Mafia Heir

Chapter 34

Charlotte

The adrenaline of the afternoon was starting to wear off and as we drove toward the Estate, my stomach was in knots. Luca's hand rested on my knee, and he was scrolling through something on his phone. There wasn't a price I wouldn't pay to know what was going through his mind right now. He was probably researching new ways to torture Grant. Who was I kidding? A man like Luca was well versed in all realms of torture. 

There were times when I was with him that I forgot. Times that I saw Luca as the gentle and attentive boyfriend he could be. Times that I could imagine this working out between us. Times I pictured us like a normal couple, falling helplessly in love with each other and only worried about taking the next step in our relationship. Times where I imagined what it would feel like to wear Luca's ring on my finger, to raise his children, and spend the rest of our lives together. Times where I got comfortable.

And then there were times like today where realty dropped out of the sky and hit me like a sledge hammer. Times where I realized what a powerful and feared leader he really was. Times where I saw the vicious world that he was a part of. Times where I was scared of him, and capable of what he could do to me. Times that I realized there was no normal if I was going to stay with Luca.

It was like everything hung in a balance around me. How did I reconcile the two versions of him? The Jekel-and-Hyde act he had so eloquently perfected. How did I separate the version of Luca that I was quickly falling in love with, with the version of him that I hated to admit I was scared of?

I wanted to believe he was good—I did believe he was good—but I didn't trust myself. What if I was refusing to see the true version of him? What if I was blinded by my rose-colored glasses and the smooth-talking charmer that said all the right things?

When we got back to the Estate, the very first thing I did was go upstairs to take a shower. All I could think about was scrubbing the filth of the police station off of me, as if I could wash the entire day away. Between that, and the stories that Luca told me, it was a rough afternoon. Luca suggested stopping for dinner on the way home, but I wasn't feeling up to it, so instead, he was downstairs in the kitchen whipping something up. 

I headed that way, and found all four men recounting the afternoon. 

"If I see that prick again, I swear I'm going to shove my foot so far up his..." Marco stopped talking abruptly the second that he saw me. Angelo and Carlo both dropped their eyes and tried to look busy. Despite their shotty cover up, I had a pretty good idea what they were talking about.

"By all means, don't let me stop you." I teased, holding my arms in the air.

"You look better than the last time I saw you." Marco laughed, straightening up in his chair. He sat at the bar next to Luca while Angelo and Carlo stood across from it. "Jail doesn't exactly suite you."

"I'm going to choose to take that as a compliment." I grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge. "But I agree, it's definitely not my style."

"So no return trips planned?" Carlo raised his eyebrow. They were all becoming more comfortable with me, and I was starting to enjoy their banter. Being here felt like staying in a frat house--just with more guns.

"I guess that depends on how involved you boys let me be around here." I shrugged. Luca stiffened, not appreciating my response in the slightest. 

"There will be none of that. And no more jail trips. That goes for all of you." Luca grabbed my hand, pulling me toward him and pressing a kiss to my lips.

"I don't know... my first time in cuffs was pretty exhilarating. Might have to try that again some time." I knew I was getting under his skin, but he seemed to be enjoying it.