Prologue
Luca and I both look at one another, not comprehending what the voice on the other side of the phone just said through the speaker. Even though it was loud, our minds don’t want to ingest it.
My mouth slowly falls open, but no words come out. Dumbfounded is written across Luca’s face, and I know mine is mirroring his.
How the fuck did someone get Damian? Fear now flows through my veins.
In one smooth motion, I see the absolute rage take over Luca’s features before he turns away, tapping his phone screen and lighting up the dark room. I know he’s calling the guys.
Not sure what to do but needing to occupy my screaming mind, I jump up and throw on anything I can find lying on the floor. Hands reach out blindly, just trying to grasp whatever to cover my naked body.
They are all insane if they think I’ll just wait around here. That I can’t do. And won't. Tonight should have shown them I can handle shit.
Before I can let the flashback of Colt and my knife come into full focus, Luca’s voice booms.
“It was Briggs. He said he has Damian, and I believe him. He wants Catherine, but over my dead body is he getting her,” Luca growls out to one of the guys on the other end of his phone.
The room grows quiet with the phone conversation over; he tosses his cell onto the bed and strides to the bathroom, where he emerges a few minutes later, dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and his Doc Martins, with his face morphed with pure rage. I swear I can see it wafting from him.
I watch as he silently opens his end table. The only sound in the quiet room is the squeak of him yanking the drawer open. His guns gleam in the light. Fastening them in his shoulder holster, he throws his flannel over to hide them. Pocketing his phone, his head slowly falls back, looking up at the ceiling. His lips move, but no words escape them.
His prayer is between him and God.
In any other scenario, I would fuck him because that was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. The absolute feralness that exudes from him is a turn-on, but my hormones take a backseat; we need to find Damian. The whore in me can wait.
“We’re going to Matteo’s,” he commands, and all I can do is nod my head. Silently following in his wake. I can’t speak right now; if I do, I’ll crack. And I can’t do that to Luca, or hell, myself, so I keep quiet.
Damian… hasn’t he already been through fucking enough? Isn’t there some kind of limit one gets put through? Because he’s already reached his. Fuck, haven’t we all?
As we enter the living room, I look at Lauren’s picture. “Whatever you can do from up there, please do,” I whisper to the girl who will forever only be pictures and memories.
Luca and I get into Daisy as the garage door lifts; a figure awaits us. It’s standing, the light cast an ominous shadow, making it look larger than it truly is, a monster in waiting. My heart stops. Luca doesn’t see it, answering a text message, head down, oblivious to what is waiting for us.
“Luca, someone is here,” I grind out to him, not moving my eyes from the figure. Scared if I do, it’ll be to our detriment.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch as he looks up in one fast movement. Without pause, he unholsters his gun. “Slide down to the floorboard, Rowan.” His tone is deadly.
Immediately, I do as I am told, sliding down into the small space. All the while, Luca opens his driver’s door. No hesitation in his movements, he isn’t fucking around and steps out, running. My eyes don’t move from the vacant spot he was just standing at, wishing I could keep eye contact on him. But knowing I can’t move from this spot, fear has glued me to the floorboard.
My heart is pounding a million miles a minute, and I can hear the whooshing in my ears.
We knew there would be some payback, but we didn’t think it would be this fast. My eyes burn from not blinking, the air drying them out. Scared that if I blink, Luca won’t occupy the spot he was just in.
“Where is he?” I hear Luca scream out.
I can’t hear what the other person responds, and then shots are fired.
My shoulders shoot up to my ears; my body shakes. Not able to see what is going on in front of the car, I’m completely blind, my ears honing in on every noise.
A few more shots sound off before I watch as Luca jumps back into his seat, laying his gun on his lap.
I don’t move an inch. “Baby, are you okay?” I question. Needing to know he’s alright. My eyes roam over every inch they can see of him. Finally, I can take a deep breath when I see he isn’t hurt.
“Stay down until I tell you that you can move,” comes out clipped.
This is Luca Stonewall, the killer.
With no other words, he shifts into gear, holding the gas, hauling ass out of the garage, hitting a bump… We don’t have bumps on our driveway…
