Page 17

17

Luca

In the fucking shadows. What the fuck is Levi doing?

Layla’s lying. I’m no idiot. I can see how terrified she is. Whatever my cousin has just said, she’s positively shitting herself. Her hands are clammy, her face is flushed, and I’m not arrogant to think that it’s from our previous encounter, which it fucking should be.

Her lips feel amazing but this moment is ruined by the fact that I know she’s kissing me because she’s panicked. It’s misdirection 101.

She squirms and tries to pull away, but I hold her to me, my hand wrapping around her neck and pulling her closer.

This isn’t frenzied lust that runs through her veins, this is a terrified kitten that’s lost its hiss. I plunge my tongue into her mouth and kiss harder. Desperate to coax her back, coax her out of whatever fear is overpowering her.

I want her to feel me.

I pull back, but she’s looking down. Placing my fingers under her chin, I lift her eyes to meet mine.

“Nothing else should be in your head when my lips are on yours, beautiful.” I growl. “Whatever that cunt has just said to you, you need to tell me now.”

Her eyes widen and she shakes her head, trying to free herself.

Always fighting.

Always stubborn.

“Layla.” I grip her chin tighter, holding her head still as she desperately tries to look anywhere but at me. “No one, no one hurts you.” I rumble, my voice deathly low.

“Why?” Her eyes filling with unspilled tears and it fucking hurts, hurts me to see her in pain. “Why do you care?”

Fuck.

I’m in too deep, my obsession has crossed a line. Rome’s right.

“I don’t care,” I snarl. This is what I’m best at, cruelty.

It’s all I know.

She goes to stand, but I grip her tighter. “I haven’t excused you yet.”

“I’m not your puppet that you can tell what to do,” she snaps.

“I’m aware.” She’s full-on scowling, her eyes watery. “But you’re mine, and no one touches you, not even my family.” I grate out my next words, my jaw hurting from gritting my teeth, “What did he say?”

“I need to go.” She scans the surroundings like a caged animal, and it pisses me off that my cousin has got this reaction out of her. The only person who should be making her feel this extreme emotion is me.

Not motherfucking Levi.

“Okay.” I loosen my grip and stand, leaving her sitting on the chair, she tilts her head a puzzled look on her face.

“Okay?” she asks, confused. “I can leave?”

“We,” I correct her. “We can leave.”

I put one hand on the table and the other on the chair’s arm caging her in, she blanches and pulls back.

“You have caught the interest of Levi, sunshine. Let me tell you something about my cousin, he makes me look like a cuddly teddy bear. You’re not going home until you’ve told me what he said. And if that involves me tying you to a bed until I get it out of you, so be it. But let me make this clear.” My face is so close to hers, it’s taking every single bit of willpower not to crash my mouth to hers and dominate her. “You will tell me. Now come.”

I grab her clutch from the table and take her hand and immediately feel grounded.

A feeling that I choose to ignore right now.

I pull her up, and she does what she’s told, thankfully, as I wasn’t against throwing her over my shoulder. Making a quick exit, I navigate us through the throngs of people and exit into the cool night air. I don’t want anyone getting in the way.

Anyone being Roman.

The entrance queue to get into my club is all but clear now, and I glance down at my phone: 2:30, chuck-out time is in thirty minutes. Then the next round of chaos will commence, as alcohol-fuelled people leave the bar.

I lead her to the small alley that runs along the side of the club. The smell of damp and rubbish bins taint the air, but I want her out of sight while we wait for my driver. She pulls her hand away from mine and I let her. Folding her arms across her chest, she watches me.

I ignore her and pull my phone out, sending a quick text to my driver and then to Rome to let him know I’ve left. Her clutch is tucked under my arm, but she doesn’t ask for it back.

She rests against the brick wall and leans her head against it, closing her eyes, taking a deep breath. She looks like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders.

And I hate it.

My sunshine.

“He’s not happy with your split attention.” She exhales, defeated. “He wants me to spy on you.”

The fuck …

She brings her head forward. The dull beat of the club fills the void as I wait for her to continue, my eyes piercing hers as my pulse thrums. That’s all she gives me though. When I don’t say anything, she closes her eyes, and her head goes back to resting on the wall.

I turn my back to her and pace.

“He threatened everyone I care about, Luca. My grandfather, Katy.”

I pause and glance over, where she’s watching me. “It won’t come to that.” The words spill out of my mouth before I can stop them. This isn’t how my evening was supposed to go. Now here I am making promises to protect Layla and her family.

“How? How can you possibly say that?” she asks, kicking away from the wall and walking to me.

“Because, sunshine, you’ve just become a pawn in a dangerous game of chess. And I’d rather be in control of the moves.”

“Stop talking in fucking riddles,” she snaps, anger flushing those beautiful cheeks. “Just use normal fucking English and explain to me how you can possibly get me out of this.”

“The answer’s simple,” I say as a black Mercedes pulls up outside the ally, “we give him what he wants.”

We drive in silence, both in deep thought. The attempt on my life, the Albanians at the fight, Asher’s proposition, now Layla. So many moving parts.

I had a grip of everything. But just as I think I’ve got control…curve ball.

I don’t like this new side of Levi. He’s usually the most predictable. But this, this feels like he’s positioning. Just as Black suggested.

I tap my fingers on the armrest, thinking through Black’s proposal. I need to get traction on the Thames freeport, otherwise I’ll lose face with the Colombians.

That’s my first priority right now.

We need to get the first shipment out on the streets, and the most logical way to do that is using Black’s logistics company to help.

Even if it's temporary.

“What do you do?” Layla finally plucks up the courage to ask, breaking the silence.

“This and that.” I take out my phone and draft a message to Rome.

“You’re some sort of gangster, right?”

I pause and glance across at her. Fuck, her tits look amazing when she crosses her arms underneath them like that. “I manage imports and exports.”

She snorts and shakes her head. “Drugs or Guns?”

“Now, now, Layla. Don’t think that you have free rein to ask me any fucking question that pops into that beautiful head of yours. Let’s not forget what killed the cat.”

“What?”

“Curiosity, Layla. Curiosity killed the cat.”

“You’re ridiculous.” She looks back out the window. I smirk and go back to my phone.

I want to see the site tomorrow.

10:30. I’ll send Roman the address.

Asher Black

I rub my temples, feeling Layla’s gaze on me. My phone rings. Roman.

“I’ll call you in the morning,” I tell him.

“He’s using her to get to you,” Roman says before I can hang up. “You know that, right?”

“I’m fully aware.” I know I’ve fucked up. I hang up and look over at Layla.

A plan starts forming in my head.

“Sunshine, I’ve got a proposition.”