Mafia overlord? "Have you been watching movies with Elle aga-Never mind. Just get in the fucking car. You don't know shit."
A perfect eyebrow rose. "Tell me, Lucca; is having her all to yourself everything you ever dreamed of?"
His voice went dark. "Get in the fucking car."
"I guess Amo doesn't stand a chance now with Chl-"
Placing a cold hand over her mouth, he shushed her. "Tell me, Maria; is today the day you want to die?"
Eighteen
Sure to Make Any Girl Succumb to Him Then and There
Chloe was sitting at the kitchen island, eating her toast with orange juice and wondering why Lucca wasn't already up. He had always been well past awake by this time, and he had told her they were going to finish the gardening today.
When Drago entered the room, she expected Lucca to follow behind, but he didn't.
"He's not here. He left early this morning," Drago told her as he made himself a cup of coffee.
She looked at him, wondering why he had said that. "I-I didn't say anything."
"Maybe not, but you were looking for him."
Trying her best to swallow her dry toast, she clasped her hands together. "N-No, I wasn't."
Taking a drink of the dark liquid, he stared her down for a long, hard minute. "Are you sure about that?"
No.
The front door opening saved her from having to answer the embarrassing question.
Drago smiled, keeping his voice low for only her ears. "Looks like he's back just in time for you."
Turning, she saw Lucca come in with what appeared to be a blonde wo-
"Maria!"
Drago practically slammed down his coffee cup. "Oh, fuck no."
Maria came in, smiling from ear-to-ear like the beautiful goddess she was. "Hi, Chloe. Hi, Drago!"
"No, no, no. I can see where this is going, and I'm not having any part of it. I signed up to watch the one too scared of her own shadow, not the spawn of Satan."
Spawn of Satan? Looking over at Maria, who was dressed in a light rose-colored dress with nude pumps, she looked like a beautiful angel. Chloe always thought of her as one, too. She was the sweetest person in the world.
Maria looked like she was about to cry. "That hurt my feelings."
He laughed. "What feelin-"
"You are being rude," Chloe spoke without thinking, becoming angered by the man. "Maybe you need to go back to sleep, because you're not being very nice this morning."
Maria had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing as Drago's face fell.
Grinning, Lucca stepped forward to stand beside Chloe. "Was he being mean to you, darlin'?"
She thought about it for a long moment as she stared at a now pissed off Drago. He had been trying to push her buttons about Lucca just a few minutes ago, and she had half a mind to say yes. Or I'll fucking kill them. But … she figured she would spare his life. This time.
"No." She smiled at Drago, brave only because Lucca was a step away.
Taking his coffee, Drago started to leave the room. "I'll watch them from the security room, but if they burn the house down, don't expect me to save them."
Now that he was gone, Chloe's focus went to Maria. "I can't believe it; you're here." She had sometimes felt as if she no longer existed, but now that someone was here who was actually her friend, she felt alive again.
"Yep." Maria smiled happily down at her. "Give me a second; I'll be right back."
She watched Maria head toward the stairs then looked back at Lucca, not understanding. "But why?"
He gave her a smile unlike one she had seen before. It was like a smile Vincent would give her, except it was more deadly and sure to make any girl succumb to him then and there.
"I told you I would see what I could do for you."
She had to pull her eyes from his, afraid the smile would work on her. "Oh."
Like always, he picked up a strand of her hair. "I know we were supposed to take care of the garden today, but I thought you would enjoy being with Maria more."
Watching him twirl her black hair around his finger was almost mesmerizing.
"Does tomorrow sound okay instead?"
"Y-Yes." Looking away from the twirling was hard, but she finally managed to look back up at him. "Thank you, Lucca."
Another deadly smile made her heart skip a beat. "You're welcome, darlin'." They heard Maria start back down the steps, and Lucca started to twirl the strand slower, like he was savoring it. "I'll be back later tonight."
When is later tonight? Where is he going?
The thoughts that popped into her head scared her to her bones. Why did it matter? It shouldn't matter. It doesn't matter.
The footsteps were now closer, and right before they were too close, the black lock fell from his fingertips with a final twirl.
Maria walked in, now wearing pink shorts and a tank top, carrying movies. "Okay, now we're ready for a girls' day!"
Chloe's cheeks started to feel warm. If Maria had walked in a second earlier, she would have thought something was going on between Chloe and Lucca.
Maria started pushing Lucca out of the way while she sat the movies down. "Okay, bye now, Lucca. You can go."
His dark voice came out as a threat as he walked away. "Remember what I said, princess."
Her voice seemed to carry her own threat. "Don't worry; I'll play nice, overl-"
"Good-bye, darlin'. Have fun, because I won't be bringing her ass back."
"He's joking." Maria giggled as he slammed the front door behind him.
It didn't sound like he was joking.
Maria spread the chick flicks across the counter. "So, what do you want to watc-"
"How's Elle?" Chloe was unconcerned about the movies.
"She's good. Now, we have Dirty Dancing, Greas-"
"Just good? What about Amo?"
"Yep, both good. How about Twilight?"
She was crazily staring at her friend now. "Maria, you're going to tell them where I am, right? You're going to tell someone?"
Taking a long breath, she whispered, "I can't."
"W-Why? Lucca's forcing me here. I don't want to be here."
Maria was supposed to be her friend. She didn't understand.
"I … I just can't, Chloe. I'm sorry." Maria hadn't looked in her eyes until now. "Listen, is he hurting you?"
Chloe could tell by the look on Maria's face that she already knew the answer. Still, she solemnly shook her head.
"Are you being mistreated in any way?"
Again, Maria knew the answer before Chloe even shook her head.
Her voice sounded sure when she said, "It won't be forever. I promise you, Chloe. He will let you go."
Chloe wasn't so sure. I fear he won't ever let me go.
Maria took a seat beside her. "Elle misses you. A lot. They both do."
She wanted so badly to cry. She missed Elle so much … and Amo.
"Elle says college just isn't the same without you, but she likes it so much better than high school. She doesn't get picked on anymore, and even though she wants you there with her, she still enjoys it."
It was bittersweet to hear. She was so happy Elle was finally able to like school, but she was sad she couldn't experience it with her.
"Amo misses you, too, but he's doing good." She went silent for a second, then continued with a smile on her face, "He works a lot. He really loves his job!"
She laughed, wondering why everyone kept saying that.
"That's good. I'm glad." Turning serious again, she looked over at Maria, wanting her to know how much it meant to her that she could hear about how her friends were doing. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Chloe. Now"-she stood, smiling as she picked up a movie-"The Little Mermaid?"
Knowing that was Elle's favorite Disney movie, she smiled. "Sounds good."
Nineteen
The Word She Would Soon Regret
Chloe felt like a girl again as she spent the day with Maria. She was happier than she had ever been here and was so grateful that she had been granted the day with her. The only way her day would have been better was if Elle were here, too.
They were stuffing their faces with popcorn and watching too many chick flicks to count. By the time they moved on to Bring It On, it was getting pretty late.
Looking out the window at the pitch black, and then to the clock, she couldn't believe the time. He's usually off work by now. What is he doing?
She shook her head from the thought, wondering why she had even wondered it in the first place. You miss him …
Freezing in place, she didn't know where that thought had come from. It was like her voice, but it wasn't.
"What color do you like?" Maria asked, setting down her nail kit. When Chloe didn't answer, Maria gave her a worried glance. "Chloe?"
Trying her best to put her thoughts aside, she looked at the wide range of colors and saw the one she wanted hiding in the middle. "Black."
Maria gave her a scrutinizing look. "Do you wear any other color besides black?"
Looking down at her black leggings and oversized dark gray sweater, she gave her own scrutinizing look. "This is dark gray."
Maria rolled her eyes. "That is one shade away from black, and you know it."