Page 121 of Empire of Temptation

“I am saying,” Luca responded, “that he needs to come with me and get away from you.”

Flavio snorted derisively. “Tell her what you really said, Benetti.Tell her how you promised to slice me open and remove my organs in punishment for kidnapping her.”

I flinched. Had Luca really said that? “Gross and unnecessary, Luca.”

“Yet this is the man you’ve chosen to align yourself with,” my father reminded me. “Do you now see what I mean, figlia?”

“Shut your mouth.” Luca edged closer. “Or I will shoot you in the face.”

I wasn’t a huge fan of my father, but I wasn’t about to let him get murdered, either. “No, you’re not. Put the gun down, Luca. We’re having a civil conversation.”

“He is incapable of a civil conversation,” Flavio said unhelpfully.

One of Luca’s brothers appeared in the doorway. Sergio said, “I would shut my mouth, Segreto, if I were you. Luca has had a shitty day. We wouldn’t want him to take it out on you.”

“Luca, please.” I walked over to him and placed my palm on his arm. The heat nearly scorched my skin, even through cloth, and the muscle was locked tight.

“Go with Sergio, Valentina,” he said quietly, his gaze on Flavio. The two seemed engaged in a silent battle of wills.

“So you can kill my father? No, I won’t do that.”

“Now, Valentina.”

“No way, Luca. I’m not leaving. Please, put the gun away and let’s talk.”

“There is nothing to discuss. He caused you to crash and kidnapped you. Shot Roberto. Set fire to my home. For those reasons and many more he will die today.”

“The fire was small,” Flavio said with a hand gesture. “And I shot this man in a place I knew would not cause lasting harm. It’s nothing.”

Was my father for real right now? Justifying arson and shooting a man in the leg was not helpful. Luca’s right eye began twitching, so I hurried to say, “I’m fine, though. You don’t need to kill anyonetoday.”

His head turned slowly and Luca met my eyes for the first time since he’d arrived. I could see remnants of panic there, the worry he’d been carrying, the anger over what my father had done. I put my hand on his cheek. “I’m okay. Really. And you can’t hurt him.” He stared at me, unmoving. I wasn’t sure if he was breathing. The coldness in his dark irises sent a shiver through me. “Luca, please.”

Slowly, muscle by muscle, he relaxed. The gun lowered to his side and I could see some of the man I knew—the one who cuddled with me, who laughed with me—resurface. “Thank you, baby,” I whispered.

“You are only delaying the inevitable, fiore mio.”

We would see about that.

I grabbed Luca’s free hand and shifted to face my father. “Are we done here? Because I need to go check on Roberto.”

My father’s glance dipped to where Luca and I held hands and his upper lip curled into a sneer. “Have you asked him, figlia? Have you asked him about what I told you?”

“About your crazy ramblings in the alley? No, I haven’t. And we’re leaving.”

“Ask him!” My father’s voice rose. “Ask him why he came to New York. Ask him why he’s so focused on you.”

I felt Luca’s body jolt next to mine, but I ignored it. “You’re talking about conspiracy theories, Flavio. Save it for trolling scientists on social media, okay?”

“He knows it,” my father said, indicating Luca. “Look at his face. The guilt is written all over it. You think he cares for you, maybe even loves you, but he’s here for me and you are collateral damage, Valentina.”

The words, coming from a man whose love I’d craved all these years, hurt more than I expected. “Because no one could really want me for me, right?”

“No!” Flavio shot to his feet, his weathered face twisting with impatience. “Per favore, figlia. I’m not letting you leave until you ask the questions. Because ignorance hurts you most of all.”

Suddenly, it dawned on me that Luca hadn’t said anything. His silence was weird, considering the man had an opinion on every situation. Why wasn’t he telling Flavio to shut up? Or denying the claims as untrue?

“Fine.” Dropping Luca’s hand, I angled toward him. “Why New York? Why me? Was it only about my father?”

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