I cocked my head. "Do you think they will stop me? Do you think anyone here will stop me if I throw you over my shoulder and take you with me?"
"No," she conceded after a pause. "But I'm asking you not to. I don't want to be in your prison. I don't want to be with you."
She was lying. At least about the second part. She did want to be with me. She loved it when I fucked her.
Even knowing it wasn't true, hearing her say those words felt like she was twisting a knife in my gut. After all this time, and everything that had happened between us, she still saw me as nothing but her captor.
As she backed away, I stalked after her, matching every step. But I couldn't have said if it was to throw her against the wall and kiss her until she admitted to her lies, or to throw her out of the house and force myself to forget she ever existed.
Before I could reach her, the dining room doors swung open, and the capos strode out, their faces grim. Despite what I'd just told her, I froze, not wanting to make a scene where I'd have to explain myself or my actions to them.
Luna seized the opportunity to dart back into Logan's room.
Instinctually, I moved to go after her, but Luca suddenly appeared in front of me. "Tristan, let her go to her brother," he ordered. "Tristan."
His tone had a sharp edge to it, demanding my full attention, and I responded automatically, forcing my eyes from the doorway where she'd disappeared. I met his stern gaze, noting the hint of warning there, the silent command to let Luna be for now. With every cell in my body screaming at me not to allow her to leave my sight, I battled the overwhelming compulsion to chase after her. But I couldn't disobey him, especially not in front of the other capos.
Luca met my gaze unflinchingly. "She'll be safe here. I swear it to you. Right now, I need you to go with Enzo."
Letting Luna out of my sight went against every instinct I had. And a part of me—the part that was raised on brutality and molded by violence—wanted to reach out and seize control of everything around me. To tear apart anyone who stood between me and Luna with my bare hands, if necessary. Including Luca.
The other part wished I'd never gone to her window.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. My mind told me that Luna was safer here at Luca's than she would be at my house. Though I had my cell and I preferred her contained, the lake house boasted a safe room downstairs that was practically a fortress. Built into the side of the cliff, it was virtually impenetrable to any outside threats. If anything happened, she'd be protected by layers of steel and concrete. No one would be able to get to her.
Still, that knowledge did little to soothe the clawing unease in my gut at letting her out of my sight, even for a moment. Every instinct roared at me to keep her close, to not let her stray from my watchful gaze. Gritting my teeth and curling my hands into fists, I fought the overwhelming urge to go after her, but in the end, my training overrode my own needs.
With a snarl of frustration, I stalked off, my body burning with lust, and a deep ache in my chest.
Enzo waited for me near the front door, and I headed toward him, my palms damp and my mind reeling. The taste of Luna's blood lingered on my tongue, and I could still feel the silk of her hair in my hands.
He studied me as I approached. "You good, T?"
I nodded once. "Where are we going?"
"We're gonna go hit a few places. See if anyone's seen Gino. And there's a pickup tonight Luca wants us to be there for."
I nodded, following him outside. The crisp air did little to soothe the fire burning inside of me or calm the buzzing in my veins.
Enzo interrupted my thoughts of Luna. "Before we leave, I have to ask. If we happen to find Gino, and it's just you and me, are you gonna be okay with that?"
Looking up from the ground, I found him directly in front of me where he'd stopped near the passenger side door of my SUV. "I think so." It was the best I could give him.
I felt him studying me through the dark lenses of his glasses. "If we do happen to get a lead, and if for any reason at all your head's not in the game, you need to tell me.Comprendere?"
He was right. Only two people in this world were capable of throwing me off balance, and Gino was one of them. "I will," I promised.
His hard stare burned through me, and then he opened the door and got in.
I slid into the driver's seat, trying to shove my encounter with Luna into a tiny compartment of my mind where I could pull it out and relive it later. Right now, I needed to have my head on straight like Enzo said. Gino was out there somewhere, and I needed to find him, and I couldn't let him get to me. I couldn't endanger Enzo's life like that.
Funny how I was willing enough to obey Luca's orders to let Gino live when it was just about me. By the time I was put into Luca's service, the sight of Gino had barely gotten a reaction out of me. And the more time that went on, the more confident I felt that he couldn't touch me anymore. I'd taken my memories from my time with him and shoved them so deep it was like it never happened. At least, until something triggered me. But now that Luna was involved…yeah, I didn't know that it would be a good thing if I found him first this time.
As I pulled out of the driveway, Enzo glanced over at me. "You sure you're good, T?"
I nodded, my grip tightening on the steering wheel. "I'm fine."
But I wasn't fine. Not really. Luna's words kept echoing in my head.
