????MAFIA POSSESSION ????????
( HIS ADDICTION ????)
BY, ROYAL DIADEM ❣️
CHAPTER 20
Copy and have your life shortened ????
CAROLINE WOKE up with an ache between her legs and a cloud of fogaround all her thoughts. She blinked in the soft morning sunlight that foughtits way throu-ghLuca’s thick curtains. He wasn’t with her and she stretchedlazy and cat-like between his sheets. They smelled like him. Dark anddangerous while somehow sweet. Just like his behavior last night. rou-ghand unforgiving, a bit cruel in the best way. But he took care of her. Hecleaned her up with gentle kis-ses
, made sure she was okay, and tucked her
in with his arms around her. And despite everything, she felt safe there.
She dragged herself out of bed and back to her room to get dressed.
When she went downstairs, the smell of bacon greeted her with theaccompanying sizzle and pop of grease in a pan. Luca stood over the stovelooking downright domestic with his sleeves rolled up and a spatula in onehand. She watched him for a moment, and he smiled at her when henoticed. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.” She stepped into the kitchen and for a moment it feltlike she should wrap her arms around his wa-istand bury her face in hisback and scold him for getting up without waking her and complain about
work so he would run his hands throu-ghher hair and tell her she was thebest journalist out there and if anyone could do it, she could.
But she blinked, and the moment pa-ssed when his voice hardened just abit.
“Have a seat.”
She sat because it was an order, and chided herself for daydreaming himinto a romantic, domestic setting. She was still his captive. He was stillmafia. His family still probably killed her father.
Luca
set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of her. The toast was cut onthe diagonal and the jar of salsa on the counter was her favorite brand. Hesat with her, holding a cup of coffee.
“Where’s your breakfast?” she asked.
She didn’t want to eat alone with him scrutinizing her.
The shadow of a smile.
“I already ate.” He tilted his head to one side.
“Did you want a cute little comfort breakfast? Should I have made pancakeswith warm strawberries?” he teased her, but when she ducked her head with
a blus-h and a muttered apology, he backtracked. “I would have brou-ght it toyou in bed, but you came down just in time.” She raised her eyebrows at
him. He glanced at the clock. “I get up at 5am to go run a couple miles.
Work up an appetite, so I eat after I shower.”
Caroline didn’t know he ran. She didn’t know he was a morning person.She didn’t know he showered in the morning, or that he felt human needs
like hunger. It should have scared her how much she still didn’t know abouthim. How could she expect to escape when she didn’t know his habits? But
she wasn’t frightened by her lack of knowledge. She was excited in someindescribable way. He had become a whole puzzle that she needed to solve.
He gave her a meaningful look. “I didn’t want to wake you. I thoughtyou might need your rest to recover.”
She snorted and rolled her eyes. co-cky. Not wrong, but co-cky.
“Thanks.”
He drummed his fingertips on his coffee cup. “Lorna and Alessandroleft.”
“Okay…” She didn’t know how he expected her to react to that. Goodriddance? Oh no, I’ll miss them so much?
“Lorna’s father had a heart attack.” His unbothered, impa-ssive maskwas on. “Depending on how things play out, this could cause somecomplications that would require me to return home for a few days.”
Caroline nodded slowly. “And what does that mean for me?” At thispoint, she didn’t think he’d kill her, but there was always the chance.
Luca sighed. “There are options and I’ll leave the choice to you.” Themorning light throu-ghthe window made his eyes glow mahogany. It wasunfair how beautiful he was, especially with the sinking feeling in
Caroline’s stomach in having to make a choice. “You can stay here alone
for a few days, but I will make sure that you can’t leave the cabin.”
Shedidn’t doubt that and the edge to his voice severed any hope for escape. “Or you can come back to the city with me, but you’ll have to stay at my placeand not go anywhere.”
Curiosity answered the question for her before she even considered it.As dangerous as being with him could end up for her, she didn’t fancy
being alone in this cabin for days in the middle of nowhere and the reporterin her needed to know how Luca lived.
What sort of lifestyle did the mafia
lead? Did he have a penthouse with a jacuzzi and view? She had to know.
And if being with him meant another night like last night, there was reallyno question. “I want to go back with you.”
Luca’s phone buzzed and he frowned at the screen. “Looks like youneed to get packed then.”
She stabbed at her eggs with her fork. He’d confiscated most of herbelongings, so she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to pack. Shemuttered under her breath, “Don’t have anything to pack, so it won’t take
long.”
He stood and leaned over his chair as he pushed it in. “I like you betternake-d, anyway.”
Her heart jumped into her throat. “Does that mean you’re going to fu-ckme again?” She kept the hopefulness out of her voice and tried to emulate
his unbothered expression.
He regarded her for a moment, and it felt like he was undressing herwith his eyes. “That depends entirely on your behavior.”
Caroline decided that escape was overrated, and she would be the bestbehaved captive in the history of captivity. At least until they figured outexactly what happened to her dad.
TBC