Luca leans forward on the balls of his feet. "Fuck you," he snarls.
"Not me. Her. And you’d better do it well, because the intensity of your performance decides how soon I’m going to let the two of you go free."
5
Luca
"He’s joking, right?" Her voice reaches me from where she’s been curled up on the bed for the past half an hour.
I stare through the skylight through which the sunlight pours into the room. It had been late evening when we’d walked into that house and tracked down the family we'd been searching for. Was that yesterday? It had to be. Surely, I couldn’t have lost more than a day? It’s hard to tell, though. But for the fact that I’m extremely hungry and feel like I’ve missed a few meals, I’d have no idea how much time has passed. My stomach grumbles and the sound seems too loud in the room.
"They’ll bring us food before the sun goes down. At least, that’s what they’ve done for the last two days. It doesn't taste too bad and it’s freshly cooked, so they must have someone in the house.”
I don’t acknowledge her words.
After that announcement, Freddie backed out of the room and shut the door behind him. Of course, I wasn’t able to stop myself from stalking to the door and testing it. It was locked; no surprise there. I turned to find her staring at me. Her amber eyes were huge in her face, her hair mussed up and falling about her shoulders. She seemed angry and confused, and I half expected her to throw a fit or have a breakdown. Instead, she marched toward the bed, threw herself down on it, then turned to face the wall. I walked over to the wall opposite the bed, then slid down to the floor. Which is where I stayed, until she asked me if Freddie had been joking.
"Afraid not," I finally admit.
"Eh?" She blinks rapidly.
"The answer to your earlier question." I jerk my chin in her direction. "He wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of getting you and me here if all this were a farce. He’s planned it out too well." I knock my knuckles against the wall. "This place is soundproof; so is the floor." I dig the heel of my shoe into the wood floor. "The place is temperature controlled. And then, of course, there’s the camera."
She sits up and folds her legs underneath her. "Who is he? Why is he doing this?"
"As you must have gathered, he was my father’s partner. And clearly, he’s upset with what he perceives as my father’s betrayal. My asshole of a father, who caused nothing but grief for me and my brothers." I balance my elbow on my knee and lean forward. "For whatever sick reason, he’s determined to make me pay for what my father did to him."
"Why me, though? Why is he putting me through this?"
"Apparently, he needed a woman to fit the bill." I raise a shoulder. "You can’t expect a sociopath to make sense. I suspect you were in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"So, that’s it? I was unlucky? Is that it?" She firms her lips.
"Seems that way."
"And when you said you perform better when you’re watched, what did you mean by that?"
I tilt my head. "Exactly what he said. I like to fuck in front of a crowd."
Color smears her cheeks. "So that’s… That’s your kink?"
"Why, I do believe that’s the first time you’ve pronounced that word out loud."
She tips up her chin. "Don’t be silly; I say it all the time." She glances away, then back at me.
"No, you don’t." I smirk. "You have no idea what I’m talking about."
"Sure, I do. You like to have sex when you’re being observed."
"And also, when I’m not," I drawl. "In fact, in your case, I’d happily fuck you either way."
"Oh, F off." She folds her arms across her chest. "I am not going to sleep with you, just so you’re aware."
Isn’t she cute? She can’t even say the word ‘fuck.’ I struggle not to smirk. "Don’t think you have much of a choice, considering..." I jerk my chin in the direction of the cameras. "He’s watching."
"That’s precisely why I can’t." She scowls. "I amnotsleeping with you, period."
"Is that a challenge?"