Chapter 15—Lukiyan

“You know why you’re here, don’t you?” Emilio states. I hold my breath, hoping like fuck I didn’t fuck myself over.

“I do.”

“Good.” He stares me down like a man who wants to kill.

I understand that thirst all too well. I feel it now as I stare back at him from across the table.

We’re in a different office. This one is at the Valencia, the second biggest hotel in his chain. It’s named after his first wife, Persephone’s mother.

The fundraiser has already begun. Just like I anticipated, he wanted to see me first. This wouldn’t have been Frankie’s doing. It’s Antonio’s.

“I’m just going to cut to the chase,” he adds, squaring his shoulders. “You’re only still here because you’re useful to me, and that’s why I’m keeping you. Do what you did yesterday again, and not only are you gone, but I will make sure you never work for anybody ever again. Understand?”

“I understand.” And I’m relieved, but I don’t feel any better.

I feel just as much of an asshole as I did when I rejected Persephone last night.

I wanted her so badly but I stopped myself from taking her, because of this.

I can’t lose myself the way I do when I’m with her and fuck things up to get Judas. Thinking with my dick is going to make me lose everything.

I know beating up Antonio crossed the line just as much as what I did with Persephone mere hours later.

It’s their custom for a man to own a woman and punish her as he sees fit once she’s signed over to him. I just couldn’t stand by and allow him to rape her.

Her pleas for him to stop reminded me of my birth mother’s. When her boyfriends used to batter her, they’d batter me, too, because I was always trying to help. I helped until she wouldn’t let me, and I guess that last time would have been my final moment, too. I’d be as dead now as she is.

“He was going to rape her,” I add, because I think he should know. “You asked me to take care of your daughter, but you signed her over to a man who would beat her. I don’t get it.”

His nostrils flare. “I am the leader here. You don’t get to take matters into your own hands with a man I’ve chosen to marry my daughter to. Don’t think I’m blind to the way you look at her. I know your intentions aren’t just to protect her.”

He’s not wrong, but he’s still a dick.

“I don’t think you’re blind, sir. But with every due respect, when you think of it, I was doing what you asked me to do.”

“Get out before I change my mind.”

I get up and make my way out of the office. I walk down the corridor and head out to the terrace, where I’m met with the cool air and the salty scent of the sea.

We’re right by the docks. Rows of ships, big and small, line the marina, and their lights look like a nest of twinkling stars.

I don’t want to be here, and I’m sick of this waiting game.

My phone rings in my back pocket and I reach for it. That’s going to be Aleksei. Only he and Lucca have this number.

I already spoke to Lucca today, so I don’t expect another call until next week.

When I see it’s Aleksei, my hopes rise that he might have news for me.

“Hey.” I press the phone to my ear.

“I found something in relation to what those guys could have been looking for. It’s not much, but I think it’s something we can work with.”

“What did you find?”

“First I tried to check out what was in the vault. It seems that something was moved earlier that day from the section you found the men in. The thing is classified though and only goes by a number in the system. So I checked with one of my street guys back in L.A. and he said there was a piece of tech the Camorra were creating to sell on the black market. He didn’t know specifically what it was, but he heard it was worth billions. That sounds like our thing.”

“It does. Those guys are all about new-age tech worth a fuck load of money, and anything that could get them ahead of the game.” I mull over what it could be. “Did he say anything else?”

“No. But at least we have something more definitive to look out for.”

“Yes.” That is something.

“Everything else okay on your end?”

“It’s as good as it can be.” I won’t tell him how I almost jeopardized this mission.

“Alright, catch you later.”

I put my phone back in my pocket when he hangs up.

Pulling in a deep breath, I will myself to focus. If only I could get the image of that disappointment I saw on Persephone’s face out of my head.

My mean-spirited taunts were the real me, but I didn’t mean it.

Everything else I said to her prior to that was completely outside my character.

I don’t talk about gods and goddesses, or spring time and life and shit.

I did it though, because I knew she appreciated it, and when she called me Hades, I almost believed I was him again. Until I realized the time for games is over.

Life is a deadly game, and that night we met was one of those curve balls the Universe throws at you that you can’t explain.

We were supposed to be two passing ships on an unforgettable night…

Nothing more.

I turn away and head back inside the function room. My shift’s about to start, and more people will be arriving.

I assume my post at the center of the second-floor balcony, where I can see everyone on the ground floor.

Across from me is Timothy, one of the other guards. He’s been the most talkative of everyone, but I think it’s because we’re close in age. He dips his head for a curt nod and I do the same.

Boredom sets in quickly, until I see Persephone walk in through the sliding glass doors.

Dressed in a long golden gown that wraps around her decadent body, Persephone Vittorio commands attention with her beauty and poise like the goddess she is.

As she graces the world with her presence, I’m reminded of the inadequate word I used to describe her yesterday. I called her beautiful, but it wasn’t enough.

Her hair is piled on top of her head in a sexy bun of curls clustered together, which carries off the look and accentuates her long, elegant neck.

There isn’t a man here who isn’t staring at her. From the corner of the room, Antonio strides across to her and takes her arm.

I want to chop that arm off just for touching her.

She’s not his. She’s not mine either, but I want her to be.

Watching her with him—the monster—feels like a punishment, even if she looks like she doesn’t want to be with him.

I hate it, and I hate that I have to tamp down my rage so I don’t give myself away and fuck myself over even more than I already have.

I continue to stare at her. She must feel the intensity of my gaze because she looks right up at me, and our eyes lock for a secret moment of passion before she looks away.

It feels like I’ve lost her for good.

Antonio holds on to her like he’s afraid someone might snatch her away, and she’s pressed up against him as if she’s a part of his clothing.

I’m forced to watch them together for a full two hours until the speeches are made and she moves over to the table with the canapes.

She talks to Raven for a while before a man walks up to her and all he does is nod.

It’s weird and piques my interest.

Then, while everyone is busy listening to the speeches, she backs out the door. I guess she’s going to the ladies’ room, but something pulls on my insides when half an hour passes and she doesn’t return.

I decide to go down and see what’s happening.

I check the ladies’ first and don’t find her. Then I look into several other rooms and still find no trace of her.

Panic sets in, and I decide to head down the fire escape because it’s the only other place to check.

Mentally, I kick myself for waiting so long to follow her. What if something happened to her? What if one of those men snuck in and took her?

There’s a fucking rat among us. What if he got to her?

Fuck. Fucking fuck.

What would I do if something happened to her?

I end up outside on the boardwalk, frantically looking around for her.

Following the path down to the pier, I continue my search. Then I catch a glimpse of long flowing hair illuminated by the moon on one of the cargo ships ahead of me.

That’s her.

It’s only because I have a good eye for details that I spot her and know it’s her, even though she’s now dressed in black.

She’s in the boarding entrance of the ship trying to blend in with the shadows as she speaks to one of the ship’s mates. A duffle bag is slung over her shoulders, and she doesn’t look like she’s in trouble.

It takes a nanosecond for me to realize what she’s doing, but I can’t believe she has the balls to do it.

She’s escaping. All of this was planned.

Persephone planned it.

She raises the hood on the cape she’s wearing and moves further into the ship.

When I can’t see her anymore, something pinches my heart and tells me to let her go.

Let her leave so she can’t marry that bastard. Better she belongs to no one than to him.

However, when I start running, I realize I can’t let her go.

I’m a selfish bastard who wants her, but the other reason I can’t allow her to leave is that she’ll be in danger out in the world just for being Emilio Vittorio’s daughter.

No matter where she’s going or what plans she has, danger will find her at some point in her life, and I can’t stand not being there to protect her.

Monsters like me creep around the corners lying in wait to devour.

Monsters like me take and take and take. We’re selfish that way because we weren’t born monsters.

We were made.

We know when to let go and when to keep holding on to something we want.

So I run with everything inside me before that ship sets sail.

I reach the ship and rush on deck with my gun held high, silencing anyone who dares to challenge me with one look.

She turns to see me, and shock registers on her pretty face.

Then she runs.