Page 126 of Empire of Temptation

“I tried, but your phone is off.”

Which meant he’d tried calling. Not one to follow directions, this man.

I make the rules, Valentina.

Well, not anymore. Now I made the rules.

Spinning, I met his gaze over Maggie’s shoulder. “You have five minutes, Luca.”

“Alone.”

“No way. Maggie stays.”

A muscle jumped in his jaw. “You want her to overhear such a private conversation?”

“How about I stand over by the bar?” Facing me, Maggie pointed to where Adam was polishing glasses. “And I’ll set a timer.”

I nodded once. “Thanks, Mags.”

Before she walked away, she smiled sweetly at Luca. “If you hurt her any more, Benetti, I’m going to kick your balls into your throat.”

He didn’t respond, his expression unreadable as she left us. I returned my attention toward the windows, giving him my back, but I could see as he approached me. He strode to the opposite side of the small table and stood there, silent. The hickeys on his neck mocked me, mottled bruises left by an innocent girl who thought she’d found a good man.

Was it only yesterday when I thought I might be in love with him? God, I was a fool. He’d deceived me from the moment we met.

“Clock’s ticking,” I said and sipped more coffee. “Better hurry.”

He folded his hands on the table, his cufflinks tapping lightly on the wood. “If I wanted to kidnap you and take you to my country, it would’ve happened already. I changed my mind weeks ago.”

“How fortunate for me,” I drawled, the sarcasm thick.

“I know you are angry I lied to you, but?—”

“There is nobut, Luca. You were using me the entire time. If my father hadn’t been nearby, you would’ve kidnapped me and given me over to the Italian government like some pawn!”

“You’re wrong. I wasn’t going to use you. In fact, I was doing everything in my power to prevent it. I’ve been dragging my feet since the night we met, looking for other solutions.”

“Like what?”

“Like enlisting D’Agostino’s help to find my missing cousin.”

That business dinner in New York. “And did you find him?”

“No, not yet. But Valentina, I want to take you to Catanzaro, not for anything to do with Rossi or Palmieri. I want you to come for me. I want you to live with me and?—”

I let out an incredulous bark of laughter. “You’ve got to be joking! Now you’re trying to get me there by convincing me you care about me? Jesus, Luca. You are unbelievable.”

“I do care about you.” His voice was low and angry. “Have you not been paying attention? I would do anything for you, including risk my family, my empire. I should’ve returned by now, except I’ve been staying here. With you.”

I shoved aside any tenderness his words elicited inside me. This man was a liar, through and through. Calmly, I sipped more coffee. “Well, I’m not going with you to Italy, so . . . ” I lifted my shoulders in what I hoped was a casual shrug.

“Why not?”

“First, I don’t believe you aren’t still trying to use me as a bargaining chip. Second, I have a life here. A restaurant, friends. My mom’s house. You’re asking me to sign up for blood and crime in a country I’ve never visited.”

“I’m asking you to sign up for only me. I swear to protect you from the blood and crime.”

“This is a pointless discussion because I’m not going anywhere with you. I’ll never believe another word that comes out of your mouth.”

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