"I don’t know. Does it matter? Stop trying to change the subject. Why is he dressing me like this, and what does it have to do with Dante?"
“You’re right, I’m sorry.”
“Just, please help me understand what’s going on.”
“Evi,” Luci starts, his hands stopping to rest on either side of my waist, “Dante doesn’t react well to overtly sexual situations, particularly not when his father is involved.”
“Does anyone,” I snort.
Luci ignores my snide remark as he continues, “I believe that Valentine is dressing you like this, because he intends to use you to get a rise out of Dante."
"So?"
"So, if he can get Dante to overreact on neutral territory, it'll open up grounds for Valentine to enact certain measures to takeover."
"You can't be serious."
Luci turns me around to face him, his eyes once again showing a flicker of pain as he searches my face.
"I'm afraid I’m being perfectly serious."
"What do you expect me to do about it?"
"Don't allow Dante to react. Keep him in check, whatever it takes."
I scowl up at Luci.
"And how the hell am I supposed to controlanythingDante does?"
"You might be surprised by how much of a hold you already have on him."
Luci says this in such a matter-of-fact way that it takes me off-guard, especially after what Valentine seemed to let slip the first day I arrived here.
"What do you mean by that?"
Luci blinks, his brow furrowing as he takes a step back, shaking his head.
"Nothing, only that Dante doesn't wish to do anything that could end up getting you killed, but Valentine knows how to push him to his limits. You are the only thing standing between them right now. The only thing keeping Valentine at bay."
This hardens my heart against him again, and I press my lips together firmly.
"You know, maybe that wouldn't be the case if you hadn't betrayed us," I say, my voice low and biting. "If you hadn't sided with Valentine, maybe—"
"Enough," Luci says, cutting me off. "You have no idea what you're talking about."
"Maybe I would if you'd explainanythingto me!"
"You wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
He watches me for a moment, his face softening as something wars within his eyes, and for a second, I almost think he's actually going to tell me more.
"I-I can't."
My heart drops like a heavy weight.
"Is it because of her," I suddenly blurt out, as he turns away from me to walk across the room. "Is it because of Anna?"