VICTORIA
As she and Natasha stared in disbelief, Victoria heard the sound of screeching tires. She turned to see who was approaching.
“Fuck!” Victoria hissed under her breath when Jack and Luca jumped out of a car.
Jack was visibly fuming as he walked toward them. With every step he took, Victoria would swear that she could feel the ground shake beneath her feet.
“Jack—” she started.
“Shut up, Victoria!” he boomed. “You and you, get in the car!” he shouted at both her and Natasha, pointing toward the vehicle that he and Luca had abandoned.
Without a word, both she and Natasha hurried to the vehicle. Natasha kept her eyes pointed to the ground as they walked past the men, but Victoria dared to look when she passed Luca. His expression was murderous. She quickly looked away and picked up the pace.
Natasha climbed into the back seat, and Victoria slid in beside her. They watched Jack and Luca from the window, but they couldn't hear the conversation. After making a phone call, Luca slid in the driver’s seat of the Suburban, and Jack walked back to the car. He jumped into the driver’s seat and slammed the door loud enough to make them both jump. As he sped off, Victoria stared at the back of his head. She wouldn't have been at all surprised to see smoke coming from his ears.
****
Thirty minutes of excruciating silence had passed by the time Jack circled the driveway. Gianni was waiting with his arms folded when they pulled in front the house. When his eyes landed on Natasha, Victoria could see a hint of relief in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared. He ran his fingers roughly through his hair and gave Natasha a look that would have frightened the devil.
Jack hopped out, slammed the door again, and yanked the back door open. Victoria hesitated, reluctant to get out of the car. She knew that Jack had a temper, but at that moment, he was downright threatening.
“Get out!” he shouted. The bass in his voice caused Victoria to flinch.
She stepped out of the backseat and stood on nervous legs. Whereas Gianni allowed Natasha to walk into the house on her own, Jack grabbed her by the arm and led her to the front door. His touch was nowhere near gentle as they entered the front door.
Victoria could hear her family thanking God for her and Natasha’s safety, but their faces were a blur as Jack whisked her past them. Victoria almost tripped, trying to keep up, as he nearly dragged her up the stairs.
“Jack, I’m sorry,” she whispered softly as they approached their bedroom door.
He opened the door and basically threw her inside. Victoria stumbled, but she was able to catch her footing. She turned and walked toward the doorway, where Jack remained.
“Jack…baby...I—,” she started to say before she was silenced by Jack’s murderous glare.
“Leave this room, Victoria, and see what happens to you,” he hissed.
Without another word, he slammed the door shut. Victoria was taken aback by Jack’s demeanor. Normally, she would have been compelled to defend her position, but she could see waves of rage radiating off her husband, and she would've been a damn fool to challenge him. With Jack, Victoria had to pick her battles. And this battle...she had already lost.
