Under the crimson moon

Chapter three

By the time evening came, I had learned three things about Lorenzo Ferrucci.

First, he liked his house unnaturally quiet.

Second, his men were terrible at pretending they weren't watching me.

And third, apparently kidnapping someone came with a dress code.

A black dress had been left on my bed.

I held it up between two fingers.

Beautiful.

Simple.

Expensive.

Of course.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror.

“Very subtle, Tsukimi.”

I had been given a dress, shoes, jewelry, and even a hairbrush.

Either Lorenzo Ferrucci was an exceptionally organized kidnapper, or someone in this house had entirely too much time on their hands.

I put the dress on.

It fit perfectly.

That was slightly more concerning.

I made my way downstairs.

Voices came from the dining room.

Male voices.

Low.

Serious.

I stopped before entering.

I could hear every word.

“—the shipment leaves tomorrow.”

“Too risky.”

“Ferrucci wants it moved tonight.”

I leaned against the wall.

So this was how Lorenzo conducted business.

Very dramatic.

Very illegal.

Very loud.

“Are you planning to listen from there all night?”

I turned.

The woman with the dark braids stood behind me.

Green eyes.

Red lips.

The same confident expression.

I smiled.

“I was considering it.”

She looked at my dress.

Then at me.

“You clean up nicely.”

“Thank you. I was worried the kidnapping would ruin my evening.”

Her lips curved.

“You really are strange.”

“I've heard that twice today.”

“Then perhaps you should start listening.”

She held out her arm toward the dining room.

“Come.”

I looked at her arm.

Then at her.

“Why?”

“Because Lorenzo asked for you.”

“Does he ever ask for anything?”

She gave me a look.

“Do you want to find out?”

I sighed.

“Fine.”

I followed her inside.

The conversation stopped immediately.

There were six men at the table.

All of them looked at me.

I suddenly felt like I'd walked into the wrong classroom.

One of them whispered something.

Another laughed.

I didn't need to hear it.

I already knew.

New girl.

Hostage.

Lorenzo's latest problem.

I smiled pleasantly.

Lorenzo sat at the head of the table.

He looked different tonight.

No jacket.

White shirt.

The sleeves rolled up to his forearms.

It should have made him look less intimidating.

It didn't.

His eyes met mine.

For a second, neither of us spoke.

Then he looked at the empty chair beside him.

“Sit.”

I glanced at the chair.

Then at him.

“You really need to learn how to phrase requests.”

A man across the table snorted.

Lorenzo's eyes moved toward him.

The man immediately stopped.

I sat.

The woman with the braids took the seat opposite me.

I still didn't know her name.

I looked at her.

She understood immediately.

“Valentina.”

“Tsukimi.”

“I know.”

“Right.”

Dinner began.

For approximately thirty seconds, nobody spoke.

I picked up my fork.

Then one of the men across the table looked at me.

“So you're the girl?”

I looked around.

“Which one?”

He frowned.

“The one Ferrucci brought in.”

I smiled.

“Apparently.”

His eyes traveled over me.

I didn't like the look.

Not because it frightened me.

Because it was rude.

“What's so special about you?”

“Nothing.”

“Then why are you here?”

I glanced at Lorenzo.

He was watching me.

I looked back at the man.

“Excellent question.”

A few people laughed.

The man didn't.

He leaned back.

“You think you're funny?”

“No.”

I took a sip of water.

“I know I'm funny.”

Valentina covered her mouth.

I could see her shoulders moving.

Lorenzo's expression remained completely unreadable.

I was beginning to take that personally.

The man leaned forward.

“You should be careful.”

There it was.

The sentence men used when they had nothing intelligent left to say.

I smiled.

“I've been told.”

He reached across the table and caught my wrist.

Everything inside me went still.

Not from fear.

From instinct.

My body reacted before my mind did.

I caught his hand.

Twisted.

Just enough.

His chair scraped violently against the floor.

The man's face changed.

Mine didn't.

For one second, I held his wrist in a position that would have caused considerable damage if I applied any real strength.

Then I remembered myself.

I let go.

Immediately.

I looked at him with wide eyes.

“Oh.”

He stared at me.

I touched my own wrist.

“I’m sorry. You surprised me.”

Nobody spoke.

Valentina was staring at me.

Lorenzo was staring at me.

The man was staring at his wrist.

I smiled apologetically.

“I have a reflex.”

Lorenzo leaned back slowly.

“A reflex?”

I nodded.

“Yes.”

“What kind of reflex?”

I thought about it.

“The unpleasant kind.”

Valentina finally laughed.

The man looked furious.

Lorenzo didn't.

That was worse.

His eyes were on me with an interest I didn't like.

I picked up my fork.

“Can we eat now?”

Nobody answered.

I began eating anyway.

After a moment, Lorenzo spoke.

“Leave.”

The man looked at him.

“Boss—”

“Now.”

The man stood.

He walked away without another word.

The door closed behind him.

I continued eating.

Lorenzo watched me.

I refused to look at him.

“You hurt him.”

I swallowed.

“No.”

His eyebrow lifted.

“I barely touched him.”

“That isn't what I meant.”

I looked at him.

“What did you mean?”

“You reacted too quickly.”

I smiled.

“I'm jumpy.”

“You weren't startled.”

“I'm complicated.”

Valentina laughed quietly.

Lorenzo's gaze moved to her.

She immediately looked down at her plate.

Coward.

I liked her.

Dinner continued.

The conversation eventually returned to business.

I tried not to listen.

Really.

I did.

But then I heard a name.

Ferrucci.

Another.

Adrian.

My fork stopped.

Just for a second.

Lorenzo noticed.

Of course he did.

“Something wrong?” Valentina asked.

I looked at her.

“No.”

Lorenzo's voice came from across the table.

“You know that name.”

I looked at him.

“Which one?”

“Adrian.”

There it was again.

His brother.

I placed my fork down carefully.

“I've heard it before.”

“Where?”

I shrugged.

“It's not exactly a rare name.”

His expression hardened.

Valentina looked between us.

I could feel the tension changing around the table.

Then someone entered the dining room.

A man in a dark suit leaned toward Lorenzo and whispered something.

Lorenzo's face changed.

It was subtle.

But I saw it.

The amusement disappeared.

Whatever he'd just heard wasn't good.

He stood.

“Stay here.”

I looked up at him.

“Was that directed at me?”

“Yes.”

“Then I'll try my best to disobey as little as possible.”

His eyes narrowed.

I smiled.

He left.

The moment the door closed behind him, Valentina looked at me.

“You're going to get yourself killed.”

I blinked.

“Is that advice?”

“It's a warning.”

I looked toward the door.

Then back at her.

“Does he kill everyone who annoys him?”

“No.”

“Good.”

She stared at me.

“That's not the reassuring answer you think it is.”

I smiled.

For the first time that evening, she smiled back.

And somewhere beyond the dining room, I heard Lorenzo's voice.

Angry.

Then another voice.

Lower.

I couldn't make out the words.

I didn't need to.

I could hear a heartbeat.

Fast.

Panicked.

Another one.

Calm.

Lorenzo.

I stood.

Valentina immediately noticed.

“Where are you going?”

I looked toward the hallway.

“To the bathroom.”

“The bathroom is the other way.”

I looked at her.

Then at the hallway.

Then back at her.

“Of course it is.”

She narrowed her eyes.

I smiled innocently.

“I'm terrible with directions.”

I turned around.

And walked the other way.

Because curiosity had always been one of my worst qualities.

And because something about the voice behind that door felt wrong.

I reached the hallway.

The voices became clearer.

“Tell me again.”

“I already told you—”

“Then I'll ask again.”

Lorenzo.

Cold.

Controlled.

Dangerous.

I stopped beside the door.

I shouldn't have listened.

I knew that.

But then I heard the next words.

“Your brother was alive the night you saw her.”

My entire body went still.

Her.

I didn't move.

Lorenzo's voice dropped.

“Who was she?”

Silence.

Then:

“I don't know her name.”

My fingers slowly curled.

Another voice.

“She was young. Dark hair. Strange eyes. She was with Adrian.”

My eyes closed.

No.

Not now.

Not this.

I stepped away from the door.

Quietly.

Carefully.

I walked back toward the dining room before anyone could see me.

By the time I returned, my face was calm again.

Valentina looked up.

“You found it?”

I smiled.

“Found what?”

“The bathroom.”

“Oh.”

I sat down.

“Yes.”

She stared at me.

“You're lying.”

I reached for my glass.

“Probably.”

She shook her head.

I took a sip.

My hands were steady.

My face was calm.

Everything was perfectly under control.

Except for one thing.

Lorenzo Ferrucci was looking for the woman who had been with his brother.

And he had no idea that the woman sitting at his table had known Adrian long before his brother disappeared.

He didn't know my name had once been spoken in his family's house.

He didn't know I had held his brother's hand.

He didn't know what happened that night.

And most importantly—

He didn't know that I had been standing beside him once before.

Long before he became Lorenzo Ferrucci.

Long before men lowered their eyes when he entered a room.

Long before anyone called him a monster.

I looked toward the doorway.

And wondered how long I could keep pretending not to remember.