Page 20 of Retribution

I had nothing to lose now because I already lost the only thing I was living for.

* * *

All night Luca was glued to me, which kept me sane. He was my anchor when I felt I was drifting. It was the first time I remember leaning on a man for anything and he never made me feel that I owed him anything in return.

We arrived at the loft, black sheets covering the faces of the captives. We would move them later to another location.

“The armory,” Luca instructed. “Keep a watch on them.”

He took my hand as soon as we arrived at the loft and led me inside and up the stairs. “You want it done quickly or let them suffer a little bit?” he asked.

“Is that what you brought me in here to ask me? You know what I want to do to that fucker. I’ll start by taking bits and pieces of his flesh, and then I cut a little bit off each limb, and if he bleeds to death then so be it.”

“A slow and painful death it is.”

“Luca why did you bring me up here?”

He took my hand and pulled me into his tight embrace. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that I had a son. We just never got around to talking about it.”

“I think we should talk about that tomorrow; we need to get back to the boys.”

“No, not yet. You can do all you want to them with a clear head tomorrow. And I wanted to give you this.” He crooked a finger under my chin, urging me to lift my face. He then devoured my mouth in a searing kiss.

I responded to the kiss with every fiber of my being as though it was something I’d been craving. I didn’t know what it was about Luca that had me so weak, and yet giving me strength. All I knew was that this wasn’t just me waiting to fuck away my grief like I thought. This was me wanting the man and loving how he cared about my wellbeing. I was ready to fuck him there with all the men on the lower floor, however that wasn’t to be.

“Now get some rest,” he murmured against my lips when he broke the kiss. “I’ll be downstairs.”

I perhaps held on to his hand a little too long and he bent, giving a kiss on the forehead. He waited until I kicked off my shoes and lie on the bed. The moment he left the room I must have fallen asleep because the following morning I remembered nothing after he left the room. It was a deep and dreamless sleep that made me feel like my old self. I woke up calm and relaxed, my mind clear and ready for the day.

When I went downstairs, Luca was at the kitchen table with Sandy and a few of the guys drinking coffee. When he saw me, he stood and came up to me.

“Wow, you look much better than yesterday?” he observed.

“I’m feeling much calmer, like my old self.”

He held his cup up. “Coffee? There’s a whole pot.”

“I’d love some.”

While Luca poured my coffee, he beckoned me over to the counter as he wanted to talk.

“I have some good news and some bad news. Which is first?” he asked, handing me my cup.

“Give me the bad news first.”

“Our boss knows what happened to your brother, therefore your girl Neve now knows.”

“Shit.”

He sighed. “It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

“But they’re on their honeymoon. They could have learned this when they got back.”

“It was inevitable,” he countered. “He needed a report, and the collections manager had to update him. Toby didn’t know you wanted to keep secret from him.”

I nodded before taking a sip. “The good news please.”

He grinned. “The boss now knows what happened to your brother.”

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