Page 14 of Deadly Vows

“Obedience,” I whisper.

His smile widens, and he presses a kiss on my cheek. “Good girl.”

My hands are shaking as Luca leads me into the warehouse. There are men on either side of the doors, awaiting our arrival. They watch us silently as we approach, continuing to follow Luca into the dark. Upon our entrance, the lights flicker on to reveal an empty hangar. There are no windows in this particular hangar, so the cemented walls and floor feel suffocating as we approach the chairs in the center of the room. I also notice a cylindrical hole in the ground a few more feet away. My grip on Luca tightens as we reach the chairs, and to my shock, he rubs my hand comfortingly.

He then guides me to one of the chairs.

“Sit,” he says, releasing me from his grip. I eye the men behind him before looking back at him in fear. But he isn’t one to ask more than once as he glares at me, expecting his command to be followed. Once I’m seated, Luca kneels in front of me. He doesn’t speak, his arms on either side of my own. His eyes remain on mine, the intensity making me tremble as he smooths his hands down my arms until he has both hands by my side near the legs of the chair.

Click.

My heart stops. He cuffed me. I’m cuffed to the chair. Luca doesn’t bat an eye as he watches my distress. I quickly begin to panic, pulling on the cuffs. The deafening echo of metal against metal covers the room as I frantically pull at them.

“Luca, what—”

“Shh, Elise.” He accompanies his words with a soft kiss on my cheek. He then walks away from me, pulling a gun from the holster beneath his suit jacket.

“Bring him in.” His voice sends a chill down my spine as all the compassion has been replaced with an authority that I fear. I look up as another door opens, and Luca’s men drag in my father. My eyes widen as I take in his bloodied form. His face is swollen, and blood drips from his lips as he stumbles in, his hands cuffed in front of him.

A panicked squeak leaves my lips. “Papa?”

My tiny voice carries across the chamber, and my father lifts his head. No emotion enters his eyes as he takes me in. But when he is dropped in front of Luca, rage appears. He attempts to stand, but the men roughly shove him back to his knees, holding him firm as Luca looks down on him, ready to pass judgment.

“What are you doing?” I scream.

Luca continues to watch my father, ignoring me. He looks angry, his entire body tense. He finally turns to face me, no emotion on his face as he approaches, pulling a blade from his holster.

“Did your father tell you the reason for our marriage?” he asks.

I shift my attention from Luca to my father. But he won’t look at me. His eyes are glued to the ground, his brow furrowed in anger.

“Don’t look at him, look at me,” Luca snaps.

“He said that it would be good for our family... it would help establish us and our future.” I’m barely able to force the words from my lips under Luca’s murderous glare.

Surprisingly, he laughs.

“That sounds like him, doesn’t it? Always trying to establish himself where he doesn’t belong. But he didn’t tell you that you weren’t meant to be part of your family’s future, did he? Hedidn’t relay that you were nothing but a stepping stone to get what he wanted,” he says.

Luca’s eyes lower, and he grips my hand, plunging the tip of his knife into the soft skin of my forearm. I scream, trying to pull from his grip, but I can’t, not with my arms bound like this. Luca twists the blade, earning a wail from my lips, and all the while, my father never once speaks up to get him to stop.

When Luca finally pulls his knife from my flesh, a small chip comes with it. My eyes are filled with tears as I study the chip. I’ve never seen it in my life. Panic washes over me, and I look at my father, but he still won’t look at me. Luca, however, is in a mood to explain everything.

“You were being used, Elise. And not in the way that you think. You remember James, right?” he asks.

My heart sputters as he brings up the man I tried to save with my simple song. Luca picks up on my expression, laughing.

“Yes, the man you tried to save. I only realized after the fact that it wasn’t because you knew him, but because you are undoubtedly a kind person. I doubt you would try to save the man if you knew he was there to kill me.” Nausea washes over me but Luca continues. “Your father had you implanted with a tracker to locate my family. He attempted to have us killed, and according to his man, you as well. Wouldn’t want a widow standing in the way of absolute power.” Luca watches my father as he speaks.

“That’s not true,” I whimper with tears in my eyes.

Luca looks at me, his irritation evaporating as he takes me in this pathetic state. The pity lasts only a second, replaced with anger as he looks at my father.

“Tell her,” he snaps.

Instead of complying, my father spits at Luca’s feet. Same as James did, and just like with James, it sets Luca off. He approaches my father, his eyes lighting up in a rage as he beginsto kick him repeatedly in the face. My father is too weak and battered to fight back.

“Luca! Luca stop! Please!” I scream.

---