Page 32 of Reluctant Surrender

“Hey.” Lukas put the frame down on the counter and was at my side in a flash. Framing my face with both of his hands, he brushed his lips across mine. The small intimacy, the bite of tenderness that it had only made me more confused. I pushed away from him, sinking my hands into my hair.

“He’s going to kill me.” I covered my mouth with one hand. “He’s really going to kill me. What the fuck was I thinking? I was just having fun. Playing with numbers, playing cards. It was just a way to make extra money so I could get my CPA and get a better place, now I won’t live to even take the test.” I wandered into the living room. “I had no idea it was his game. I wouldn’t have messed with it if I’d known.”

“Maggie.” Lukas grabbed hold of my arm and spun me into his chest, wrapping me in his arms. “He’s not going to touch you. I swear. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you from him.”

I wanted to believe him, desperately wanted for his words to be true. But Sammy Bertonelli wasn’t going to back off as a favor to Lukas. The Italians didn’t exactly see eye to eye with the Polish families in the city.

My chest twisted. Why did I have to eavesdrop so hard on Dad’s meetings when I was younger? I should have been upstairs playing with dolls or with makeup, but instead I’d plopped down anywhere in the house that I might catch five minutes of my father’s time. If I had just stuck to my toys, my nannies, then I wouldn’t have ever learned about poker and fixing games. I wouldn’t have overheard his friends talking about how easy it could be to hustle.

“There’s nothing you can do, Lukas.” I pushed away from him. “Do I have any clothes left or did they rip them all to shreds?” I grabbed my purse from the counter and slid the strap over my shoulder.

“I’ll buy you new clothes.”

I shook my head. “I can buy my own.”

“We’ll talk about it later. Let’s just get out of here.” He had his phone out already, tapping away on the screen doling out orders to his men. Someone would probably be sent over to clean up the apartment. If anything could be salvaged it would be a miracle.

The car ride to Lukas’ house was filled with a pregnant silence. I obviously couldn’t move back to my apartment. If Lukas tried to keep me from going to work, I’m not sure I’d be able to argue with him. Sammy found my apartment; how much harder would it be to figure out where I worked? Like Lukas said, information in their world was currency.

“Lukas.” Patryk, my babysitter for the day, greeted us as soon as we walked through the front door. “There’s a situation.”

I breezed past him and headed for the staircase. My feet were about to explode; I wanted out of my heels and into a steaming hot bath.

“Maggie. Come down here,” Lukas’ demanding tone reached me halfway up the staircase.

“Can I at least change first?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder. The dark expression on his face was enough of an answer that I turned around and jogged back down to him. “What’s wrong? Is Amelia all right?” My thoughts jumped right to my cousin, living in a new city with a new husband. After all the truth bombs had been dumped on her, she could need me.

“Johnny told Sammy Bertonelli that I know you.”

My heart slammed against my ribcage. “Do you think he’ll come here next then?” I’d put him in danger too with my stupid games. I should have just stuck to working and kept saving. Which was what I should have done all along instead of thinking that my father would at least keep taking care of me financially until my trust kicked in. Since he couldn’t take a second out of his day to speak to me, or text me, or be in my life in any way whatsoever, it would literally be the least he could do.

“I’m going to go to him.”

“Lukas. No.” I shook my head. “I will handle this. This is my mess.”

He grabbed my chin, tilting my head back and settling his dark glare on me. “I’m leaving now to go meet him. You are going to stay here, tucked away safe and sound. You are not going to leave this house for any reason whatsoever, no matter what. Do you understand me?”

“You shouldn’t have to clean up my mess. Stanley already paid the price for my stupidity.” I held firm. I got myself into this, I should be the one getting myself out.

“Stanley was a fucking idiot who should have known better than to steal from Bertonelli, and he was an asshole for putting you at risk like that by not telling you whose game it was. If he wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him myself.”

A chill ran through me with his last words. He meant it. Stanley had put me in danger, in Lukas’ eyes, and that sin required punishment of the fatal sort.

“So. Like I said. You’re going to be a good girl and stay home. No matter what, is that clear?”

I didn’t like his phrasing, no matter what? Like in the event that I hear he’d been killed by Sammy, I was to stay locked away in his house and hope for the best? Yeah. No. That wouldn’t work for me.

“I’ll stay put,” I said, holding his gaze firmly with my own.

He stared at me for a long moment. “I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

“You want your bike or the car?” Patryk asked from behind him. I’d been so consumed with Lukas I hadn’t noticed Patryk was still there. Lukas had that effect; no matter where we were, he gobbled up all the space.

“The car; you’ll drive, and Janusz will come too.”

Lukas slid his hand from my chin to the back of my neck, pulling me into him. The harshness of his kiss made my insides melt. When he broke away, he released my neck.

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