Luca approached us, stopping only when I glared at him hard. "You should listen to your father," he told me. "Stay here where you're safe."
"Am I?" I asked him. "Safe?"
He didn't respond. But I hadn't really expected him to.
"Honey, I need to get back to your mother."
I wasn't going to win this battle. Not right now anyway. "Swear to me that my parents will come to no harm here with you."
"Why would I let any harm come to your parents?"
"Swear it, Luca."
"On my honor," he said without hesitation. "They will be safe here."
That would have to be enough. I couldn't get my parents out without help because my father was right; Mom was in no condition to be moved again. "Okay, Dad. Go ahead. I'll be back to check in on you guys again soon." I stared at Luca while I said this, daring him to deny me the right to come and go as I pleased.
But he just shoved his hands in his front pockets and watched us as I carefully hugged my dad and shut the bedroom door behind him. "Call me if you need anything," I told him. With one last warning look at Luca, I turned to leave.
"Veda."
"No." I kept walking. I couldn't talk to him right now.
"Veda, we need to talk."
"I have nothing to say to you." Jesus, I had to get out of here. Even just his voice had chills racing across my over-sensitized skin.
"Veda, you're not leaving here until you let me say what I have to say."
I spun around. "Okay, Luca. Fine. Let's talk. Where were you?"
His head cocked to the side, and his brows lowered in a frown. "I've been right here," he said carefully.
"No." I shook my head. "You said Mario's men would've had to kill you before you let them hurt me. So, where were you when I was the one being beaten and abused? Where were you when Mario woke me up by jizzing all over my face. Where were you when he held me down and...and..." I couldn't even finish the thought. "Where were you when I needed you to save me?" My voice clogged with tears before I could get it all out. I knew I was being irrational. But this shit that happened with my parents had my emotions riding the surface, raw and ugly. Emotions I'd thought I'd handled after Mario gave me back to Luca. Apparently, they'd just been suppressed.
He took a step toward me. Stopped. His bright blue eyes roamed over my face as he carefully chose his words. "I looked for you, amore. We looked everywhere. Did everything we could to find you."
That's what he'd told me. But suddenly, I was full of doubt. "Did you? Really?" How could I believe him after everything he'd done to me? I pointed my finger at the center of his chest. "And don't you dare fucking lie to me."
He caught my hand in his and used it to pull me closer to him. His other hand rose to hold my jaw between his fingers. His eyes searched mine and his scent—dark and clean—surrounded me, making me want to burrow into his arms. "I looked for you every fucking minute of every fucking day. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep." His brows lowered, and I could see the disbelief in his expression that I would even ask such a thing. "I went fucking insane, my vita, knowing he had you. Imagining what he was doing to you. Not knowing if you were alive or dead. My god, if he had hurt you—"
"He did hurt me."
His mouth snapped shut and his fingers tightened in my hair and on my face. "I got you back alive, amore. And your scars will heal over time."
"What if they don't?" I whispered.
"They will." He sounded so sure.
"Do you feel any remorse?" I asked him suddenly. I honestly wanted to know. "Any at all?"
There wasn't an ounce of hesitation with his answer. "For what my brother did to you and your parents, yes. Of course, I do. I'm not a heartless monster, Veda. No matter what you might think of me. But remorse for bringing you into my life?" His blue eyes darkened possessively. "No. I don't regret that. Not for one goddamned fucking second."