Page 74 of Ruthless King

“Stella,mannaggia alla miseria, if you don’t open the door, I’ll break it down.”

The door groans under his fist as he slams it against the thick timber.

No, I can’t face him. I spin around and press my lips to the seam. Choking back a sob, I whisper, “Luca, if you care about me at all, please leave me alone.”

He slams his fist against the door once more and exhales a frustrated breath. The slap of his angry footfalls echo across the hallway before the slam of his bedroom door sends a shudder through my heart. A crack races across my stupid, traitorous organ, and the tears begin to fall again until I drown in them.

CHAPTER34

LOVE?

Luca

Miserable. I’m fucking miserable. I shove the files off my desk and let out a frustrated growl. It doesn’t help. I reach for that stupid award for Businessman of the Year and throw it across the room. It shatters against the wall with a satisfying crash. Then I go for the stapler, my nameplate, everything smashes onto the floor, only exacerbating my rage. I reach for my laptop next as Clara races into my office.

“Luca!” she shouts as I hold the sleek device over my head. “Che cazzo fai?”

What am I doing? I’m fucking losing my mind that’s what. One week after fucking Stella and I’ve lost every ounce of sense. She won’t speak to me, she won’t even look at me. She spends every moment I’m in the penthouse in her room. I watch her all night on the home security system like apazzo. I haven’t slept, I can’t eat.

Her scent around my home drives me mad. Everything reminds me of her.

I’ve spent countless nights standing outside her room like acoglionetrying to figure out what to say to fix this.

“Put your laptop down,” says Clara.

I release a frustrated breath and set it down on my desk.

“You have to talk to that girl.” She clucks her teeth at me like I’m some stupid lovesick teenager.

“I’ve tried,” I snarl.

“Well, obviously not hard enough.”

I skewer her with a glare. If Clara wasn’t like a second mother to me, I would’ve thrown her out of my office by now. “You don’t understand.”

She saunters over in her hot pink Chanel skirt suit and waggles a perfectly manicured fingernail at me. “I don’t understand that you’re too blind to see what’s right in front of you?”

“Watch it, Clara.”

“I am, Luca. If I had it my way, I’d tell you what astronzoyou’re being. That I’ve never seen you so happy as the moment Stella moved into your penthouse. That whatever you’re too scared to admit is the only thing standing in your way of real happiness.”

“It’s not that simple,” I hiss.

She corners me against my desk. “Nothing worth fighting for ever is,figlio mio.”

“You know what my life is like. If I let her in, I’d only be hurting her in the long run. I told you what Dante did.” Another wave of fury rushes over me. I still can’t fathom my own brother attacking her.

“You’re hurting her now and you’re torturing yourself. Stop hiding out here and go home and tell her how you really feel. Apologize until she accepts it.”

The idea is terrifying. My heart punches at my ribcage, desperate to escape this torture. I can’t admit the truth, not to myself and especially not to her. I’d only be putting her in danger. I’d promised hernonnoall those years ago I’d watch out for her and Vinny. I’d already failed her brother; I’d die before I let the same happen to her.

But I had to do something ….

I couldn’t continue on like this.

“And by the way, in case you’ve forgotten, you have the Met Gala tonight.”

“Tonight?” My voice rises a few octaves.Cazzo, how did I forget? This thing with Stella has my head on a tailspin. I could just not go ….