We entered a narrow hallway with cases of liquor clogging the artery. Photos dotted the wall of men clinking glasses together. It appeared to be some sort of bar.I wanted to grab onto a bottle to use as a potential weapon, but the guards were watching me too closely.
I could hear the distant sounds of clanging glasses, but the hallways remained suspiciously empty of any sort of waitstaff. Sebastian opened the door to a room on the right, his hand digging into the handle of the door as he gripped it.
We stepped into the dimly lit room. I spotted Luca sitting on a low white couch by a shuttered window. Even though I’d been expecting to see him, it took all of my willpower not to charge after him, and start punching him in the face like I’d done with Ray. Last night ignited something within me.
Sebastian silently moved towards a large wooden round table and took a seat facing his brother.He looked pointedly at the seat beside him. Now, wasn’t the right opportunity to take my revenge. I needed to play along.For now.
“You cango,”Sebastiansaid, nodding at the men who’d escorted me.Good, fewer people in the room would make it easier to take Luca out.
The mendipped their headsrespectfully andleft the room. I glanced down at the front of Sebastian’s suit. The lines of a gunwerenoticeable by his chest. If itlooked like my deathwasincoming, I could try to take Luca down with me. Or at leastforce Luca to use the lethal injection option on the braceletbefore they could torture me.
Of course, theissue was that Luca could just as easily use theknockoutfunction instead.
“How’ve you been?” Lucaasked, his attention on Sebastian. When he spoke I noticed a line of concealer on his neck. It appeared he was trying to cover up the bruiseSebastian had given him.
Sebastian just stared back at him in silence.
Luca took a sip of his drink and turned his attention to me. A hardness came across his face, and he reached for his phone. Idug my nails into my palm,waiting forthestinging pain in my ankle.
Instead, a knock sounded from the door.
“Come in,” Luca called, his focus shifting towards the door.
The door clickedopen.I felt my mouth drop open, and I couldn’t control the expression on my face.
Chapter 40
Ronan closed the door behind him, his dark eyes assessing the room.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I managed.
It made no sense. Ronan had always been my partner, a protector in a sense since I’d been a kid. But he was infinitely loyal to my father. There was noreason for himto be in the same room as Luca right nowunlessmy father had ordered it. I shook my head. No, my father wouldn’t risk a war over me.
Ronan’s attention shifted to me. Hishand was tensed into a fist, but he remained at his position by the door.I narrowed my focus on him.Something was wrong.
“Wemade a deal,” Luca addressed me for the first time, but I couldn’t drag my attention away from Ronan.
“With my father?” I asked, unable to keep theskepticism from my voice.
“No,” Luca snorted. “Your father never made contact about a trade.”
My eyes widened.
There was no way.
Ronan would never go against my father. Since I’d left the Regan family, he’d refused to assist me in any way until I returned to the fold. This didn’t make any sense.
“What did you do?” I asked Ronan, unable to believe that he washere without my father’s knowledge.
Ronan strode towards me, and silently examined me in more detail. His eyes darkened when they caught on my bruised hands. In my haste to get ready, I’d forgotten to wear the gloves. I moved my hands into the darkness underneath the table in order to hide the smattering of yellow bruises.
Ronan growled and turned towards Luca.“What the fuck did you do to her?”
Sebastian finally spoke, “That wasn’t from us. She got that from the debt collectors.”
Ronan’sexpression turned pained, but I didn’t detect any surprise.
“Did you know what the debt collectors were doing to me?” I askedquietly. Of courseRonan hadknown about the debt. But hadhebeen aware of the painful beatings, or terrifying threats? I’d always wondered when I’d gone to see Ronan if he was aware of what was happening to me. Part of me had hoped that if hewasawarethenhe’d loan me the money. But I’d been too afraid of the answer to ever ask. Too afraid to find out the limits ofour friendship.
