Frustration flared sharp and fast in her gut. “You don’t get to just—” she started.
Luca held up his hand to stop her from finishing what she was about to say, and she flinched, half expecting him to hit her. “I do.”
Her eyes flashed when she realized that he wasn’t about to smack her around, like so many of her father’s men had—how her own father had. “I’m not one of your men.”
“No,” he said, stepping closer to her. “You’re not.” He was so close that she almost regretted challenging him. Something in his tone had shifted. He sounded darker and more dangerous, if that was even possible. “You’re something else entirely,” he whispered, gently brushing her hair back from her face.
Her pulse kicked. Damn him. Her traitorous body leaned into his touch, even as she was internally begging herself to step back from him. “Stop saying things like that,” she snapped.
“Like what?” he asked.
“Like I belong to you,” she breathed.
“You will belong to me, soon enough, Isabella,” he reminded. Her breath caught. There it was again—that certainty that made her hot and angry all at the same time.
“I haven’t agreed to anything. My father was the one who made this agreement with you. I might marry you, but I’ll never be yours, Luca,” she insisted. She watched him as though she expected him to believe her, even when she didn’t believe herself.
“You will,” he said again, as though he was just stating a fact.
Her hands curled into fists. “You keep saying that like I don’t have a choice in any of this.”
“You don’t have a choice, Isabella,” he said.
Anger flared hot in her chest. “Everyone keeps saying that,” she bit out. “My father, you, and even your men. You all treat me like I’m just some pawn to trade.”
His expression didn’t change. “That’s because you are.” The words hit like a slap, and Isabella went still.
“Excuse me?” she spat. She knew that he was right, but the lack of control she had over her own life was beginning to piss her off.
“In this world,” Luca said evenly, “everyone is something to someone. My world is about power and leverage. I see a threat and assess it. To your father, you were an asset that he was willing to give up in order to save his family. He saw me as the threat, and he solved the problem by giving you to me.”
His gaze locked onto hers. “So, in this game, I’m just an asset?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said. Her chest rose sharply with her breath.
“And what are you?” she challenged.
“The man who now owns you,” he said simply. Silence slammed into the room, making the air feel heavy and suffocating. Isabella stepped closer to him, not backing down, and not yielding.
His eyes darkened, and she knew that she had possibly stepped over a line that she didn’t know he had drawn. “Careful,” he warned.
“No,” she pressed. “You want control? Fine. Take it. Decide what I am to you.” She chanced another step closer—too close for comfort. Her voice dropped. “Am I just a deal to end your war?” she asked. “Or am I something you’re willing to protect?” The question hung between them—sharp, dangerous, and real.
Luca didn’t answer right away. And that—that was her answer. Her chest tightened as something cold slid into place where hope might have been. “Yeah,” she whispered. “That’s what I thought.” She turned away, breaking the tension before it could break her.
“You said that this is my room, right?” she asked.
“Yes,” he breathed.
“Good, then get out,” she said. Anger flashed across his handsome features, and she realized that was a mistake. Thesecond the words left her mouth, she knew it. Luca didn’t leave. He didn’t move. Hell, he didn’t even seem to be breathing.
“You don’t give me orders,” he said quietly.
She turned back slowly. “I wasn’t asking,” she whispered. Neither was he. The air shifted again—tight, electric, and feeling ready to snap.
Before either of them could say another word, a knock at the door interrupted them. Luca’s gaze flicked to the door, irritation flashing briefly across his face before it disappeared. “Come in.”
The door opened, and Dante stepped inside. She knew from her research that he was Luca’s second in command. “Boss,” he said, his tone serious. “We’ve got a problem.”
