Page 33 of The Holy Ghost
“He calledthis meeting as a reminder ofwho’s in charge,” Luca continued. “Gio wanted to downplayFrancesca’s importance by calling Phoenix away on, by rights, whatis a couple’s most important night together.”
“I don’t givea fuck if he is your father, Luca,” I told him. “If he comesafter-”
Luca’s eyesflashed before he cut me off.“Don’t ever suggest that I would let someone-anyone-hurt Francesca, Phoenix,” he growled. “That girl ismy fucking life. I’d kill my father myself before I’d let him touchone hair on her head.”
Growing up,Luca and Frankie had a bond that would make most men insecure, but I never fell into thatcategory. I recognized their bond around the same age that Irealized she meant something more to me than anyone else in mylife. At the time, I hadn’t known it was love, I just knew shemattered in a way that no one else had. Whatever Frankie and Lucahad between them, it wasn’t a bond I needed to be jealous of.Frankie somehow kept Luca human, a fact both Ciro and I were fullyaware of.
“She’s mywife, Luca,” I replied, needlessly. “She might beCiro’s heart and your soul,but she’s my fuckingeverything. If Gio seesher as a threat to his crown, that’s a concern.”
I could seeLuca’s shoulders relax. He knew I wasn’tchallenging him, and I knew he wasn’t challenging me.We were just doing what we always did when it came to Frankie; wewere protecting her.
Ciro stood upfrom the couch. “Does he seeher as a threat?”
Before Lucacould answer, his phone rang. He pulledit from his pocket and his eyes shot my way beforehis brows furrowed. “It’s Francesca,” he told us.
Ciro chuckled. “She mustbe pissed at Nix for being gone so long. She’s trying to salvageher pride by calling you to see where the fuck he’s at.”
Lucarolled his eyes, and it always threwme when he did that. It made him look young and Luca’s never beenyoung, even when he was. He swiped his finger and held the phone upto his ear. “Francesca.” Not even a second later, his entire bodystilled, and my heart dropped to my feet.
Lucahas never reacted to Francesca’svoice like that.
Iwatched,the blood in my veinsfrozen, as Luca placed the phone on the desk and hit the speakerfunction. The voice that filled the room didn’t belong toFrankie.
“Did you hearme?”
Luca’s jawticked, but his voice sounded smooth as bourbon. “I do believe Imissedthat,” he replied.“I’ll need you to repeat yourself.”
The man’svoice was full of contempt. “Of course, you missed it,” the man sneered. “Because peoplelike you don’t have to listen to anyone, do they?”
“I assure you,I listen to people all the time,” Luca countered smoothly. “It’s what makes me good at what Ido.”
“Well, thenlisten well,” the man snapped. “If you want your precious Frankieback in one piece, you’ll giveme what I want.”
For the firsttime in years, I felt rage unlike anything I’ve everexperienced.
Ialso felt fear.
Luca’s eyesstayed on mine. I knew he was silently willing me to keep my shittogether. “Are you sure you have the right number, first of all?”
“I reallydon’t care which one of you assholes I’m talking to,” he replied.“ButFrankie’s contact listhas one P, two C, and three L. I might not be the head of the greatBenetti Family, but it’s not hard to deduce that P is for Phoenix,C is for Ciro, and L is for Luca. The only thing I don’t know iswho put those diamonds on her finger. But I do know I’m talking toLuca Benetti.”
The motherfuckerreally had Frankie.
I placed thosegoddamn rings on her finger just this morning. No one outside the Benettis could possibly knowabout them unless they knew who Frankie was, and they’d seen hersince this morning. I wanted to believe she was in our bed where Ileft her, but I also wasn’t one to live in denial.
Luca didn’toffer upany confirminginformation. He simply asked, “What is it you want?”
“I want tenmillion dollars,” he answered.“Ten million with no bullshit, and you get her backunharmed.”
Ten millionwasn’t shit. I had accumulated more than ten million in the pastsixyears with all thehigh-profile hits I’ve done. And I knew Ciro had just about as muchmoney as I had. I didn’t even pretend to know what Luca was worth,but ten million between the three of us wasn’t shit.
But this wasn’tabout money.
Someone daredtotouch Frankie, and hewasn’t going to live long enough to spend a penny of the tenmillion he was demanding.
“Tenmillion,” Luca repeated. “Andyou think she’s worth ten million dollars to me? To us?”
The man’svoicesuddenly soundeddoubtful. His confidence wavering. “Be…because she’s…she’s CiroMancini’s sister,” he stuttered. “She’s…she’sChurch.”
