Claimed by the Hellbound Rider

Damage Control

Luca POV

“Tell me again where you found her.”

I flicked the lighter in my hand open, then closed, open, then closed, as I waited for Marco to answer me.

“She was in the club, boss. Our club on Fifth. She had already tossed a few back by the time we got to her, and she came right along when I told her you wanted to see her. I don’t think she realizes you don’t want her brought to you so you can fuck.”

I snorted. Alessa was always full of herself.

“Either way, at least that made things easier. No need to have a scene just yet.”

The silence on the other end of the line set my teeth on edge. “Marco?”

“About that, boss.” He cleared his throat. “She was spewing a bunch of nonsense to anyone who would listen. Most of the guys in there tonight who were paying her any attention know better, but…”

“But what, Marco?” I gritted out.

“A few of the Capelli men were here. Close enough to hear her stirring things up. She made it pretty clear that she pushed Elena out of her own engagement party. Was calling her weak, not good enough for you. And boasting that you’d be in her bed before too long.”

I dropped my head back against the seat and closed my eyes, my jaw tight. The vibration of the road against the tires thrummed through me as I worked to tamp down my growing rage. First, this b***h goes after my fiancée at our engagement party, now she’s spreading lies in front of other families?

An image of Elena popped into my head. Curled up on a chair in a f*****g servant’s lounge, bundled into a hotel bathrobe because Alessa was trying to prove something. She’d looked so fragile when I found her there, her anxiety ratcheted up and tears on her face.

All because I’d f****d Alessa once, long before Elena ever crossed my path.

Alessa would pay for this.

"Take her to the warehouse on Eighty-Sixth. I don't want that trash near the mansion," I ordered. "I'm fifteen minutes out."

Hanging up, I tossed the phone onto the seat beside me. I undid the button at my throat, my tie long gone, and watched the city lights flash by as Gino drove downtown. My fingers drummed against my knee as I tried to figure out what I could do to make things up to Elena. She didn't deserve to have our night tainted by Alessa's misplaced jealousy.

Elena was the only woman I saw. It had been that way since the day I'd bumped into her in that cafe in Soho. Alessa had been clinging to me even then, a drunken mistake, but I never thought she'd take it this far. That stopped tonight.

"We're here, boss," Gino called from the front, the car slowing to a stop.

He put it in park, then climbed out. A minute later, he was opening my door. As I straightened, the gravel crunching beneath my feet, I buttoned my jacket and bounced my shoulders. The rage that I'd banked into cold embers flared up again, and I strode purposefully toward the entrance to the warehouse.

Two soldiers stood guard at the door and gave me nods as I passed. Alessa's high-pitched whine hit me as soon as I stepped into the open space.

"But Marco, why would he want me here? It's dirty! This place is a mess!"

Her heels clicked against the concrete as she paced. Marco leaned against a worn and dusty desk that was sitting against the far wall, his eyes tracking her but boredom on his face. He straightened when he saw me walking his way.

Alessa spun, wobbling a bit as she did so, then launched herself at me. "Luca! See, I knew you couldn't stay away from me!"

She threw her arms around me and aimed her lips at my face, but I quickly dodged. No one got to kiss me except for Elena and my madre. I gripped her wrists and disentangled myself from her, pushing her back. Somehow, she remained oblivious to all of it.

"I knew you'd see sense, Luca. I mean, you fiancee was too weak to stand her ground at her own engagement party. You need someone stronger."

I maneuvered her to the chair Marco had pulled out, giving her a slight push so she fell into it.

"Someone like you, you mean?" The words were low, quiet. Calm.

She nodded, smiling.

Marco came to stand beside me, and her smile faded as the seriousness of the situation finally sank in. "Luca? What is this?"

"You forget your place, Alessa."

She started shaking her head. "N-no, Luca. I love you. I'm meant to be beside you."

My upper lip curled into a snarl before I spat on the floor at her feet. "You will never be beside me, Alessa. The only one who belongs next to me is Elena." I leaned forward, putting my hands on the arm of the chair and getting in her face. "And you spent your evening targeting her, attacking her, at her own. f*****g. Engagement. Party." I bit out the last words.

She was shaking her head earnestly now, tears starting to roll down her face. I pushed off the chair and it spun away. I c****d my head at one of the soldiers along the wall, and he stepped up, pushing Alessa back to me.

"Then you enter MY club, badmouth MY woman, and start spreading lies?" I tutted at her. "You should know better by now, Alessa. You're no stranger to our world."

"L-luca, I-I-I'm s-s-sorry." She was full-on blubbering now. Satisfaction glowed in my gut at the way she was breaking, falling apart in front of me. But I still wasn't done.

"You're done in this city, Alessa. After tonight, there isn't a business in this town that will take your money. No one will let you in the door. You won't be invited to any events or even allowed to work one as a server."

Tears were pouring out of her as she flinched at every new proclamation.

"You are persona non grata to the Mancini Syndicate. That means you'll be the same to all of our allies. The other four families won't want anything to do with you once I put the word out. Do you understand what that means?"

Her hands gripped the arms of the chair so tightly that her fingers were white as she nodded her head, tears still flowing.

"Say it."

"I-it means I-I-I have to l-l-leave New York."

"Good. You understand." I twisted my wrist and looked at my watch, then inclined my head. "It's past two now. I want you gone by dawn."

Turning to Marco, I dismissed her. "See it done, Marco."

"Yes, boss."

"I've got to go clean up the mess at the club." Pushing my hand through my hair, I sighed. I wouldn't be getting back to Elena anytime soon. She'd probably be heading to work long before I finished damage control. "Join me there when you're done."

Leaving Alessa and the sound of her sobs behind me, I strode back out through the warehouse doors.