Chapter 7
CHAPTER
SEVEN
OBSESSION
LUCA
It’s been a week since Mindy left my house, and I wish I could say that I went back to normal. Well, normal for me, that is. I have tried to get the woman out of my head, but no matter what, she haunts my every thought.
My family is on the verge of a war, but all I can do is obsess over her well-being.
I have been watching her every move. The only person who has any idea of what I’ve been doing and where I’ve been is Paolo.
I couldn’t keep a secret from him even if I wanted to.
Paolo has a way of making me want to talk to him.
I’ve always been amazed at his ability to be empathetic and psychotic at the same time.
Niro had been calling me nonstop, and I was ignoring his calls, but now I know that my brother’s club was almost blown up. I’m pissed that I missed getting revenge on the assholes who tried to take us out. Not to mention all of the innocent people they could’ve killed in the process.
We might be a mob family, but we live by a code. We don’t kill innocents. People who have nothing to do with our lifestyle stay out of harm’s way. However, it looks like the Giuliani family has other ideas.
Now, I’m headed to my brother’s house so we can have a meeting to discuss our next steps. Ro has always been diplomatic, but I’m ready to do my job. Being the family hitman comes natural to me, and I’m ready to contribute.
My obsession got in the way of me being there when Ro questioned the men who tried and failed to throw Molotov cocktails inside a crowded club.
I know my brother did what had to be done, but I would have made sure they understood how big of a mistake it was that they made. They would’ve begged me to kill them.
Now, I find myself worked up like never before as I pace back and forth in my brother’s home office. “I knew those dirty motherfuckers were trying to take us down! I’m going to kill their entire fucking family,” I seethe.
I don’t regret keeping an eye on Mindy, but my rage from missing taking out a few Giuliani scum is palpable.
“We have to be strategic about this shit, Luca. We can’t just go on a rampage,” Niro responds.
I know that Niro is clear-headed, and he makes a lot of sense, but I don’t want to hear that shit right now. I want revenge. The blood lust is back, and my silent killer is being loud about needing retribution.
“Fuck strategy, Niro!” I shout, losing my shit.
It’s unlike me to be out of control. I don’t raise my voice, especially at my family. But I found out some fucked up shit about Mindy and her husband, Ross, and I can’t believe I let that asshole live.
“Luca, calm the fuck down! The fuck is wrong with you?” Ro questions with narrowed eyes.
I take a deep breath and run my hands through my hair, and I see when Ro zones in on my hands.
I know I will have to come clean about what happened because I never get welts or scratches from doing family business.
I’m meticulous, and I never leave any type of DNA or evidence that can potentially connect me to a crime.
“We’ll discuss this later. Everybody out… except you, Luca.” Ro points at me.
All my cousins file out of the office, and Paolo slaps my shoulder on the way out. I know he wouldn’t snitch, but I’m surprised he didn’t tell my brother where I was since the family was in danger. I wouldn’t have been mad about it because of the extenuating circumstances.
“What the fuck is going on with you, little brother?”
“Don’t start that little brother shit, Ro,” I respond, annoyed.
He knows it irritates me when he’s condescending. Ro only calls me little brother when he’s being an asshole. He has a lot on his plate, and I know that my disappearing for a week pissed him off.
“Luca, you have scratches on your hands. What. The. Fuck. Is. Going. On?” Ro’s seriousness is loud and clear.
He’s not joking or being a jerk. Ro and I are alike in a lot of ways. Being a control freak is one of them. Neither of us likes to feel like things are out of our depth. Ro not knowing where I was while our family was being threatened is a trigger for him, and I feel guilty as hell about it.
I sigh, “I can handle it, Ro. It’s nothing.”
“Luca, we’re going to war. But it looks like you’re already in one. I won’t lose you because you’re being stubborn.”
I plop down on the sofa. I have to tell my brother what’s going on with me. Even if it’s to give him a piece of mind that I’m not in any trouble. As much as I have named myself the protector of this family, Ro has always been mine.
“I met a woman,” I confess.
“Your hands are scratched and red because you met a woman?” Ro frowns.
“Yeah… well, no.” I shake my head. “I interrupted her husband beating her, and I lost my shit.”
“Wait. You met a married woman? Did you make her a widow?” Ro curiously questions.
“I didn’t kill him because she needed my help in the moment. But I’m sure I’ll have to eventually.”
While observing Mindy’s movements, I never caught a glimpse of her trash husband. It made me curious as to why he wasn’t out looking for his missing wife. If I had seen him even one time, he would’ve been dead. But he never made an appearance.
“Is this man going to be a problem? I’ll kill his ass right now.” My brother turns into a protective sibling in an instant.
I know Ro is serious, if Mindy’s husband is a problem in any way, shape, or form, my brother won’t think twice about making him disappear. But I don’t need my big brother to come to my rescue. I’m the family hitman for fuck’s sakes.
“Nah. He’s not an issue. But I promise to let you know if he becomes one.”
“Alright. As long as you stop fucking disappearing, I’m fine with staying out of your business.”
I nod, “No more disappearing. Got it. Now, what are we going to do about the Giuliani family? They’ve disrespected us too much, Ro. We can’t let that shit ride.”
I know Ro wants to continue to dig into my business, but nothing is more important than the immediate threat against our family. The Giuliani family needs to be destroyed. I want nothing more than to wipe them from the face of the earth.
“I don’t plan on letting anything ride, brother. But like Niro said, we have to be strategic. When their men don’t return, and my club is still standing, they’ll know we caught them. They’ll be waiting for retaliation.”
“So, what do we do to buy more time?” I question my brother.
“Now, we make Don Giuliani think his flunkies succeeded in hitting my club.”
The devious smirk that forms on my brother’s face is identical to mine. We will make the Giuliani’s pay, then I will be able to focus on making that asshole Ross Stewart regret the day he was ever born.
TWO MONTHS LATER
I didn’t think it would take so long to get our revenge on the Giuliani family.
I also didn’t account for my brother falling madly in love.
But now I realize just how unpredictable life can be.
Because I promised to not disappear while all this shit was happening, it’s been two months since I’ve seen Mindy in person.
I had a plan to casually bump into Mindy a few days after we’d met. I wanted to reestablish our connection and let her get to know me better. I wanted to make sure she saw me as a safe place to land.
But with all the shit happening with my family, I had to keep tabs on her by having one of my men follow her every step.
I wanted to make sure that if her husband decided to pop back up, she would be protected.
I was too busy to do it myself, but I made sure to get updates daily.
But it wasn’t the same. It’s been too long, and my obsession hasn’t lessened one bit.
I needed to see her to know for myself that she’s doing well.
I sit casually in the little coffee shop across the street from the clothing boutique where Mindy recently started working. She’s been staying with her cousin Karlie, and she hasn’t had any contact with Ross.
I know that Ross has been looking for her, and I know he’s found her because of her new job, which is why I need to make my presence known. Ross showed up here after Mindy’s shift yesterday. He still doesn’t know where she’s staying, so I would bet his life that he will be back.
And I’ll be waiting on that motherfucker.
Mindy walks out of the boutique with a little wallet in her hand.
She’s wearing a fitted black t-shirt with a pair of black slacks and matching black heels.
It’s a simple outfit, but she looks like she could walk on a runway somewhere.
Her skin is glowing, the bruises from that night long faded.
However, I still see the tension in her body.
I plan to rectify that.
Mindy rushes into the door and places an order for her coffee and a bagel. I shake my head because I know the woman hardly ever eats. It looks like she’s lost some weight as well. I frown because the thought of her losing her curves pisses me off.
Mindy is a short little thing, probably five-two at the most. Even in her heels, she’s still almost a foot shorter than me, but her small stature isn’t what makes me so protective. Mindy is a survivor, and she deserves the happiness that I’m going to give her.
I patiently wait for her to make her way to the table she sits at every day for lunch. I purposely sat where she would have to pass me. There’s no way she won’t recognize me, and if she doesn’t, I’ll have to remind her of who I am.
“Luca? Is that you? I mean, how are you?” Mindy’s dark brown eyes are wide.
I look up at her and smile. “My day just got a lot brighter. I’m glad to see you thriving.”
Mindy dips her head and looks away. Her brown skin reddens a bit in a blush, and I can’t help but find it adorable.
It never occurred to me that making a woman blush would bring a smile to my face. I normally don’t notice those types of interactions with women. My hyper-focus activities are a lot more wicked.
“Umm, thanks. I can’t believe you’re here.” She shakes her head in what I think is disbelief.
It almost makes me feel bad that she’s so innocent and unaware of who I really am. Although I would never hurt her, I have my demons. I will never not be a killer. I will never not be dangerous. But I will never treat her like Ross did.
“Why don’t you sit with me? We can catch up,” I say, standing to pull out the chair at the table.
Mindy takes a deep breath before nodding and sitting down. She places her items on the table, and I watch as her shoulders slightly relax. However, she continues to watch her surroundings like a skittish rabbit. I can only imagine she’s waiting for Ross to catch up with her.
“I never really got to properly thank you for that night. I wanted to call, but…” Mindy shakes her head again as her words trail off. “Anyway. Thank you. You saved my life.”
I reach across the small table and take her hand in mine, “I already told you that thanks aren’t needed. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
As a matter of fact, I know a heartbeat won’t be needed. I suspect Ross will be making his appearance at any moment because my phone just chimed. My men are in viewing distance, and they have been instructed to alert me if Ross comes within fifty feet of Mindy.
“You are such a sweetheart, Luca.”
I can’t help the smirk that creeps onto my lips. I’ve been called many things, but only my Mama calls me sweet.
I lift Mindy’s hand from the table and up to my lips. I hold eye contact with her while I press them softly to her knuckles. “Thank you. Not many people get the sweet side of me. You are most definitely special.” I wink at her and she blushes again.
As soon as I let her hand go, I see movement out of the corner of my eye.
I know I shouldn’t feel glee at the fact that I’m about to have a confrontation.
Especially when it’s with a man who traumatized the woman I’m infatuated with.
This situation may cause her to run if I don’t play my cards right, but I can’t help the pulse of excitement that zips through me knowing I’m about to embarrass this asshole.
The door of the coffee shop is violently flung open, and Ross stomps inside.
His face is glowing with malice, and the hatred in his eyes can be seen from a mile away.
I’m certain that I’m the catalyst for the intrusion, but Ross isn’t looking at me.
His gaze is trained on Mindy. Which is his second mistake.
His first was abusing her where I could see.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” The question was growled low, so only we could hear.
Mindy looks up, and again that scared rabbit appears. She instantly shrinks into herself and shakes her head. It’s maddening as fuck to see such a vibrant woman dull her shine because of some miscreant.
“There is no time or place where it would be appropriate for you to talk to her like that. As a matter of fact, you shouldn’t be talking to her at all.” My voice is calm, and my tone is flat.
However, when Ross finally looks at me, he takes a small step back. I don’t smirk or show any type of amusement because he needs to feel as terrified as the woman sitting across from me.
“Wh-what are you doing here…” Ross clears his throat and starts again. “I can speak to my wife however I choose.”
Ross’s eyes quickly slide from me back to Mindy, but she’s looking down at the ground, clearly embarrassed. I snap my fingers at the asshole to make him stop making Mindy uncomfortable. He’s done enough damage as it is. I refuse to let him torment her any longer.
“Eyes on my dipshit.” Once Ross looks at me again, I continue with my threat, “I’m the new man in her life now. I know you remember my face from the last time we met. If you so much as breathe her name, you will fucking regret it.”