“Take her drink,” Cesare said to Gianna. “But don’t drink.”
Cesare half carried me toward the back of the club and down a flight of stairs. He shouldered open a door and we walked into a sort of office. Matteo rose from his chair. “What’s going on?”
“Probably roofies,” Romero said, giving the man he was holding a good shake.
“I’ll get Luca,” Matteo said with a twisted smile. He walked through another door and a moment later Luca stalked into the room, as tall and impressive as ever. I hung in Cesare’s grasp, my face half pressed against his chest. Luca’s eyes narrowed, then flitted between me and my attacker.
“What happened?” he snarled.
Suddenly he was in front of me, lifting me into his arm. My head lolled against his chest as I gazed up at him. He put me down on the couch. Gianna knelt beside me, gripping my hand. “What’s happening to her?” she cried.
“Roofies,” Romero said again. “This sick fuck was trying to drag her outside.”
Luca drew himself up before my attacker. “You put Roofies in my wife’s drink, Rick?”
Luca knew that man? Confusion flickered in my hazy mind.
“Wife! I didn’t know she was yours. I didn’t. I swear!” The man’s lower lip was trembling.
Luca pushed away Romero’s hand and curled his fingers around the handle of the knife still buried in Rick’s leg. He twisted and the man screamed. Romero held him upright by the arms. “What did you plan to do to her once you had her outside?”
“Nothing!” the man cried.
“Nothing? So if my men hadn’t stopped you, you would have just dropped her off at a hospital?” Luca’s voice was pleasant, calm, his face devoid of emotion.
Gianna’s grip on my hand was painful. I swallowed and cleared my throat. “I’ll fuck your tight ass,” I whispered.
Luca’s head whirled around, then he was at my side, his face so close to mine, I could have kissed him. Maybe it was the Roofies but I really wanted to kiss him senseless in that moment, wanted to rip his shirt off, wanted to...
“What did you say, Aria?”
“I’ll fuck your tight ass. I’ll make you scream, bitch. I’ll fuck you bloody, cunt. That’s what he said to me.” Luca stared into my eyes, a muscle in his jaw working. Before he could move, Gianna had leaped to her feet and flew at Rick. She hit his face and kicked his groin, and struggled ferociously against Matteo’s grip as he dragged her away from Rick.
“You will die!” she screamed.
Luca straightened and she stopped moving.
“Let me go,” she hissed.
“You promise to behave?” Matteo asked with an amused smile.
She nodded, her stare fixed on Rick. Matteo dropped his arms and she straightened her clothes. “They will make you bleed,” she said coldly. “And I hope they will rape your ugly ass with that broomstick over there.”
“Gianna,” I rasped. She came over to me and sank down on the edge of the couch, taking my hand again.
Matteo didn’t take his eyes off her. “I’ll make him pay, Gianna.”
“No,” Luca said firmly. Rick looked ready to burst from relief. “He’s my responsibility.” Matteo and Luca exchanged a long look, then Matteo nodded.
Luca brought his face close to Rick’s. “You wanted to fuck my wife? Wanted to make her scream?” His voice tore through my growing dizziness and sent a shiver down my back. I was glad it wasn’t directed at me. I’d been scared of Luca before, but never had he sounded anything like this. Rick shook his head frantically. “No, please.”
Luca wrapped his hand around Rick’s throat and lifted him until he stood on his tiptoes and his face was turning red. Then he tossed him away and Rick collided with the wall and crumpled to the floor.
“I hope you’re hungry,” Luca snarled. “Because I’m going to feed you your cock.”
“Take the girls to the car, Romero,” Matteo ordered as Luca unsheathed his knife. Romero lifted me into his arms and walked out the backdoor, Gianna close behind. Dizziness cloaked my brain and I pressed my face into Romero’s jacket. He stiffened.
Gianna snorted. “Do you think Luca will cut off your dick too because she leaned against you while she was sick?”
“Luca is my boss and Aria is his.”
Gianna muttered something under her breath but I couldn’t make out the words.
“Open the door for me,” Romero said and then I was lying on cool leather. Gianna lifted my head and put it in her lap. Her fingers untangled my hair and she rested her forehead against mine. “That guy gets what he deserves.”
I closed my eyes. I had condemned a man to his death with my words. My first murder. “Your bodyguard doesn’t even dare to wait in a car with us. Luca is a beast.”
“Romero keeps watch,” I whispered.
“Sure.” I must have dozed off because suddenly the door was ripped open and Luca spoke. “How is she?”
“Holy fuck,” Gianna said, voice shrill. “You’re covered in blood.”
I opened my eyes, but had trouble focusing.
“Only my shirt,” Luca said, annoyance clear in his voice. There was rustling.
“You have no shame,” Gianna said.
“I’m taking off my shirt, not my fucking pants. Do you ever shut your mouth?”
“Here, Boss.”
Blurrily I saw Luca putting on a new shirt. “Burn that one and take care of everything, Romero. I’ll drive.”
A hand brushed my cheek and Luca’s face hovered over me. Then he was gone, the door closed and he slipped behind the driver seat. The car started moving and my stomach churned.
Gianna leaned forward, her head between the seats. “You are quite a hunk, you know that? If you weren’t married to my sister and not such an asshole I might consider giving you a go.”
“Gianna,” I groaned. When she was scared or nervous or angry, she never stopped talking, and the longer she talked the more offensive she got. And around Luca she was constantly angry.
“What, cat got your tongue? I hear you usually jump everything that doesn’t have a dick,” Gianna said.
Luca still didn’t say anything. I wished I could see his face to find out how close to exploding he was. He’d killed a man not long ago; Gianna should really shut up.