Luca
Anger bubbles beneath the surface of my blood. Everything I’ve done—marrying Harper to protect her from my family—seems like a wasted effort.
I love her.
Would I marry her again?
Yes, but not out of protection.
My skin crawls with anxiety, knowing that she’s being brought into this family to work for my father, the man I’ve despised for years. I’ve come to understand who he is, but bringing Harper into it seems cruel, even for him.
I grind my teeth and open Dante’s office door without so much as a knock.
Harper is right on my heel.
Zeke is situated in the playroom. Paige and Mom are keeping an eye on him. Paige used to be a nanny, years ago. When she came to the house, she was hired to care for Nova.
I don’t know what my father intends to do with Zeke while we’re doing his dirty work.
He looks up from his desk. “Come in,” he says, as if he just invited us into his office, not the other way around.
Harper hasn’t been the same since the shooting. I’m not sure anyone else has noticed, but I see it in her eyes, in the worry and glancing over her shoulder, constantly on alert.
I hear it in her breathing when she’s dreaming, the soft gasps and shudders of terror that chase her through the night. I try to comfort her, but there’s only so much that I can do.
I hate feeling helpless.
“Have a seat.” He gestures to the two leather chairs in front of his desk. He stays seated in his chair situated behind the desk, fit for a king.
I let Harper sit while I shut the door and then take the seat next to her.
Harper is quiet, her shoulders tense. I can see the worry draining her features, the light dying from her eyes.
What she was forced to do must haunt her.
Reaching for her hand, I give it a squeeze, trying to offer her support. She’s not the only one who has pulled the trigger to protect our family.
Harper squeezes my hand before letting go. She clasps her hands together, leaning forward, glaring at my father.
“Seeing as how I now work for you, I want answers. Tell me everything.” Her eyes narrow and there’s a sudden chill from her that makes the hair on my arms stand on end. “I want to know why that man was after my son. I want to know why you kidnapped that little boy Rylan Matthews and what happened to him. I deserve the truth, Father.”
He huffs under his breath at her use of the word father.
“Let’s get one thing straight. You report to me, Harper. I’m your boss. I tell you what I want you to know.”
Harper stands. “That’s not good enough.”
“Sit your ass back down in that chair!” Dante bellows.
My wife doesn’t so much as flinch at my father.
Silence follows and I stand, defending my wife. “She has a right to know all of it. She’s involved. She killed Santino after he broke in and tried to take our son!” I lean forward, gripping the edge of the table. “Answer her questions, or so help me?—”
“You’ll what?” Dante offers a smug smile, one eyebrow cocked. “You can’t threaten to walk away. I own you both.” He stares straight from my soul into Harper’s.
Her eyes flinch and she huffs and collapses back into the leather chair. “Are you always this much of an asshole, or do you just get off on pissing off family?”
The wry smile grows on Dante’s lips as he leans back in his leather chair. “I’m glad you think of us as family. That should make all of this easier.”
