Page 8 of Depths of Obsession
“But you’re going to help me, right?” De Carlo asks, his voice rising in desperation.
My patience evaporates. “Why the fuck would I help you?” I snap.
De Carlo’s eyes narrow and he gives me a sly smile. “Because if you don’t, I’ll tell Gazzago that Pippa stabbed Edoardo and that she was in on the whole thing from the beginning.”
Rage surges through me. I reach out and grab De Carlo by the throat, lifting him up onto his toes. “Die asshole,” I say as I squeeze his throat.
“Luca, wait. As much as I hate to say it, we need him alive,” Pippa says softly. Her voice is strained, worry clear in her eyes. “We have to help him. If we don’t, Gazzago will demand my family pay the price for his cousin’s death—and the missing necklace.”
I stare at her, my chest tight with frustration. She’s right, of course. Gazzago won’t let this slide. He’ll demand a price, and I have a sickening feeling it might be her. The way he looked at her when he left made my skin crawl. The thought that he might actually touch Pippa makes me want to kill him in the most painful way possible.
I drop De Carlo to the floor. A headache pounds at my temples, and a sense of dread coils in my gut. Why do I have the feeling I’m going to have to find this damn necklace in order to save Pippa? Keeping her safe is my top priority, but even with my status in the magick realm, I know nothing good is going to come from this. I can feel it in my bones.
CHAPTER 3
Istorm toward the front of the gallery, my mind spinning as I try to hold it together. It won’t do to fall apart in front of Luca Valdici. Better to lean into my anger than let fear and terror win. This day has been fucking unbelievable. I started it thinking I had the world by the tail, only to realize I’m being played. I honestly thought Marcello had hired me for my knowledge, for my talent. Finding out he only brought me on because of my ties to the mob? That’s a blow my ego did not need.
“Pippa,” Marcello calls after me, his voice grating on my frayed nerves. “You need to?—”
Blood boiling, I whirl around. “I don’t fuckingneedto do anything. What Iwantis to watch you die a slow, agonizing death, so stay the fuck away from me.” The words spill out like venom, and I don’t regret a single one.
His mouth hangs open, shocked, but then he sputters, “You have to help me. You just said so yourself.”
“I have to help find the Heart. I don’t have to do shit for you, or the gallery, or anything else. You’re on your fucking own. If you even think about coming near me, I’ll rip your balls off.” I spin back around and march to the front, grabbing my things with shaking hands before slamming the door behind me.
“Get into my car,” Luca’s deep voice cuts through the cool night air as he joins me on the sidewalk.
I hadn’t even realized he’d followed me. “I’m fine,” I snap, trying to shake off the burning anger still coursing through me. “I’m too pissed off. I need to walk it off.”
Luca’s gaze locks with mine, those dark green eyes pinning me in place. His voice is low, but firm, sending a ripple of electricity across my skin. “Get in the fucking car, Pippa. It’s after midnight. You’re not walking around Milano alone with your arms full of shit. Especially with blood all over your—” he gestures to my chest.
I want to argue. I want to tell him to fuck right off, to shove his overprotective bullshit. But damn it, he’s right. I’d attract all the wrong kinds of attention. “Fine,” I spit, the word bitter on my tongue. He opens the door to his car—a sleek, black Porsche 911, with a backseat not made for human beings.
I scowl, holding up my stuff. “Where am I supposed to put this?”
Without a word, Luca takes it from me, walks around to the front of the car, and pops the hood like it’s no big deal. He tosses my things inside. I mutter curses under my breath as I slide into the passenger seat, slamming the door behind me. The space feels too small, too suffocating, and I’m hyper-aware of how large Luca is beside me.
“Put on your seatbelt,” he orders as the car roars to life.
I sigh. “It’s fine. We’re just going a few blocks.”
Ignoring me, Luca reaches across my body, his arm brushing my chest, sending a shock wave of heat straight through me. My nipples harden beneath my soiled blouse, replacing my anger with something altogether different.
With a click, he locks the seatbelt into place.
“Stop treating me like a child,” I snarl, glaring at him. Having him this close is throwing off my equilibrium. I’m struggling to keep my emotions in check, and while anger is subsiding, desire is sliding into its place. I’m losing the battle to remain calm.
“Stop acting like one,” he retorts, pulling away from the curb with a surge of speed that pushes me back into the seat.
Okay, maybe I do need the damn seatbelt. My stomach twists as we weave through traffic, Luca’s driving is as reckless as his personality. The growl of the Porsche’s engine reverberates through me, mixing with the sharp citrus scent of him, filling the small space with tension. My pulse races, the confined space making me all too aware of his proximity, the brush of his arm, the heat of his body.
Now I’m not just pissed—I’m horny.Fantastic. I’m completely screwed up. Sure, I’ve always stayed away from Luca, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t aware of him. I’ve felt him in every cell of my body at one time or another but so far, I’ve been able to shut the unwelcome attraction down. He’s dangerous as hell and I don’t need any more mob shit in my life.
I squirm, my leg pressing against the door as I mentally stomp on an imaginary brake when he takes a corner too fast. “Where the hell are we?” I demand, staring out the window, completely disoriented. Luca’s silence only fuels my frustration. He turns down a dark street, pulling up to what looks like a warehouse. The large garage door rolls up slowly, the lights flickering on, illuminating an empty, cavernous space.
“What is this place?” Anxiety creeps in as I realize I’m alone with a dangerous man in a location I don’t recognize. I should be scared. Hell, any sane person would be. But all I feel is a rush of adrenaline, a pulsing need that I can’t quite explain. My emotions are all over the place and considering what happened tonight that’s probably normal. Or so I tell myself. The truth is I’m a hot mess.
Luca climbs out of the car, heading toward a freight elevator in the corner. I scramble to follow him, refusing to be left behind. He pulls open the heavy door, gesturing for me to step inside.
