I don't like Marcus!
Aria's POV
I spat out the contents in my mouth, standing up rapidly. "What?!"
The mug in my hands shook.
Bodyguard?
As in, an actual fucking bodyguard?!
Luca made Marcus... My Marcus, his evil witch's bodyguard?!
Viola who had her hands crossed on her chest, frowned. She actually looked as though she had no idea what was going on.
Then she turned to look at Marcus... Fully taking him in from top to bottom.
My blood boiled. I freaking saw red.
How dare she stare at him like that?!
But she wasn't at fault. The problem here, was Luca.
I turned to the bastard who looked as nonchalant and unaffected as ever. As though he hadn't just announced jaw-dropping news.
"Bodyguard?" I repeated, clenching my teeth. "You made him her bodyguard?" I yelled. My chest rose up and down furiously in anger.
Luca let out a small sigh, and he gestured with his hands. "Follow me," I heard him mutter before walking away from the dining.
Fuck... I was fuming.
I turned to Viola.
Her confused expression had changed into one of curiosity. She raised a brow at me, a smile threatening you form on her lips.
'Just you wait.' I glared daggers at her... If only I could bury her with a look.
Then I turned to Marcus.
He refused to raise his head and just stood still as though he were a statue
I caused this to him.
Because of me he was stuck working... Protecting the evil witch of the Nile.
He couldn't even defend himself from her because of her status as Luca's fiancée.
No.
I couldn't let this stand.
I had to do something.
With a huge intake of breath, I gave Marcus one last look before heading in the same direction Luca took.
It didn't take long to find him.
He was outside, in the garden by the swings, playing with his lighter.
He flipped the stupid thing open, stared at the flames, and did it again.
He kept repeating the same actions over and over again until I revealed myself.
But from my knowledge of Luca... I could bet he already knew I was there.
"What is this?" My tone gave my emotions away. I wanted to keep a straight face... But my voice outrightly betrayed me. "You said you weren't going to hurt him."
Slowly, Luca turned to face me, shutting his lighter again.
As though the heavens wanted to mock me, it sent down a cool breeze which brushed his hair sideways as he turned making the usually gorgeous man breathtaking.
Thankfully, my anger overrode all my other senses so I didn't care.
He had his signature smirk on his face... Seeing it only got me angrier.
His eyes met mine, and his smile grew wider. The man gently shoved his hand into his pockets and sighed before speaking. "Does he look any more in pain than the last time you saw him? I kept my word Dove,"
Again with that stupid endearment.
A snicker escaped my nostrils. "He may not be in any physical pain, but this... What you did is way worse!"
If I were the one in Marcus's shoes, I would have preferred death.
Really!
Never, ever, ever in my crazy life would I work for that witch; my limit was being nice to her. Thankfully, I hadn't gone that low yet.
Luca released a low throaty chuckle. "What's better? Seeing him breathing and living, or seeing not being able to see him at all?" His words were low... Almost a whisper, each went into my ears and registered in my brain.
The hold I had on my boldness was beginning to slip.
His words sounded like a threat.
It probably was. Or maybe it wasn't.
His words sounded as though they were a warning to me. A warning to shut the fuck up before I made matters worse for Marcus.
Knowing Luca, it was possible.
I took a step back. "He's alive, no doubt. But is she living?"
Luca probably saw it as an opportunity to taunt me even more, so he took it. He advanced towards me, his smirk slowly fading. "Why?" He began. "Why are you so angry? Isn't this what you wanted? Isn't he alive? "
Alive? Barely.
I kept a hold of my lips, but the words slipped. "You made him work for your fucking fiancée!" I yelled, my voice cracked towards the end.
Luca replied almost instantly. "He's still my employee I can do whatever I want to him."
Yeah... 'Cause and death are in your hands. The almighty mafia lord Luca Morretti.
I gritted my teeth, glaring daggers at him.
Again... If only looks could kill.
I took another step back.
This matter was escalating far more than I had expected it to.
But then again... What did I expect?
Did I think that he was going to change his decision just because he said he liked me? Or even better... Ask me what I wanted him to do so he would do it for me?
This was all just nonsense wishes.
Luca wasn't a man fooled by feelings... And even if his cold heart had developed feelings for me, they weren't strong enough for such thinking to come true.
I bared my teeth.
I couldn't make matters worse for Marcus. It was my fault that it got this bad.
I turned, ready to accept defeat and walk away when Luca suddenly spoke. "What I don't understand is why you're so painful." His voice... The tone contained emotions.
One emotion I could recognize because of how much I had experienced it... Jealousy.
Luca stepped closer, his face stern. "Is it because you like him?"
My feet froze.
What?
L...like Marcus?
Like that?
I couldn't answer. Why? I didn't know the answer. Because I didn't say anything, it only got Luca more suspicious... Ot rather, angry.
He moved closer again... So much so that we were now barely a foot apart from each other. Ever so slowly, he repeated his question emphasizing each and every word. "Do you like him?"
My heart banged.
My body trembled.
Did I like him?
If I didn't... Why was I so worried about him? Was it only because he was my friend? Or had I somehow developed other feelings?
No.
It couldn't be.
I wasn't sure of my answer, but I could bet that a 'yes' or an 'I don't know' wasn't the answer Luca wanted to hear at the moment.
"No." I denied despite the drumming feeling in my heart. "W...why would I like him? I only see him as a friend."
"Good." Luca leaned towards me. "Because until I'm gone, the only person you are permitted to like... Is me."
My ears heard wrongly.
The probably failed... Because, "What?"
My eyes went round... My poor frail heart skipped a beat.
Did he just... No.
"You heard me." Luca didn't bother to deny. "You know all my secrets now, so there is no use hiding anything from you."
Secrets what secrets?
Yeah.
My new plan was to use them against him until my investigation of his brother's death was over, but I didn't expect it to be like this.
This was too freaking fast.
I shook both my hands and my head. "You were drunk, Luca," I said quickly with a small nod. "I won't hold anything you said against you."
I won't... I fucking won't.
At least not to your face.
Luca, as the most difficult and impossible person to understand, snickered. "I remember everything. I meant each and every word. The sooner you come to terms with it the better."
This dude is crazy!
"Y... You have a fucking fiancée!" I reasoned. I was shooting myself in the foot, reminding him of that fact, but I just couldn't help it.
I turned to leave.
He should at least feel guilty and think about his life just a little bit, right?
"And do you think that gives you the right to like Marcus?! "
What?
How did he come to that derivation?
I turned instinctively and yelled. "I don't like Marcus!"