Page 65 of Ruthless King
“Yeah, I got it, man.”
I slowly release my hold on his throat, and Tony lowers the gun from his head.
As I turn away, he mumbles under his breath, “That pretty little thing must be putting out a lot more for you than she ever did for me.”
I whirl around and slam my fist into his throat. He staggers back, choking and spluttering. Feng and the other guy move in, but Tony’s gun makes a hasty reappearance and the cowards back off.
“Enough,” Jianjun calls out. “Signor Valentino, you’ve made your point. Now leave or I will have you removed from my property.”
I finally turn around to face the old man. “I appreciate your understanding, Jianjun. I believe I’ve already made it abundantly clear to your son, but I have a feeling he’s a bit hard of hearing, so I’ll repeat it to you.” I stalk closer until I can make out the wiry gray hairs in the leader of the Triad’s long beard. “Stella Esposito McKenzie is mine. Anyone talks about her or looks at her the wrong way, I will take it as an act of war. Are we clear?” I punctuate each of my final words with venom.
He offers me a tight smile. “Crystal.”
“Perfetto.” I march out of the alley with Tony at my heels, my heart a little lighter.
CHAPTER30
THE WORST DAY
Stella
I stare at the calendar on the wall, at the fourteen exes glaring back at me. I slash another line across today, the somber black ink matching my mood. How is it possible that I’ve changed so much in such a short period of time? Instead of counting down the days to my freedom, each X brings me closer to the expiration date of whatever this thing is between Luca and me.
The mercurial mob boss hasn’t touched me since that day at the pond. Not even when he’d dragged me to yet another fancy ball. No dancing, nothing.Dio,I’m dying. He’s like a drug, and I’m a helpless addict. The connection I feel to this man runs bone deep, and it’s absolutely insane. How can I be falling for a man I barely know? A man who keeps me prisoner in his home. A place in which I feel more at home than any of the shitholes we lived in after Mom.
From the bits of information I’d gathered while eavesdropping, Luca’s lawyer had managed to remove all evidence of Bo’s public beatdown. A part of me is pissed. I wanted thatbastardo’s humiliation live for all to see. He is a coward. Any man who takes advantage of a woman is, in my opinion. What the hell had I seen in that asshole?
Oh, right, he’d given me attention and his possessiveness at the time had made me feel needed, wanted. Not to mention Dad would’ve hated the idea. Extra bonus. The power Bo held gave him an aura I’d found attractive, a tiny sliver of the one Luca Valentino possessed.
With Luca, I felt invincible.
Although lately, it was more like invisible. I tried to convince myself it was only his all-consuming work, but a prickle of dread told me it was something more. He’d started opening up, breaking his precious rules for me, and now he was backpedaling. Did he regret all of it?
A sigh parts my lips, and I replace the black sharpie on the nightstand and force myself out of my bedroom. I walk through the quiet corridor, admiring the beautiful art. Final exams are in three short weeks, and if I could only manage to study, I could prepare for my escape when this is over. Only now, the idea of leaving New York carves up my insides.
“Good morning, Miss Stella.” Magda offers me a smile as I emerge from the hallway.
“Please don’t call meMiss, Magda.” I slump into the bar stool and lean on the marble countertop. My cappuccino awaits, the frothy milk shaped into a heart. The woman is a life saver. How she manages to time the perfect delivery of my coffee when I don’t even know when I’ll wake up blows my mind.
“Right, sorry, Stella.” She blushes and hands me a plateful of cannoli.
Two more weeks of this and I’ll be rolling out of Luca’s penthouse. I stuff the delicious cream filled pastry into my mouth as I mentally curse myself. There’s a home gym tucked away past Luca’s bedroom, but I haven’t worked up the desire to use it. Thoughts of the gym remind me of Caroline and Luca’s membership atLa Palestra. With his bullet wound nearly healed, he’s slowly resumed his workout routine.
Does he see the leggy blonde when he escapes the penthouse for his pre-dawn workout? A wave of jealousy crashes over me at the thought of his hands on her. Which is insane for multiple reasons… first and foremost, we’re not together. And secondly, the part I hold on to with every fiber of my being, she made it clear they’d already fucked and per Luca’s rules, it was one and done.
But what if he changed his mind?
He’d kissed me… also, against the rules. What if he decided to mess around with her again?
“Are you okay, M—Stella?” I glance up to find Magda’s curious gaze heavy on me. She wears a reusable grocery bag on each shoulder as she regards me. “I have to run some errands, but I can go later if you want to talk?”
I shake my head. I’ve already relied on the girl enough. I’m sure she’s tired of hearing me pine about her boss. “No, it’s fine. I’m fine. Go ahead, Magda.”
“Can I get you anything fromDean & Deluca?”
A good slap in the face. “Nope, I’m good, thanks.”
She nods and hikes the bags further up her shoulders. “I’ll be back soon. Alberto is downstairs if you need anything.”
