Chapter 2 #2
I shouldn’t have expected anything less. I’m not sure why I thought leaving him a note, telling him not to chase after me, would work.
“You don’t want to marry me.” I meet his frosty stare.
He silently swallows and his tongue darts out for a second, swiping across his top lip.
His silence is all I need to hear.
“Let me and Zeke go,” I say. “Dante won’t keep chasing me when he realizes I’m worthless to him.”
Luca slams his fist on the table, growling at me. “You don’t fucking listen!”
A staff member glances at us, and I can feel her worried gaze on me.
I force a smile, but she reaches for her cell phone.
She’s watching, waiting to see if she should call the cops or if everything is okay between us.
“We need to get out of here,” I whisper, keeping my voice down.
We’re drawing too much attention to ourselves.
I glance out the window, and the bus is pulling away. My only choice is a ride with Luca and Ashton or stay in this small town until I can figure something else out.
“Good, finally some sensible words,” Luca grunts and climbs out of the booth. He cleans up the tray of half-eaten food, and I grab Zeke’s coat, heading toward the indoor playground.
Through the glass windows, I can see Zeke tumbling through the indoor jungle gym.
I reach for Luca’s hand, hoping I can convince him to take us someplace safe, far from Dante.
He yanks his hand away, as if I’m fire and have the ability to physically burn him.
Luca grabs Zeke’s coat in my hands and shoves the glass door open. “Come on, buddy. Let’s get you ready. It’s time we get back on the road.”
We stop at the hotel first, grab Zeke’s car seat and my backpack. I change Zeke’s diaper and use the bathroom before we pile into Luca’s car.
I sit in the back next to Zeke, who is protesting being locked into his car seat.
Dread fills my stomach as Luca turns us around and takes us back in the direction we came.
Breckenridge, Montana.
It seems there’s nothing I can say that will convince him to drive us to Vegas or someplace else on the map.
I sit in silence, trying to reassure Zeke and settle him down as he wails for the next solid hour.
“What’s wrong with him?” Ashton asks, glancing over his shoulder. He shifts in the front seat, trying to see why Zeke is hysterical.
I offer Zeke a toy, a snack, there’s nothing that settles down his screams.
He’s reacting the way I feel.
I run my fingers over his dainty hair. “I know, Zeke, I don’t want to go back, either,” I whisper. “It’ll be okay. You and me, we’ll get through this.”
I glance toward the front of the car, and Luca is white-knuckling the steering wheel. He shifts, tense, as he glances at me in the rearview mirror.
But he doesn’t say anything.
What is there to say?
He’s made it clear that he’s angry with me for leaving with Zeke. No amount of apologizing is going to fix what’s been done.
Besides, I’m not sorry.
I was trying to help Luca out.
I’m just sorry that my plan went to hell.
Two hours into the drive, Zeke finally falls asleep. He’s still running a low-grade fever, but the medicine seems to be helping.
Luca keeps the music on low, careful not to wake Zeke as we continue driving for a couple more hours before he pulls over to get gas.
He shuts off the engine, and Zeke stirs but doesn’t fully wake up.
Ashton steps out of the car and heads into the gas station, while Luca pumps gas.
When Luca finishes, he opens the front door and reaches for his phone. From the backseat, I can tell he’s texting someone, but I can’t make out what’s being said.
I think better than to ask. I’m not sure that I’ll like whatever answer he’ll give me.
We’re another hour or so from Breckenridge, two hours from campus. I don’t dare ask if Luca is driving us back home or to his parents’ house.
I’m too afraid to speak, that I might wake Zeke and break the spell of his slumber.
As we exit the main throughfare, I realize we’re returning to Luca’s parents’ home.
Shit.
Nausea sweeps over me, and as we pull to an abrupt stop in front of the Riccis’ home, Zeke stirs.
Luca kills the engine, and I work on unbuckling a grumpy Zeke, who is fighting sleep.
When Luca steps out of the car, a cold blast of air assaults us, which further intensifies Zeke’s cries.
“I know.” I work on getting his coat back on from the backseat and zip him up to keep him warm.
Luca yanks open the back door on Zeke’s side, and my little monster betrays me, clawing for Luca.
“Dada,” Zeke wails as Luca lifts my son into his arms and Zeke buries his snotty face in Luca’s jacket.
He carries Zeke to the front door. I try the car handle, but my side is child-locked.
Ashton opens the car door for me, letting me out.
They clearly didn’t want me to try to escape. I button my coat and grab my backpack, hurrying after Luca and Zeke.
Luca heads inside, and I follow right behind him, helping remove Zeke’s coat while he squirms in Luca’s arms.
“Dada. Dada,” Zeke keeps repeating while I wiggle his shoes off before removing my own.
Dante’s footsteps click over the marble flooring. “Look who decided to return,” he says, glaring at me.
“Luca, Harper, come with me, now,” Dante seethes and turns sharply, heading down toward the library.
Luca doesn’t release his hold on Zeke, who is fidgety and whiny, trying to get down, wanting to tear through the house.
But at least there are no tears.
At least not from him.
I’m fighting back the dread as I follow behind Luca, who is a solid several steps ahead of me.
He’s practically left me behind.
We’re no longer a united front. There’s no pretending that we’re in love or in a relationship.
Luca Ricci hates me.
Luca’s mother, Nikki, is seated in one of the armchairs. When she sees us, she stands and hurries over to Luca, taking Zeke in her arms.
It’s the first time she’s ever offered to hold my son, and I can’t help but feel my stomach tumble as I step closer, wanting to take him back into my arms.
I don’t trust Nikki or Dante.
I don’t trust any of them with my little boy.
Nikki seems to have the magic touch, though, bouncing him on her hip, smiling and making faces at him, which settles Zeke down.
She leans forward and kisses his cheeks and forehead, frowning. “He’s burning up.”
“He’s been running a fever on and off all day,” I confess.
“I’m calling the doctor,” Nikki says, carrying Zeke with her out of the library.
“I gave him baby Tylenol,” I say, trying to ease her mind.
I may be a shitty girlfriend, but I’m not a bad mother.
I want to chase after Nikki. I don’t like that she’s taken Zeke out of the room, but Luca grabs my arm, his grip solid and warm as he keeps me from rushing after Nikki.
“Zeke will be fine.” Luca’s words are meant to assure me.
I exhale heavily and try to take a moment to breathe as I glance through the open door where Nikki just disappeared, and Ashton steps foot inside the library, joining us.
Dante steps toward me, his cold gaze sending chills straight through my heart.
“You disappointed me, Harper. I don’t like being disappointed.”
It’s a warning.
I nod faintly, staring up at him, realizing that there is no running from this man, not today.
I tried, and I failed, miserably.
“I’m sorry; it won’t happen again.”
“I’d like to think not,” Dante says with a huff. “You’ll be getting married this evening.”
I turn toward Luca, eyes wide, waiting to see if he’ll object and tell his father that he doesn’t wish to marry me.
He’s made it perfectly clear that he hates me.
“The wedding is still on?” I ask, my voice cracking.
“You didn’t think you could run from our family, dear, did you?” Dante asks with the hint of a devious smile on his face. “You’re lucky Luca and Ashton found you and it wasn’t one of my men.”
“I’m sorry.” I’m quick to apologize. Maybe I can find another way out of this disaster.
Dante’s gaze tightens.
“Apologies don’t lessen embarrassment. You attempted to humiliate my family.”
Luca’s hand drops from my arm.
The coldness in the air sends goosebumps across my skin.
“That was never my intention,” I say.
Do I try to explain that I was trying to help Luca? I doubt Dante cares about my intentions, and Luca certainly wasn’t happy with me when he read my letter.
“I’m sorry,” I say, hoping that maybe another apology will help ease the damage I’ve caused.
“I don’t care about your apologies. They’re meaningless,” Dante scolds. “You will marry him, now.”
“Now?” Luca’s voice betrays him as he glares at me. He blanches.
“We informed all our guests that Harper was ill with a bout of food poisoning. You will wed Ashton tonight,” Dante says.
Ashton?
“No!” I shake my head and glance back at Ashton, imploring him to stop this madness.
He doesn’t wish to marry me.
And I don’t want to be tied to him.
He cares for Nova.
I care about Luca.
It’s a match made in hell, Ashton and me marrying. It can’t happen. I won’t let it. I’d sooner die than marry Ashton Rinaldi.
Luca hates me, but if I marry Ashton, everyone will hate me.
Nova will never forgive me.
Luca will despise me for marrying his best friend.
And Ashton will regret it for the rest of his life.
“You can’t do this, sir,” I say, pleading with him. “The agreement was that I was to marry Luca.”
Dante’s eyes flicker for a moment. “That was the agreement, but you’ve betrayed the family. Don’t you think a punishment is in order?”
“You’re going to punish Ashton for me running away?” I ask, shocked.
I knew Dante wanted me to marry Ashton. He’d gone to Ashton, ordered him, like I was just another assignment, but we’d agreed that it was foolish and stupid.
Ashton strides closer, his skin glistening and pale. He looks taken aback by the recent news of our impending nuptials.
Turns out, Ashton hadn’t lied to me when he agreed to let the choice be mine.
But Dante has other ideas, and being the mafia boss, what he says, goes.
I reach for Ashton, taking his hands, staring up into his gaze.
“I’m calling in that favor you owe me.”