Page 16 of Sinful Mafia Prince

“And you think I’m knife happy.”

“You are. That’s why I knew you’d appreciate it.” Dom glanced back to Luca, who was trying not to lose what little contents were in his stomach. “We’ve got to go.”

While Luca appreciated that, he was still trying to wrap his head around something. “You cut a man’searoff?”

“What can I say? I didn’t want them to hear where we were going. Now come on, unless you’ve changed your mind?”

Luca heart hammered as he thought about his next move. Was he really about to entrust his fate to a man who had just chopped a part of someone’s body off? But before he could decide one way or another, Dom’s hand wrapped around his elbow and he was shoved forward.

“Move it or work out a good fucking reason you’re down here with a dead body, because we’re about to have company.”

“A dead—”

“Not now, Luca.”

“But—

“Uh, guys?” Chef looked up to the window they’d just climbed out of. “Can we maybe have this discussion when we’re back in the car?”

Luca whirled around, looked up to see shadows moving around inside his latest prison cell, and quickly fought back the instinct to tell Chef and Dom he wasn’t going anywhere until they explained.

What other option did he have? Apparently there was a dead body out here somewhere, and if he was caught by the Fiores, God only knew what they’d think.

I mean, why else would the heir to the Rossetti family come and save me? Because that’s what Dom just did, right? Saved me?They’d think I was in on it. That I wanted to go with him. Then what would happen to me?

He didn’t need anyone to tell him the answer to that. Constantino would have him killed for sure. Father or not.

Chef took off toward the enormous gardens that backed onto a dense wooded area, and Luca’s head began to pound.

Do I stay or do I go?

If he stayed, maybe he could explain to Constantino—

“I’m done with this statue routine.” Dom released his grip, the bite of his fingers leaving a sting in their wake. “You want to die, that’s on you. Just remember that this time it was your choice.”

He jogged into the gardens without a backward glance, and as he disappeared, panic set in and he shivered.

How was it that he was actually more scared to be outside alone right now, with the chance of freedom at his fingertips, than he was seconds ago in Chef and Dom’s company? It was ridiculous. But as the fear of being caught by the Fiores or being lost in the woods set in, he took off in the direction Dom had just gone and ran for his life.

Luca had no idea where he was going, but the bright spotlights were helpful in making sure he didn’t trip over anything and fall flat on his face. He took off around the patio furniture, spotted a magazine and nothing else out of the corner of his eye, then headed down the perimeter of hedges lining one side of the yard. He didn’t consider himself an athletic person, but when he heard a voice call out from the house, “He’s over by the left side of the garden!” Luca’s legs kicked it up a notch.

The adrenaline pumping through his veins had his feet pounding into the ground beneath them. The night air had made the grass wet and a little slick, and the whole time he booked it down the fence line, all Luca could think wasDon’t slip and fall, don’t slip and fall.

He wasn’t sure how far he ran—it felt like a million miles—but just as he was about to reach the back fence, a hand whipped out from behind the hedges and pulled him almost clear off his feet.

Luca gasped, his air already in short supply, as he stumbled back into a hard wall of muscle. His entire body might’ve hated him in that moment—his arms from the climb out the window and his legs from his hundred-mile dash—but he was ready to put up a fight against whoever had just caught him.

Without giving it a second thought, Luca rammed an elbow backward then stomped down on a foot. His captor cursed and let him go, and Luca whirled around, ready to kick him in the nuts.

“Fucking hell, kid.” Dom rubbed at his ribs. “Where’d that come from?”

Luca couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw a glimmer of respect in Dom’s dark eyes even as they glared at him.

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe having to fight for my life every five minutes.”

Dom’s lips quirked. “I’m glad to see your brain finally kicked in.”

“My brain— You’re delusional, you know that?” Luca’s breath finally slowed a little, but he could hear the footfalls of people behind them getting closer. “What are you doing here? Why did you stop?”

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