LUCA
Having Veda's parents safely ensconced in my home was... interesting. Even in the horrendous condition they were in, I could see almost immediately where the sisters had gotten their different personalities. Nicole, from the way Veda had described her, must have been the spitting image of her bitch of a mother.
The father, on the other hand, was a little harder to read. However, he'd just been beaten to within an inch of his life trying to protect his wife, so I had to respect him somewhat for that. Being attacked in the middle of the night wasn't a normal thing for him, and he'd done the best he could to protect the two of them. It also made me see where Veda had gotten her inner strength and integrity from.
As soon as Enzo got back on the phone with Veda, he'd told her to stay where she was until she heard back from him. Tristan rushed to the hospital under my orders. With a little "persuasion," he'd managed to get her mother released sooner than her doctor would've liked, as she was in much worse condition than her father, who'd already been released, but remained by his wife's side.
My brother, expecting me to be at my father's meeting, only had one man watching for Veda, and he was easily surprised and disposed of. And now I knew why he wasn't at the meeting to determine his future. Then I had her parents brought here to the lake house. Security had been doubled, and no one was allowed to come or go from the property without reporting to me.
Now, in my office with Enzo and Tristan, I half wondered if I'd lost my fucking mind by bringing her parents here. Or if it was the most sane idea I'd had since I'd met her.
"Call Veda and tell her her parents are safe," I told Enzo. "And that she has my word they will remain that way as long as they are here. If she wants to see them, she'll have to come to me."
"What are you doing, Luca?" Tristan asked.
I purposefully avoided what I knew he was truly asking. "I don't think my brother has a hard-on for her parents. He did it to get her attention. Or mine. And as far as we all know, he's not aware she hasn't been here with me, so having them in my safekeeping will make sense to him. And will piss him off." It gave me pleasure to think of Mario as frustrated as I felt at the moment. "And it will also bring Veda back to me. To us," I corrected.
"So, you're using her family to get to her." His voice was hard.
My eyes shot to his and his eyebrows rose in silent question. "Yes," I told him honestly, then turned away. I didn't need another lecture right now. "Enzo."
With a nod, he pulled out his cell to do as I'd ordered, putting the call on speaker.
I walked over to the window behind my desk, trying to ignore the way my stomach jumped when I heard her voice on the line. She sounded so scared. I wanted nothing more than to hold her against me and soothe those fears.
Enzo related the news to her that her parents were safe and in my house. She did not sound happy about this good news.
"Put Luca on the phone."
I held out my hand to take the phone and took it off of speaker, before holding it up to my ear. She didn't even give me a chance to say hello.
"What are you doing?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" I mused aloud.
"Goddammit, Luca. What are you doing with my parents?"
"They are safe," I told her.
"In your house? No. No, they are not. Give them back to me, Luca!"
"You called us," I reminded her. "What did you think I was going to do?"
She cursed again, and I heard her friend asking her what was going on. Veda told her, "He took my parents."
"Veda, you're being ridiculous. Your family is safe. I did what you wanted. I don't understand why you're so upset with me."
Her voice rose. "Why I'm upset? You weren't supposed to kidnap my parents, Luca! Just protect them!"
"I am protecting them, amore. Don't you see? Mario wants you distracted, so you'll mess up and he'll be able to get to you. The safest thing for all of you is to be here. I can keep you all safe."
"That's not going to happen," she told me. "Have Enzo meet me somewhere. I can take them with me back to the hospital." "No," I growled.
"Oh, goddamnit, Luca, I'm not playing this game with you."
"I assure you, amore, this is no game. Your parents, and your mother in particular, are in no condition to leave. My physician is on his way."
I looked over to Enzo and Tristan and pointed my chin at the door. They stood up from their chairs and left me alone in the office, closing the door behind them.
"Luca?"
"Come back to me," I told her. "Tell me where you are and I will come get you. Most of your stuff is still here and I'll buy you whatever else you need."
There was only silence on her end.
"Veda..."
"I can't do that," she said quietly.
"I miss you," I admitted. "And you belong here. With me."
"Maybe you should've thought of that before you kicked me out of your house and told me to leave town."
I thought about my words carefully. "I was angry. I thought you had betrayed me."
She hesitated only for a moment before she asked, "And what do you think now?"
The lie was on the tip of my tongue. But in the end, I went with the truth. "I don't know what to think. And I don't care. I just want you here, where you belong."
She was silent again for a long time. And when she finally spoke, I could hear the tears in her voice. "And that's exactly why I can't come back."
I heard her friend talking to her in the background. She didn't appear to be a fan of mine. I needed to get her alone, where no one else was in her head but me. "Veda, please. I can send Enzo to get you, if you'd prefer, and we can talk."
"I just want to see my parents," she said. "That's all."
"I will bring you here to see them. If you promise me, you'll talk to me afterwards." I wasn't a complete bastard.
"No, I can't do that."
"Can't, or won't?"
"Do not underestimate me, Luca," she said, and there was a tone of fortitude in her voice I hadn't heard before. "You got super comfortable with me the last few weeks I was there. I know you're only about a mile from the marina. And I know what direction. I could find your house. Quite easily, I think."
"You'll never make it inside unless I tell my men to let you in," I insisted. "Also, my brother had a man at the hospital. He's watching for you, Veda. If you come here, you could bring him straight to me, putting all of us in danger. Including your parents."
"No one is following us."
I heard her giving directions to Sammy. "VE-DA, do not be stupid. You will bring him right to my door."
"That's not my problem," she told me. "Maybe you should've thought about that before you stole my family from me."
"Goddammit! I did not fucking steal them!"
She was silent for a long moment, then softly said, "Liar."
"Despite what you may think of me, I'm not a complete monster. I brought your parents here so they would be safe."
"You brought them there to lure me to your house," she said. "I'm not stupid, Luca." There was a long silence. "I'm almost at the marina," she said. "I will find you, and you better not have hurt one hair on either of their heads."
"Veda, wait for Enzo. He's on his way. Let him make sure you're safe." I walked over to the office door and opened it. "If not for my sake, then for your own. For your parents."
"Since when do you care about my safety? Really?" was all she said.
And then she hung up the phone.
"Fucking hell." I tossed Enzo's phone back to him. "Get to the marina. Cut her off before she can lead my fucking brother here. Make sure she wasn't followed. Get Veda and bring her here. I can't have her wandering around the area, trying to find me with my brother on her tail. Take the keys to the boat and bring her in that way. Send her friend home."
"Do you want me to go with him?" Tristan asked.
"No," I told him. "But take another vehicle and take care of anyone who might be tailing her without her knowledge. Make sure her friend is safe, then come back here. Enzo can handle Veda on his own."
The question was, could I?