Page 19 of Inevitable

He nods at the floor before he meets my eyes. “Of course. I want you to be comfortable while you are here.”

I don’t know how to respond to that, so I just don’t.

“Can I…” He trails off for a moment before he runs his fingers through his hair and sighs. His eyes lock onto mine, vulnerability shining in his. “I would like to show you something, please.”

The curiosity he piques gets the best of me and I slowly nod. He places his hand on my lower back to walk me out of the room. Through my thin pajamas I feel the heat of his touch searing into my skin. The familiarity that lies in his touch is enough to leave me dizzy and out of focus. We walk in silence as he leads us winding through the house. I have never been to this part of the house before. I have only ever really been in the dining room and the kitchen.

We finally make our way to a door that looks to be leading outside. He opens it for me and I step through, the brisk air wrapping around me causing a shiver to wrack through my body. He notices instantly and peels off his suit jacket, draping it over my shoulders. It smells like him. The cologne is different from what he once wore but the underlying smell of him is still there. It brings me a comfort I never thought I would feel again.

I look up at him and give a small smile in appreciation and to my shock he graces me with the start of one as well and then offers his arm. I reluctantly tuck my hand through his arm as he starts walking me through the grass.

“Where are we going?” I ask looking around and not seeing anything but grass and the dark forest in front of us.

Dread seeps in for a moment. Was this all an act to let my guard down and now he is going to kill me for all the disrespect I showed him? Isn’t that what the Mafia does? My steps start to slow as the nerves begin to build. He stops and looks at me with brows furrowed. He must see the fear in my face because a look of sadness passes across his.

“I would never hurt you Ashlynn,” he whispers, brushing a piece of hair away from my face.

My breath hitches at the contact and my heart thunders in my chest. I see a tenderness in his eyes and nod my head before breathing again. He accepts that and we start walking again.

After a moment I see where we are heading and I stop moving, frozen in place. My hands cover my mouth and tears well in my eyes as Luca studies me. There, on the far side of the yard is an exact replica of the pond that use to be our spot every night at my home. The rockery surrounding it is identical and even the small waterfall looks the same.

I look up to him bleary eyed, asking a million questions with one look. He gives me a sad smile before turning to look at it and sitting down in the grass. It’s an odd sight to see a grown man in, what is most likely a couple thousand-dollar suit, sitting on the ground like this. I slowly sit down next to him as we watch the water stream. After a few moments he speaks.

“I had this built as soon as I became the head of the family. It made me feel closer to you, even if I couldn’t have you.”

He seems to be contemplating something, biting the inside of his cheek. I can’t hold my questions in any longer though.

“How did all of this happen? How did you become…this?” I gesture to him, waving my hand around. He sighs heavily and remains quiet for a moment.

“It all started that night. We didn’t have anywhere to go…except here. This was my Uncle Stefano’s home, my father’s brother. They had not spoken in years. My father did not want this life for us, so we separated from the family when we moved to America and made our own lives. But when we were kicked out, we were left without options and my father swallowed his pride and asked Stefano for help.

“He graciously welcomed us to stay, as long as we became a part of the family. My father was initiated into the upper ranks as Stefano’s Underboss, an honor really to be his second in command. I began as a soldier, my mother helped out around the house, mainly in the kitchen. Over the first couple of years, I had moved up fairly quickly and we were all decently happy. There is an ugliness to this world, but we had each other.” He stops and swallows deeply before continuing.

“There was an accident one day. My mother, father and uncle were all out to dinner. I was supposed to be with them, but I got pulled away for a last-minute issue. Their car was ran off of the road, no one survived.”

His voice lowered with each word until it was barely a whisper. Fresh tears spring to my eyes and I reach over and squeeze his hand. He looks surprised for a moment before he softens and squeezes back, not letting go of my hand.

“I had no idea,” I say. “I-I wish I would have known. They were like parents to me too.”

He nods his agreement. “That was the day I realized that loving anyone while living this life would only end in tragedy. That’s why I never came for you Ashlynn. My plan was to move up in the ranks and make enough money to be able to take care of you, of us. I was going to show up at your father’s and whisk you away just like we had always dreamed. I almost had enough when my parents died. I realized the danger it would put you in, bringing you with me. I couldn’t do that to you, I still refuse to.”

All of the information comes rushing at me at once and I am completely overwhelmed. He didn’t forget about me. He was thinking of me just like I thought of him. But he says that isn’t the plan anymore. I hate to admit that my already fractured heart splinters a little at that confession.

“Then why am I here? If you don’t want me then why take me?” I ask meekly.

“I didn’t say I don’t want you,” he says under his breath. When he looks up at me his eyes become hard and distant as he continues. “I knew I couldn’t bring you into this life Ashlynn, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t look out for you. I always kept an eye on you. I was there when you graduated high school, college too. I was in the crowd at your mother’s funeral. I wanted nothing more than to take away your pain that day and all the days that followed where I saw the light that use to emanate from you slowly burn out once she was gone. I was even there the other night when you were cornered in that alley by your work. I have done my best to keep my distance without leaving you unprotected.”

My eyes widen at his words. It all clicks in to place. I had felt for years like I had eyes on me, but I always dismissed it. When Mike attacked me in the alley it wasn’t the first time I slipped away from a bad situation. I started to believe I had a guardian angel watching over me. Looks like I really did.

“A little over a year ago, I received some information that your father had been meeting with his lawyer several times drawing up papers, papers about you.”

He stops as if to let me think about his words. But my mind comes up blank, racing trying to understand what he is getting at. I nod my head for him to continue.

“He had papers drawn up for you to be married off to Zachary Jenkins. In exchange for you the Jenkins were required to provide a lump sum to your father. It seems that he has had his hands in some less than savory activities and has lost a great deal of his money. To keep this hidden he has been looking for ways to supplement his losses.”

My face goes pale and my eyes wide. Zachary Jenkins was the first guy my father had actively pushed me to date. I couldn’t stand him, but my father insisted I continue to see him. He was from some well-off family down south, but he was a total ass and it ended after a few months. Luca continues speaking and it shakes me out of my thoughts.

“I was told that just before they were getting together to sign the papers a scandal had come out and the Jenkins were being investigated for embezzlement. Then a few months ago similar papers were drawn up for Andrew Baxter. The night I took you was the night they were going to have you sign them. You were supposed to come back from dinner and then they would have forced you to marry that piece of shit.”

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