Psychotic Love (a mafia love story)

Chapter 15

ECHO'S POV

Dario leaves the kitchen and I find myself alone. Unattended. There's no point in running again. Luca's property is heavily secured and there are acres and acres of land. I remember that car ride to the mall, and how long it took to see signs of other human life. He'd probably hurt me or someone I love if I tried anyway. I'm not putting anyone else through that, like Noah.

I decide to go to my room, taking my sandwich with me. When I reach the hallway I hear Luca's voice yelling from the other end of it. "Don't fuck with what's mine Romano. I already have you on my list for death. I won't hesitate to add your entire bloodline."

I place my sandwich on a wall table, before walking down the hall to get a better listen. I stop when I reach Luca's door. The man on the other end of the phone is on speaker. His strained-sounding voice fills the room. "I'll take her and sell her, what belongs to Luca Caputo would certainly sell for billions. I'm sure there are lots of people who wouldn't mind buying your future wife."

Fear slowly seeps into my bloodstream carrying itself to my heart. Luca has made it clear that he'd like for me to become his wife. That man wants to take and sell me. We're not even married and we never will be. I'm not going to let it happen. I will never say the words I do, to Luca.

"Try me, come and get her," Luca says. He hangs up the phone.

I know that Luca says he'll protect me but I don't like the way he just dangled my life in front of that man like a cat toy.

I hear his footsteps approach the door. I panic looking for somewhere to hide. I find a place behind a corner leading to another hall. It was either that or making the long run to my room, he'd certainly see me before I could make it.

Luca steps into the hall. His footsteps get louder as they approach me. My eyes are closed tightly and my heart bangs against my chest, sounding like a bass drum. Seconds later, a tight grip wraps around my arm. Luca roughly pulls me from the corner. "What the hell did I tell you? Living room, your room, and the kitchen. Everything else, off limits."

His grip is so tight around my arm, It's like that cuff they use at the hospital to check your blood pressure.

"How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough to know that, someone wants to sell me because I'm your 'future wife'." I snatch my arm away from him.

"Which I am not. I will not marry you."

Luca grabs my arm again practically dragging me to his office. Once we arrive, he slams the door shut behind us. I'm forcefully pushed into the chair in front of his desk. He stands while leaning against a bookshelf to the right of me.

"Look, I thought about sending you home, and for a second I was going to go through with it," my eyebrows raise with hope, but it's quickly crushed. "But it's not safe for you to leave."

"Luca, it's not safe for me anywhere. Just take me home," I say annoyed.

"I can't," he says flatly.

"WHY NOT?" I shout because I need him to hear me.

"It's not safe for you," he keeps his voice calm.

"AND WHY DO YOU CARE WHAT'S SAFE FOR ME, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ME."

"Look, I'm really fighting the urge to hurt you right now, so match my tone before I match yours." Luca's voice remains composed.

I take in a deep breath before gathering myself. "Luca, you've taken everything away from me. The hope that I had to get away from my parents and live the life I've always wanted, you've stripped it all away. It's not that you don't want to take me home because it's 'not safe', it's because you're selfish. You love the thought of making others miserable."

Luca looks at me with wide and amused eyes. He starts to speak before I cut him off.

"You only care about what you want. You've never considered the fact that I had a life that you just ripped me away from. And then you just expect me to be this perfect little thing for you. I am a person, Luca, with real feelings. Feelings that you just push to the side because you can't stand the thought of not being in control. You can't control the way that I feel and how I express it. You do understand that, right?"

Luca only stares at me. He's scary calm.

"If I couldn't control the way you express your feelings, you wouldn't have lowered your tone just now."

He has that stupid grin on his face. Luca makes me wanna rip my hair out of my scalp, he makes me want to scream until I can't anymore, and he makes me want to destroy everything in sight.

I stand from my chair. "JUST TAKE ME HOME, I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE WITH YOU."

I can see rage swimming through the veins in Luca's arms.

He rushes towards me grabbing my throat harshly. "Fine, go pack your shit. If you don't care about your life, why should I?" He lets me go, pushing me back into the chair.

I watch him as he goes to sit behind his desk. My brain takes a minute to process before it finally registers. 'Go pack your shit', I'm going home! I quickly get up from my chair making my way to my room.

Once I arrive I don't grab anything but a pair of slide-on sandals. I don't need anything from Luca. I don't need to pack all the shit he bought me. I want no ties to him.

I just sit on my bed waiting. I don't know if I should go to him or if he'll come to me. I figure I should wait. With nothing left to do but think, I wonder about the reaction to my return home. I've been gone for two weeks, with not even a single phone call.

I don't think my parents will be too happy to see me. They'll probably try and ground me. I'm eighteen and I've just graduated from high school, but they are firm believers in my house, my rules.

I don't even care at this point. I'll take whatever punishment they'll give me. I just want things to go back to normal because even my chaotic normal is better than this. Wondering if Luca's gonna kill me or someone I love is draining me.

I get a knock on my door. It can't be Luca, he never knocks. Since I'm close to the door I open it myself. I see Adele with a large suitcase.

"Hi Adele, I feel like I haven't seen you in a while since being able to come out on my own."

She gives me a sweet smile. "Hello, Miss. Mr. Caputo has asked me to bring this to you, I hear you're going home."

"Yes, but I don't need the suitcase. I'm not bringing anything with me, besides what I have on."

She frowns. "Well why not, he bought it all for you, so why not take it? I'd surely take this, it's nice," she says holding up a soft pink lace bralette, she got from a dresser.

I give her a giggle. "Yeah, it is pretty nice, but I honestly just don't want anything to remind me of him. He's not too good of a person."

Adele grabs my hand, bringing me to the bed. We both take a seat.

"I've been working for the Caputo family for nearly thirty years. I've seen Luca bring many women in and out of this house, but not once have I ever seen him care for one the way he cares for you."

"I don't know about care. I don't think Luca cares about me."

"I used to be his nanny before he got old enough to take care of himself. I know he can be cruel but he does have a part of him that is capable of caring. He's never made food for a girl, taken her out to shop, or made sure he gets the pool fixed for her. You know, that pool hasn't been kept up at all. He only did it for you."

"Well, it's gonna take a lot more than shopping, food, and a fixed pool for me to believe that he cares."

"I know, I know. I'm just saying that he's doing a lot of things that he doesn't usually do, and they are all for you. It takes a lot to change how a man like Luca does things."

Adele stands and I stand with her. She gives me a tight hug. "I'm glad you're getting what you want Echo."

"Thank you, Adele. I think the only thing that I'm gonna miss about this place is you."

"I'll miss you too, I haven't had someone to tend to but Mr. Grumpy for a very long while."

"Grumpy is an understatement." I laugh.