Page 3 of Silent Night With Luca

“Let her go. She’s not some prisoner.”

“Come on, Fia. Let’s go.”

“She’s not going anywhere except back to the lodge. I thought you weren’t coming here?” Arianna is one of Fiamma’s close friends, one of the women she finds herself getting in trouble with in Vegas. She isn’t a Luciana and she isn’t even in the life, but she surely inserts herself wherever she can.

“We’re going out, Luca. We’re all here to celebrate the holidays, not be locked up like a prisoner. So why don’t you just let her go and we can all go about enjoying our evening.”

“Think again, Arianna. Good night.”

I drag her through the heavy snow, my hand locked around her wrist as we cut through the trees. Fiamma isn’t fighting anymore, but I can feel her fury in every step she takes, her heels wobbling from left to right as they slide on the hard, frozen layer under the snow. She stops her feet harder than necessary but she’s only making it harder for herself.

The flickering lights of the massive lodge ahead finally come into view, casting long shadows across the snow-draped landscape.

Her suite. Of course the entitled little bitch has her own suite, complete with two bedrooms, a living room, and full kitchen and a patio. It’s no wonder she acts the way she does, they all give into her every demand.

I shove open the door, and the warmth inside hits us like a wall. She yanks her arm free, glaring at me with that wild fire in her eyes that matches the one already burning in the living room. I slam the door behind us, leaning against it for a moment to let the frustration settle in my chest.

Fiamma flicks off her shoes, one nearly hitting me in the face, and crosses her arms. She paces in front of the crackling fire, her hair still a mess from her little stunt in town. “You can’t drag me around like I’m some kind of rag doll. I was literally going out for a cocktail, and you act like you’re stopping the French invasion.”

I push off the door, stalking toward her. “This isn’t some fairytale holiday vacation, Fiamma. You’re a target. I’m your savior.”

Her arms drop to her sides, but the fire in her eyes only burns brighter. “A target? Is that what I am now? Some piece of meat you have to haul back to the compound to protect from the big, bad wolf? Don’t you know that I’ve seen you following me around since I got here yesterday?”

“I’m not trying to hide from you, so kudos to you for noticing. I thought you didn’t see anything past your own nose. I’m following you because you’ve proven you can’t be trusted. I’m not only keeping you safe, but I’m making sure you don’t bring more havoc on the family.”

I can see the anger welling up in inside of her as her neck turns a lovely shade of red. “Stop acting like I’m a petulant child, you asshole.”

I stop inches from her, close enough to feel the heat of her anger and her body. “That’s exactly what you are acting like right now. And if you don’t stop running around,especially with that trash Arianna, you’re going to get yourself killed. Is that what you want?”

She stiffens at the word “trash,” but her chin tilts up defiantly. “I’m not scared of you or whoever these nefarious, unseen bad actors you’re so sure are out there.”

I chuckle, low and bitter. “You should be scared of a lot more than me, principessa.”

She rolls her eyes, but the flicker of hesitation in them doesn’t escape me. She knows. She knows there’s more at play here than whatever tantrum she’s throwing, but her pride won’t let her admit it.

I walk to the window and pull back the curtain just enough to scan the property. Her suite is tucked away at the back of the main lodge. It’s accessible through the main lobby and has its own entrance, which makes her an especially hard target to keep my eye on.

“I didn’t want to have to do this, but because you keep trying to lose me like you’re up to something, I am going to have to move into the second room of your suite.”

“Like hell you are.”

“Then take it up with Massimo. He wanted that from the start, but I thought you would be a normal person who would go have coffee with your girlfriends and curl up with a hot chocolate at night in front of the television. But since nothing about you is normal, I’m moving in. End of discussion.”

“Then, I’m leaving.”

“Where are you going, Missy? How will you get there? Oh,and I’ll be tagging along, so keep that in mind when you make your travel plans.”

“God, I hate you!” With that, she plops down on the bearskin run in the living room and holds her hands up to the fire to warm up, likely plotting how she will try to shake me now.

“They’re coming, Fiamma,” I say quietly, my eyes still on the trees beyond the window. “The Vitale family, the Riccis, hell, maybe even some of our so-called allies. Your little fling with the Underboss of the Vitale family put a target on your back and the entire family.”

I turn to look at her, and for the first time since I caught her, she’s silent. I see the weight of my words start to settle in. But she’s not backing down. Not yet.

“That’s not how it went down,” she says, her voice quieter now but still defiant. “I’ve made some mistakes, but does that mean I have to be treated like an infant for the rest of my life? Everyone makes mistakes.”

I take a step closer, crouching beside her on the floor. “This isn’t some small thing, Fiamma. You were sleeping with a Vitale, for Christ’s sake. And then you humiliated him by leaving. You’ve kicked the hornet’s nest. Now we have to contain the angry hoard that is no doubt out for vengeance. This is about keeping you alive and protecting everyone. Do you have any idea what they’ll do if they get their hands on you? Do you even care?”

She looks away, but I catch the way her lips press into a thin line. She does care. She just doesn’t want to admit that she’s out of her depth.

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