Chapter 13
SOPHIA
I pace around the room for what feels like hours, trying not to pull my hair out.
Panic rises in my throat. What if I never get out of here?
What if he kills me and I never see Rosa again?
At first, Agnes won’t let on that anything is wrong.
But slowly, as time goes by, Agnes will get more and more concerned and Rosa will see it. She’ll sense it.
My Rosie girl is so smart.
My heart clenches as I see her little face in my mind’s eye, tears burning at the backs of my eyes. I have to do something. I can’t just keep pacing around. I have to fight to get back to her.
After taking a few calming breaths, I put my ear to the door. A scraping sound assaults my ears, and I realize that someone is putting a chair in front of my door. Keeping watch.
“Hey!” I call out.
There’s no answer.
“Helloooo!” I call, drawing out the word and speaking as loudly as I can.
“What?” Luca barks through the door. I can tell it’s him from how low and raspy his voice is. I’ll never forget that voice, the way he murmured in my ear, all the filthy things he said.
I shake my head sharply to clear it. I shouldn’t be thinking about that now. I shouldn’t be thinking about him that way at all, ever.
He gave me Rosa, and that’s as far as it goes.
“I’m hungry. And I have to pee.”
Silence again from beyond the door. I’m not lying. I really am hungry. I’d skipped dinner to fit into this ridiculous dress. And I really do have to pee. I’m crossing my legs and trying not to think about water.
It’s silent for so long I’m worried I’m going to have to go in the corner when the deadbolt clicks.
I stand up straight, or as straight as I can, given I’m still holding my bladder.
Luca opens the door, but he doesn’t give me a chance to speak. He grabs my wrist and tugs me to a small bathroom with only a shower, toilet, and sink. There aren’t even any windows.
I stand in front of the toilet, my bladder aching.
He just stares at me.
“Could I have some privacy?” I ask.
“Nothing I haven’t seen before.”
“It’s been a while,” I mumble.
Luca sighs but he turns around, crossing his arms but still standing in the doorway.
I don’t know how he thinks I’m going to escape a windowless room, but whatever.
I guess it could be worse. He’s threatened to do a lot of things, but he’s not taking advantage of me when I’m vulnerable. That’s something.
I bunch my dress around my hips and pull down my thong, sighing as I finally empty my bladder. When I’m done, I’m barely finished washing my hands before he grabs me again.
He drags me back to the room, throwing me inside and shutting the door. The deadbolt clicks. Anger rushes over me.
I stand there for a long time, just gaping at the door.
“Hey!” I yell finally, kicking the door. I have been terrified this whole time but now I’m just angry. “I’m still hungry, you sonofa—”
The deadbolt clicks again and he opens the door, handing me a ceramic plate with a sandwich and chips on top.
“Why are you so angry with me?” I demand to know, snatching the plate from him. I go over to the bed and sit down cross-legged, shoving chips into my mouth.
He barks out a humorless laugh. “Why do you think? I’d be angry at anyone who was trying to mess with my empire. You’re not special.”
I huff out a breath but keep eating, ravenous. Luca just watches me with unreadable green eyes.
“How long have you been tailing me?”
“I haven’t been tailing you,” I say, my mouth full. I chew and swallow before finishing. “I told you, I was just out to have some fun.”
“And you just happened to show up at my brother’s fight?” He raises an eyebrow. “You really expect me to believe that?”
My shoulders slump. “No. But it’s the truth. I’m not a cop anymore.”
“Liar.” He leans down, close to my ear. “Tell me what you know.”
I tilt my chin up, staring at him. He’s close now, too close. My skin starts to feel hot and I climb off the bed to get away from him, turning my back.
“What’s the story, pixie? You want me to believe what you told me? That you’re just a whore to thugs and criminals?”
Suddenly it’s anger instead of arousal heating my blood, and I whirl around with my hand out to slap him.
He grabs my wrist to stop me and when I try to hit him with my other hand, balled up in a fist, he grabs my other wrist, too, quick, striking like a snake.
Damn it. Now I’m aroused again. He slams my back against the far wall, pinning my wrists above my head. I’m panting as I look up at him.
“Don’t even try it,” I spit out as he looks at my lips.
He chuckles low in his throat and the sound travels over my skin like honey.
“Don’t flatter yourself. You think I’d kiss you? You think I’d give you that, after all the lies you’ve told me tonight?”
“Give me that? Don’t flatter yourself.”
“Keep telling yourself you don’t want me, pixie.” He mumbles something in Italian that I don’t quite catch.
“What was that?”
“Surprised you speak the language. Thought maybe you were only pretending to be.”
“My father is first-generation Sicilian-American,” I say proudly.
“And what, you think that means you know how I tick?” he asks derisively. He’s so mean but he’s hard against my hip as he presses himself against me.
“I know you want me,” I breathe, and I tell myself I’m trying to seduce him so that I can get the hell out of here. So that maybe he’ll let down his guard long enough for me to escape. But deep down, I know that’s not true. I know that I could probably push him away, wait for another opening.
But God, I want him to kiss me. He doesn’t, though, and he doesn’t deny my words, just looking down at me with intense green eyes and breathing hard.
I lean up to kiss him and he pulls his head away.
There’s this weird twinge in my heart, but instead of bristling I kiss his throat. He draws in a ragged breath that sounds like it hurts him.
I lift my head and his lips crash down on mine. His tongue prods at my lips until I open my mouth with a soft moan. He shoves it into my mouth, making me moan loader. As his tongue explores my mouth, he lets me go.
But instead of hitting him and pushing him away, instead of fighting him, I wrap my arms around his neck and melt against him.
His hands grab my hips, picking me up then slamming me back against the wall with his body. It only makes me kiss him harder, our teeth nearly gnashing together in our haste.
I can’t think. I can barely breathe, because this is all I’ve wanted for nearly three years. I should hate him, but the way he kisses me, the way he touches me…
I can’t resist it.
My body sings as he rolls his hips, the bulge of his erection in his slacks pressing against my core. I’m so wet I’m soaking through my thong.
He knows it, too, feels it. I can tell by the smirk against my lips.
Luca moves his lips to my throat, kissing up to my jawline then back down to my shoulder.
I let out a low moan and he bites there, rocking his hips forward and making me gasp out his name.
He pulls up his head suddenly, his green eyes unfocused at first but then clearing. They widen as he looks at me.
No. No no no. I don’t want this to end. Just a little more. I’ve missed a man’s touch so badly, that’s all. At least that’s what I choose to tell myself.
He pulls away, lowering me to the ground. He takes a few steps back.
My chest heaves as I try to get in a deep breath. I can’t look away from his piercing gaze. He looks pained, almost angry.
“Luca,” I start, but he holds up a hand, looking away.
I bite my lip. I want him. Want him badly, even now, even after…everything.
I would have let him take me against the wall in my prison cell.
I open my mouth to speak again and Luca turns and stalks out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
The click of the deadbolt makes me want to scream.