Page 47 of The Vengeance You Crave

Curling up into a ball, my skin pricks with goose bumps as Luca digs his hand into his pocket and pulls out his cell.

"L-Luc, what are you d-doing?" I ask, my voice cracking with a mixture of emotion, exhaustion and frustration.

He keeps the camera trained on me as he takes a step closer.

"Getting some evidence."

"Evidence for what? To prove you tortured me and got your vengeance at last?"

"Something like that," he mutters.

Reaching out, his hot fingers wrap around my ankle and he pulls until I unfold and fall onto my back.

Mortification burns through me as he runs the camera over my naked body.

Part of me wants to believe that the Luca I knew and loved wouldn't do this to me. But I fear he might be long gone and that this new, evil version of himself wouldn't bat an eyelid about making this video and then sending it out to the world.

"P-please don't. Please," I beg, hating the desperation in my voice.

"Why? Don't you want the whole world to know that you're a filthy slut just like the rest of your family?"

I shake my head, trying to keep his words out.

"You know the guys at school used to jerk off to videos of your mom dancing, right?"

"No," I cry. But it's futile because I remember all too well the gossip that used to go around about her. My only saving grace back then was Luca because if anyone was stupid enough to say anything out of line in front of him, he'd deal with it. Protecting me. Always protecting me.

"And your whore of a sister. Guys used to pay her to blow them in the locker room, did you know that?"

"Luc, please," I try again, needing not to go down these painful parts of my past right now.

"You knew this. You knew what she was up to. I'm surprised you weren't as well. We all knew what the Banks girls did to keep a roof over their heads. But then I guess, that's exactly what you're doing now, isn't it? Following in mommy's footsteps and shaking these pretty little tits for money." He scoffs, lifting another bottle from his side that I didn't notice before and swallowing an obscene amount. "You disgust me."

"Didn't stop you fucking me bare out there though, did it," I point out, knowing for a fact that he didn't stop for a second to consider protection.

His entire body tenses at my words and I can't help the satisfied smirk that curls at my lips.

My core throbs as he stares at my closed thighs.

"I'll get tested tomorrow. I wouldn't believe you even if you said you were clean."

"Fuck you, Luc," I say, scrambling to my feet and standing before him, for once in my life having a height advantage. "I'm fucking cleanandon birth control. You're safe."

He scoffs once more, downing more vodka.

"Safe. With you. Never."

His solid arm hooks around the back of my legs and the world falls out from beneath me as I hurtle toward the mattress once more.

No sooner than my back hitting the softness of the mattress is he crawling between my thighs, pushing them wide and exposing every inch of me.

Somehow, he managed to shed his remaining clothes while I was flying through the air and my concern about my position melts away as I get my first look at him as a whole in five years.

And fuck, he's… he's… mesmerizing.

His hand wraps around my throat, pinning me to the bed.

Our eyes lock and for just a second, everything is different. Everything is just as it used to be as I stare into the hungry green eyes of my best friend.