. What’s up?”
“I wanted to make it up to you for missing out on the party last night, so I’ve got us invited to another one!” He’s barely able to hold back his excitement.
“Oh wow, okay… I’d love to. It’s just?—”
“What’s wrong?” Emilio’s face turns troubled.
“I don’t need any more drama right now. Is Dominic Rossi going to be there?” I pray he won’t be, but something deep inside of me seems to disagree.
“You won’t have to worry about him. It’s the Delta Zeta’s party. Invite only. There’s a dress code and everything. No chance they’ll let him in.”
I let out a sigh of relief, but in that same place, deep in my stomach, a knot begins to twist up. “I can’t wait.”