Forever Lies

26

Using the moment of distraction, I lunged away from my attacker and fled to a place of safety behind Luca. The dash had only been a matter of feet, but my heart pounded a furious rhythm in my chest, drumming its intense beat in my ears. “Let’s go, please, Luca,” I whispered with my hands curled tightly around his arm. “This guy thinks he can take us,” mocked one of the lackeys, curling his hands into fists. “Three to one—not good odds,” added the leader as the men lined up next to one another like a school of fish gathered to intimidate a hungry shark. Luca’s hand pulled at my clenched fingers, removing my hands from his arm. “Step back, Alessia,” he murmured under his breath. Was he going to fight these men? There were three of them—he was going to get himself killed! “Luca, please, let’s just go.” “Yeah, Luca, you should probably do what the b***h says and scurry on out of here. Hate for that pretty face of yours to get rearranged.” The terror I’d felt for myself only seconds before quickly morphed into gut-clenching fear for Luca. The men facing him were ruthless and plenty large to land Luca on his ass … or worse. In a matter of seconds, the scene descended into chaos. The leader lifted his meaty fist and stepped forward, perhaps to take a swing or perhaps purely to intimidate—either way, I’d never know. Luca launched himself into action, delivering a punch to the man’s face with a sickening crunch before unleashing equally devastating blows to the other two men in quick succession. When the men recovered from their surprise, they attempted to attack, but Luca bobbed and weaved like Floyd Mayweather dancing around the ring. He rained down destruction with his fists, knees, feet, even his elbows. Every part of him was a weapon. It was like watching an action hero movie play out before me. Luca was a thing possessed. In a matter of minutes, one of the thugs dropped to the ground unconscious, and the other two clambered away into the shadows. Luca watched their retreating forms, running a hand through his disheveled hair, then spat on the unconscious man’s motionless body. Aside from sweat dotting his forehead and tiny splatters of blood marring his white dress shirt, he appeared put together and unharmed. He had seemed invincible. Merciless. He truly was an avenging angel. In the dusky shadows under the bridge, I wanted nothing more than for him to take me in his arms and never let go. When he turned to find me, his blistering gaze locked on mine, and a sob of relief tore from my chest as I lunged for him. He pulled me snugly against him, holding me securely in the safe harbor of his embrace, allowing me the chance to process the shock of what had happened. “Shhh, you’re okay. I’ve got you,” Luca murmured into my hair while his hand rubbed soothing circles against my back. He didn’t ask me questions or push for answers. Instead, he offered me the simple comfort of his presence and reassurance. Eventually, my shuddered breathing calmed, and I lifted my tearstreaked face to his. “Thank you for saving me. If you hadn’t … I don’t know what would have …” My throat closed up with the thought, unable to utter the words. “Let’s get you home, then we can talk.” He pulled back, giving my body a once over before gritting his teeth and taking my hand in his. Luca led me toward a cross street where he hailed a cab. He helped me inside, keeping a hand on me at all times. He gave the cabbie my address, and I numbly noted that my keys and purse were back at the office, so he rerouted the cab to Triton. “I’m running up to get your things—you don’t move, understood?” he instructed as he extracted himself from the backseat. I nodded shakily, too disoriented to object. “My purse is in my bottom left drawer. I think I left my phone on the desk.” They would wonder where I’d gone at work, but I didn’t care. I would deal with the fallout of my disappearance later. When Luca returned, he handed me my things and directed the cab to my place. I didn’t know what his plan was, nor did I care. I was just relieved to have someone else run the show. I was too overwhelmed to make decisions —first the Roger incident, then the attempted mugging and watching Luca beat the men to a bloody pulp. My brain struggled to process it all, stuck in a feedback loop of images, unable to assign meaning to any of it. Luca led me upstairs, using my keys to open the door and taking me straight back to my bathroom. He didn’t turn on the light, opting to rely on the soft sunlight filtering in through the windows. Stepping into the glass shower stall, he turned on the water, then stood in front of me. “Let’s get you in the shower—it will help you feel better. Lift your arms,” he ordered huskily. I did as I was told. I felt safe in Luca’s care. Maybe it was a mistake, but at that moment, I needed to feel safe. I wasn’t thinking about what I should do or the consequences of my actions. I was letting Luca make the calls because it felt right. He felt right. I was tired of overthinking. I just wanted to feel good, and Luca gave me that. He lifted my blouse over my head. The silk trailing over my torso and arms was something I experienced every day, but under Luca’s watchful eye, I felt each inch of my skin stir to life as the soft fabric drifted by. He discarded the blouse on the floor without taking his eyes from my body, then placed his wide hands on my hips and directed me to turn around before lowering the zipper on the back of my skirt and allowing the fabric to pool at my feet. I stepped out of my heels as Luca’s hands glided from my lower back up to my bra strap. With a simple touch, the clasp sprung free. His hands came up to slip the straps over my shoulders, pausing on my upper arms. “He marked you,” Luca murmured, caressing the bruised skin. “I should have killed them.” I turned slowly to face him, totally exposed except for a scrap of silk covering my most private area. Luca’s face was a study in harsh lines and turbulent emotions, and somehow, seeing him upset on my behalf made me feel better. Knowing he cared, that he was there to protect me, was exactly what I needed. I lifted my hands under his jacket and swept the fabric down over his shoulders. His eyes flashed with guarded hunger as his fingers began to undo the buttons on his dress shirt. One article at a time, we undressed until we were fully exposed to one another. Luca was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.