But why else would he have all these photos? Why would my mother be one of them?
Mydeadmother.
The realization I was trying so hard to deny sliced through me, more painful than any cut a knife would make.
"No," I whispered, shaking my head. "No," I said, louder. Was I really that stupid? That naive?
Tears filled my eyes as the photos slipped from my hands and fell to the floor. I stared down at them, internally screaming that I was wrong, and knowing I wasn't.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. In somewhat of a daze, I pulled it out and looked down at the screen, reading the text there. The photos were forgotten as terror flooded through me, freezing my feet to the floor.
CHAPTER 19
Tristan
When I walked into Luca's office the next morning, he was alone. "Where's Enzo?"
"On his way. I wanted to talk to you alone first."
"About what?"
Leaning back in his desk chair, he leveled a steady stare my way. "Are you all right, Tristan? Is there anything I can do?"
My answer was immediate. "You can let me kill him."
"I'd like to know what happened."
I pressed my lips together. I didn't want to talk about it.
Luca came to stand in front of me, not too close. "Talk to me, T."
I lifted my chin. "It doesn't matter what happened. I'm still here."
"It does to me. Did he…hurt you?"
I glanced toward the window, noticing the sun was coming out. "In what way?"
"I think you know what I'm asking."
My eyes flew to his, my breath freezing in my lungs. And for a moment, I couldn't speak. "Spell it out for me, Luca."
His gray eyes softened. "I know what happened between you and Gino when you were younger. So does Enzo. You don't have to hide anything from us."
My lip curled, baring my teeth. "It wasn't your business," I spit out. My past was just that. MINE. There was a reason I'd never told the two people closest to me what happened during the years his father and his cronies were "molding" me.
Because I didn't want them tofuckingknow.
"What did he do to you yesterday?"
I stared at him, but said nothing.
He changed tactics. "How many men did it take to restrain you?"
"Four," I answered. "And some chains."
"Jesus." But there was a glimmer of pride in his eyes.
"I got away before…" I trailed off, unable to form the words. "I took some hits. That's all."
