Before dawn | Dark romance

Chapter 16 - The defiant heart

[2/3]

"No, Em, I can't," I say, wedging the phone between my ear and shoulder while disposing of the remnants of my take-out in the trash. I've been home for a couple of hours now, trying to make sense of the whirlwind that was Luca's surprise visit to Huntsman. His unexpected appearance threw me into a state of confusion, making it impossible to concentrate. I ended up telling Taj, not long after lunch, that I needed to leave early.

Taj noticed my shift in mood the second we returned to the office after the startling reunion. Like a concerned brother, he kept pressing me about the identity of the mystery man and why I seemed so shaken. Eventually, I couldn't keep it in any longer and spilled everything. I recounted our first encounter, when we literally bumped into each other in the hotel corridors, the weird conversation we had on the rooftop, and the surreal moment he appeared before sunrise, and just invite me to have breakfast with him.

It was a relief to finally talk to someone about this enigmatic man. Unburdening myself to Taj helped me process the emotion Luca's sudden reappearance had stirred within me.

I have no idea how long Luca and his entourage stayed. I basically fled the scene after spending just enough time there to avoid suspicion. It would have looked like I was hiding from him—which, to be honest, I am—but I have my reasons. The main one being that I have a boyfriend, whom I love deeply, and that's more than enough reason to steer clear of Mr. Sex-on-Legs with the piercing blue eyes.

Speaking of my boyfriend, I should grab an overnight bag. It's around 7:30 in the evening, and if I want to see Will tonight, I need to leave soon. The journey to his place takes about an hour and a half, and I prefer not to travel alone in the dark. Thankfully, with summer approaching, the days are longer, but I still don't want to be out too late around London. The creepers come out.

"Why not? They're only here now... William will be..." Emily's frustrated voice crackles through the phone. She had texted earlier to say that Vinny and "the rest," as she calls them, invited us out for dinner tonight. When I declined, she called within minutes, begging me to join her because she didn't want to be alone.

I suggested she ask Bri, who had texted me earlier saying she was back in London. Emily didn't want to be the only girl, and I figured Bri could keep her company. But of course, that wasn't the answer Emily wanted to hear, so she's been nagging me while I ate my take-out Chinese and browsed Instagram, not particularly swayed by her reasons for why I should come.

"Em, you can go on forever, but I already told you that I'm going to see Will tonight," I said firmly. I'm going to see my boyfriend, like a loyal girlfriend should, instead of going out with these heaven-sent yet dangerous-looking men.

"Fine," she sighed deeply, clearly frustrated at losing the argument. "They said they were picking us up to go to the restaurant around 8, but I'm still stuck here at Huntsman because Taj is making me process their order to the atelier immediately. You wouldn't believe how much money they've spent today, Maddie." I know that Vinny, Dante, and Luca dropped around 100,000 euros on new suits and casual wear at Huntsman. It's insane. She paused for dramatic effect before continuing. "And they all have black cards, Maddie." She had practically screamed in ecstasy earlier when she told me about the black cards. I had to look up what 'black cards' meant on Google, because I didn't even know there were different color options for credit cards. Turns out, if someone has a black card, they are really, really rich. It's invite only, and you have to spend a minimum of 250k each year.

"Em, back to the topic," I stressed, noting that she mentioned they'd be picking us up at 8, but it's already 7:35 and she's still at Huntsman. There's no way she'll be here on time. "You won't be here when they arrive, will you?" I confronted her bluntly.