Chapter 28
LUCA
I played my hand at the perfect time. Frankie wants my knowledge, and I want his sister. It was the right opportunity to get what I want, and the condition is something I would do for fun, anyway.
We left River to cower on the dungeon floor for a few more hours. Frankie was too fired up to deal with him now. I’m guessing he is either drowning his rage in beer or inside his woman right now, but he is not my concern. Summer is.
I’ve laid my intentions on the line and as I hold her against me, I am reluctant to let go.
We kiss in the knowledge we don’t need to hide anymore and yet as the door to the basement opens and artificial light illuminates the night sky, I pull away and growl, “Go back inside.”
The guy standing there doesn’t hesitate and heads back the way he came, dragging the girl he was holding along with him.
“That was rude.”
“I want to be alone with you.”
She smiles, and it takes my breath away.
“So–” She huffs a deep breath. “How does this work?”
“We hang out together and next week we take part in The Claiming and I catch you in the challenge. We become attached and are free to explore our relationship out in the open with no distractions.”
“That does sound kind of–” She grins. “Strangely liberating.”
“So, you’ll give us a chance?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“You will always have a choice with me, angel. I’m not the bad guy—with you, anyway.”
“What do you want from this, Luca?”
Her question takes me by surprise and with a sigh, I guide her down into one of the seats dotted around the yard.
I pull her head against my shoulder, my arm circling her, and say huskily, “I want someone in my corner who is there willingly. A woman I can confide in, cherish and share my time with. Someone I will kill for and would do the same for me. A team if you like. An addiction and a friend.”
“You don’t strike me as the kind of guy who has many friends.”
Her statement isn’t a shock to me because I’m not. There is my family, a few guys from high school I hang around with, but no one close to share my mind with. I never realized how much I crave that until coming here and seeing Frankie and Cassie.
I want that with Summer. To know my person is waiting for me with a smile and concern for me.
To work together and be an item and I want it to be her.
To share my bed, my passions and my Rockwell experience.
I don’t want to press up against a random girl at a party most nights.
That’s never been who I am—and here, I want to experience something different, because for my entire life, I’ve never truly let anyone in.
“I have a few friends, but I’ve never had a girlfriend.”
“That makes two of us—well, in my case, I substitute girl with boy.”
“I figured as much.”
I shift closer. “We will learn what’s that like together.”
She turns and stares into my eyes and as I drown in the beauty of hers, she smiles happily. “I kind of like what you’re offering Luca. It will be a new experience for both of us.”
“Then sign up.”
“Perhaps I will.”
This time, she kisses me and it takes me by surprise.
Nobody has ever initiated a kiss with me before.
I rarely bother anyway. I fuck whores because it’s their job and I pay them for the pleasure.
Kissing isn’t a part of that and yet kissing Summer is every inch as pleasurable as full-blown sex.
It’s intimate, sexy and increases my hunger for more.
I want all of her and I’m in no doubt we are on the same page.
Once again the door opens and we pull apart as Frankie’s husky tones come between us.
“Put my sister down, Luca. I could use your help.”
Summer’s shocked gasp breaks a smile on my face and I turn and kiss her softly before reaching for her hand.
“Come inside. I won’t be long.”
Frankie’s irritated glare causes Summer to chuckle softly and as we make our way inside, she heads off to join her friend Imogen as I follow Frankie back up the basement steps.
We walk in silence back to the dungeon, and I know better than to push conversation right now. Frankie may have agreed to my pursuit of his sister, but he won’t like it. Not one inch of it.
As we head inside the dark dungeon, we use our phones to light our path and as we stop at the cell holding River Callahan, he blinks at the light we shine in his face.
He looks fucking terrified .
Frankie hisses, “You have got some explaining to do.”
River nods, accepting he has no choice and as Frankie unbolts the cell door, he scoots to the back as if expecting the worst.
Frankie nods to me and I enter and move beside River and say darkly, “Get on your knees.”
River is a huge guy who could certainly tackle us both, but he is not a fool and we are holding a seriously destructive weapon over his head.
“Miss Sloane.”
Frankie wastes no time and River’s sigh is his only answer.
“What is your relationship with her?”
River casts his eyes to the ground and I kick him sharply in the ribs. “Tell him.”
My voice is ominous, and he gulps, “I’m her servant.”
Frankie growls, “In what way?”
River shrugs. “In every way. Whatever she tells me to do, I do it without question.”
“Why?”
“Because she is the path to The Society. If I pass the test, I get full membership.”
“Why do you want to be a member of that fucking shit show?”
Frankie’s voice bleeds contempt and River lifts his head and stares at him with confusion.
“Because it is everything. If I’m a member of The Serpent Society, I will win at life. Whatever I want will be mine. Money, the right job, whatever woman I want. They will make life easy for me.”
“And in return?”
“I repay them by obeying orders.”
“And what did Miss Sloane instruct you to do?”
Frankie leans against the cell door and River’s voice is dull as he whispers, “To control a student the way she controls me. To show I possess the capability to command another person in our ways.”
“So when Autumn went against your instruction, you failed in your task.” Frankie shakes his head in disgust.
“What else?”
I add my question to the others and his head jerks in my direction.
“To fulfill the final three challenges by graduation.”
“Which are?”
I already know the answer but I want to hear him say them out loud and he says defiantly, “Kidnap, rape, murder.”
Frankie glares at him in disgust and asks the burning question. “And Jesse? Is he part of her scholarship to the underworld?”
“Fuck no.” River’s lip curls in derision. “He is completely unsuitable. He doesn’t have the balls for the harder stuff. He’s just her pet to play with because she can.”
“Why would she play with someone when she has people like you ready to do what she wants?” Frankie asks, genuinely puzzled by River’s answer.
“She likes to control, and it’s all a game to her.”
“Why was Christian Duprey here?” I interrupt, catching Frankie off guard as he stares at me in surprise.
River hesitates and lowers his head and Frankie leaps from the door and grasps his face hard, forcing him to look at him.
“Answer the question.”
“To watch the final act.”
Frankie’s eyes search for mine in the darkness and my mouth twists in derision, my uncle’s information searing my mind as I picture the scene.
“Explain.”
River shakes his head. “I can’t tell you.”
This time, I react and as I grasp his hair from behind, I remove the knife from my jacket and holding the gleaming blade against his exposed jugular I hiss, “Then you will die for your silence.”
I press the blade in hard and he gasps, “Okay.”
I hold his head in place as he stutters, “There’s a guy close to graduation, Jerome Michaels. He has passed all the markers, and tonight is his final act.”
“Where?”
Frankie growls and River stutters, “The – the disused house on Pine Ridge trail. Jenna takes her servants there to educate them. Jerome will have kidnapped a girl and will rape and murder her while Miss Sloane and Mr. Duprey observe. Then, as he drinks his victim’s blood, Jerome will be granted membership of The Serpent Society. ”
“You are fucking kidding me. You really signed up for that. What’s the matter with you?”
Frankie stands and yells, “I have a mind to take Luca’s knife and end your life myself, you piece of shit.”
“Please–” River begs. “My life may as well be over if they discover I’ve told you.”
He cries like a baby as he huddles on the ground and I stare at him with disgust. Frankie appears lost for words and nods for me to join him outside.
As we leave River sobbing on the ground, Frankie secures the bolt back in position and we head into the main chamber.
“What the actual fuck?”
I share his contempt as he hisses in disbelief. “We must stop this.”
“It’s already been done.” I add coolly and Frankie whispers, “What do you mean?”
“Jerome Michaels never reached his prey. My uncle got to him first, and he is currently starring in his own nightmare.”
“Your uncle?”
I nod, proud of my uncle’s operation. He hates shit like this and gave me the heads up knowing he was rescuing one woman from a horrific ending. However, he isn’t in a position to go after the commanders and has asked for my help.
I fill Frankie in on our plan.
His eyes widen when I finish. “Will it work?”
“It should if I play my part.”
“And you would do that?”
“Try and stop me.” I grin, causing Frankie to chuckle and for the first time since meeting him, his smile is a genuine one.
“Then you have one week to become Miss Sloane’s latest protégé before you join my sister in The Claiming and lose the right to pursue anyone other than her.”
He points toward the cell holding the sniveling would be member of The Serpent Society.
“We strike fear in his heart and warn him that if he ever steps out of line again, he will never graduate from Rockwell and will leave in a coffin.”
“Sounds good to me.”
I chuckle softly.
“Do you want to go first, or can I?”
“We’ll take it in turn. You go first.”
As we head back to the cell, River is in for a long night and we get to do what we’ve trained for our entire life. By the end of it, we will be blood brothers and an alliance will be formed. Perhaps there is room for one more member of Club Mafia. That is one membership I would kill to earn.