????MAFIA POSSESSION ????????
( HIS ADDICTION ????)
BY, ROYAL DIADEM ❣️
CHAPTER 17
Copy and have your life shortened ????
LUCA HUNG up the phone and let his arm fall to his side. That wasn’t thefirst time he’d lied to his father and it wouldn’t be the last, but it was thebiggest lie he’d ever told, and his heart raced quietly in his chest. Carolinestared at him like he was either an angel or a demon and she couldn’t tellwhich and she was terrified either way.
“Why did you do that?” It was barely a whisper.
He pressed his li-ps together. “You know it’s rude to eavesdrop, right?”
He waved a hand at the door. “Let’s get your box and get out of here.”
She stepped back inside, but she didn’t take her eyes off him. “Why didyou lie for me?”
“Who says I did?” he challenged. How much did she hear? And howmuch did he really want her to know?
“You said I was dead. I heard your father ask.” She fidgeted her handstogether, nervous. He supposed she had a right to be. She’d been throu-ghitthis last week.
He sighed and stood tall. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Luca, you promised to be honest with me,” she burst out, stepping infront of him. “Why did you lie to him?”
The whole truth was that the circu-mstances around Caroline’s father’sdeath were murkier than he anticipated, and he didn’t understand what he
saw. He also didn’t fully trust his father. It was unlikely that the Don hadCaroline’s father murdered, but she was right about something feeling veryfishy about the whole situation. And if Don Moretti knew Caroline wasalive, he would send someone else to deal with her. Luca didn’t want tohave to try to avoid a hitman while keeping Caroline in line. But the whole truth was long and complicated, so he wouldn’t tell her that. He decided on,
“I don’t want you dead.” No less the truth, but apparently not what Carolinewas looking for.
“You keep saying that, but why? What does that mean?” She stood infront of him with her hands on her hips, looking adorable in her sternexpression.
“It means exactly what it sounds like.” Luca reached for the box on thetable behind her.
She sidestepped to block him. “So my death would make you sad mafia boy?” He raised his eyebrows in a warning and she nearly swallowed hertongue trying to backtrack. “I mean you’ve probably killed loads
of people,so why am I any different?”
The bitterness in her voice stung worse than the accusation, thoughLuca had not, in fact, ‘killed loads of people.’ He frowned. “I said I wouldhelp you, isn’t that enough?”
The light from the window caught in her eyes and Luca was remindedthat the color green existed there in its purest form. She looked sheepishand a little miserable and a lot afraid, but very determined. “No, it’s not
enough. I want to know why.” Her voice was soft and timid, but he couldtell she was trying for commanding. It was cute. Like a kitten trying to roarlike a lion.
He tilted his head seductively. “We already discussed the fact that Iwant to sleep with you.”
Saying it again made her back up against the tablewith a light gasp which did bad things for Luca’s self-control. He bit the
inside of his cheek and remained completely still.
“But that doesn’t answer my question.” She shook her head andsuddenly found the carpet extremely interesting. “Why don’t you want medead? If all you wanted was se-x, you would have ra-ped me by now.”
“I take offense to that, Caroline.” He knew his voice was too harsh. Sheflinched.
But he did take offense. That was the lowest blow she could deal
him, and it hurt more than the cuts on his knuckles or his neck or every timeshe kicked him in the balls. “Do you really think that little of me?” Shedidn’t answer, still staring at the floor. “Look at me,” he ordered, and herhead snapped up. “Do you really still think I’m that kind of monster?”
Her gaze didn’t waver as she shook her head in slow, deliberatemovements. “No, I guess not.”
“Good,” he said. “Now grab your box and let’s go.” He was anxious toget out of here and get buckled into a seat and focused on driving wouldtake his mind off the forest in her eyes and the pretty pink stain of her
mouth.
She seemed to snap out of whatever perfectly submissive trance she’dbeen in and remembered her defiance. “You didn’t answer my question. I’mnot leaving until you answer my question.”
Luca exhaled a short laugh. She got bolder every time he didn’t kill heror hurt her for her insolence. He respected her guts, but he didn’t appreciatebeing contradicted.
“You must have forgotten, you’re my captive, I’m thebig bad ‘mafia boy,’ and you will do whatever I say.” He wanted more timeto sort throu-ghhis feelings before he admitted them.
And this definitelywasn’t the time or place for confessions.
Her face twisted up. “So are you or are you not going to hurt me?
Because I’m getting very mixed messages here. You say that you’re notgoing to hurt me, and then you threaten me, so what’s the truth?”
He looked up at the ceiling for strength. “I do not want to hurt you-”
“Then why threaten me?” she demanded. “If you’re not going to followthrou-gh?”
He took a step closer to her, and she crowded against the table. Shesmelled like herbal shampoo and sweet coffee. “I won’t hurt you if I don’thave to, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make you do what I want.”
A triumphant grin spread across her face. “Ha! Liar. You said youwouldn’t force me—”
“Oh my God, I have not lied to you, Caroline.” He pressed his fingers tohis temples to ward off an approaching headache. “I will not force you into
anything se-xual. I will carry you out of here if I have to.”
“What if I don’t consent to that?” she challenged.
He was standing too close to her and she wasn’t making it easy to keephis composure. “Caroline…”
“I asked you a simple question. I just want an answer.” At some point,she had stopped being scared of him and he hadn’t noticed.
“I already answered. I don’t want you to die.” What game did she thinkshe was playing? They needed to leave. They were wasting time.
She stood up straight, bringing her dangerously close to him. “But that’snot the whole reason. Just tell me why you’re so attached to me.”
He clasped his hands together behind his back to keep from touchingher. “This is your last chance to shut up.”
Her gaze fell to his mouth and the tip of her pink tongue swiped overher li-p. “Make me.”
Luca stopped thinking and kis-sed her. She tasted like Columbian coffeeand sweet cream. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck to pull
her closer. She rose to her tiptoes and locked her arms around his neck andkis-sed him back. He had planned to do this right with her. To start slow,sweet, and gentlemanly, but that was out of the question right now. Hisfingers tangled themselves in her hair and pulled, his teeth tugged her li-ps,his tongue battled hers into quick submission. This was too rou-gh, too
angry, and full of too many feelings, but it felt so good. He pulled too hard,or bit too hard, or something and she made a tiny little noise. That wokehim up.
He pulled away and stepped back. He shouldn’t have done that. He rana hand throu-ghhis hair and turned around to walk to the door. “Grab thebox. We’re leaving.” They had stayed too long already.
She followed him, silent—speechless—without argument. Luca heldopen the car door for her. She didn’t look at him. He looked up at the sky as
he walked around to get in the driver’s side. It wasn’t fair. He shouldn’thave done that to himself. Because her body liked him, but her heart neverwould. Maybe when they figured out who actually killed her father, shewould come around, she would see that he wasn’t at fault and forgive him.
But maybe not. After all, he was mafia. He’d spent his whole life below thelaw, doing everything she was morally opposed to.
He closed himself in the car and fastened his seatbelt. That was theworst part. He couldn’t take back his past, and she might not forgive hispast. But he needed her to. He glanced over at her staring down at the box
in her lap with her li-p pulled between her teeth. He needed her to decide shedidn’t hate the mafia, because he was falling in love with her.
TBC