He nodded slightly. “Fair enough. Can you tell mewhyyou’re on the verge of shooting me, then?”
That was a very good question, and I wasn’t quite sure of the answer. I’d acted on impulse when I’d pointed the gun at his head, and it didn’t sit well with me. But I also didn’t put it away. “You’re not going to my house.”
“Because Luna is there.”
There was no point in lying now. “Yes.”
“Did she come to you and ask you to help her?”
“No. I took her from Gino’s.”
Unperturbed by the gun pointed at him, he rubbed his forehead with the fingertips of one hand, the other went to his hip. I wondered if he really trusted me not to shoot him or if he was just going by the rule to show no fear. “Jesus Christ, Tristan.”
“I had to get her away from him. I have to keep her safe.”
Both hands on his hips now, he studied me. “Other than the fact that you went against a direct order, which we’ll deal with later, this…” He trailed off and shook his head, sighing heavily. “Tristan, this is going to cause us a lot of problems I’m not ready to handle yet.”
I lifted the gun another inch, so it was pointed directly at the center of his forehead. “You’re not taking her back to Gino. She’s not going back there.”
His eyes were hard. “You can put the gun down, T. I’m not going to take her anywhere.”
“I want your word.”
“You have it,” he said without hesitation. “I won’t do anything we haven’t agreed upon together.” Then he laughed, but it was an ugly sound, and his eyes went to the ceiling where Veda was currently being contained in their room. “Besides, who am I to talk?”
He was right. He’d had us kidnap Veda right out of her sister’s apartment. The sister he wassupposedto take. And even when he found out he had the wrong woman, he refused to give her up. She’d fought him at first, just like Luna was doing with me, but eventually, she’d fallen in love with him.
Was that what I wanted? For Luna to love me?
I wasn’t sure I even knew what that meant. Love. The concept was completely alien to me. Until I came to Luca, the only kind of human interaction I’d ever known from another person had left bruises and scars on my body. And on my soul. I tugged on the knot of my tie with my free hand, trying to loosen it and get some air. Sweat dripped down my spine and my heart was racing out of my chest.
“T.”
Luca drew my attention back to him.
“Put the gun away, my friend. Or just go on and shoot me, if you must. But make a choice. You’re beginning to make me nervous.” He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
I lowered the gun and returned it to its holster. “I’m sorry.”
His smile grew. “No. You’re not.”
“You’re right. I’m not.”
He huffed out a laugh. “Alright. Let’s talk about Luna.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“I’d like to see her.”
My entire body tensed. “You don’t think I can take care of her?
He shook his head. “No. That’s not it at all. I just thought it would be helpful if I reassured her that we don’t mean any harm.”
“She knows. She’s not happy about being here,” I admitted. “But she knows I’m not going to hurt her.”
I thought he would press the subject, but he didn’t. “Then let’s talk about Gino. Eventually, he’ll be back.”
I narrowed my eyes. “That’s it?”
