"Don’t tell me you haven’t guessed, considering..." Freddie jerks his chin in the direction of the camera in the ceiling.
"You’re a fucking voyeur, youfiglio di puttana,"Luca growls.
"So are you." Freddie laughs.
Luca freezes. Anger seems to roll off his body in waves. The tension in the room ratchets up. My nerve endings are so stretched, I’m sure I’m going to faint any second.
"The fuck you talking about?" Luca asks in a voice so normal, I know it’s not good. No, no, no. He’s going to do something that he and I are both going to regret. He’s going to lose his temper… and get himself shot, after which, that asshole, Freddie, is going to shoot me, or something worse.
I sidle toward Luca, hiding behind his bulk as much as possible.
"I’m talking about the fact that you like to fuck your women while being watched by an audience."
Luca raises a shoulder. "So? I’ve never denied that. My life is an open secret. But her? She doesn’t have anything to do with it. You should let her go."
"Hmm, you might have a point there." Freddie tilts his head.
I hold my breath. Is he going to let me go? Is he?
"But you know what? Nah. Where would the fun in that be? Not after the lengths I’ve gone to get the both of you here to a place so secluded, no one will hear you, no matter how much noise you make."
Fear knots my stomach. What is this mad man up to? What is he going to make us do?
"As for your phone... I know you had a tracker in it. It’s been used to divert your brothers in another direction entirely, while we brought you here."
"You moved me from the house where you found me?" Luca says in a hard voice. There’s a dangerous edge to his tone that makes me wince. He has his fingers curled so tightly, his knuckles are white. So, does this mean they took him from another place and brought him here? My head spins, trying to make all of the connections.
"Exactly." Freddie nods his head. "The last thing you probably remember is us finding you in the house where you tracked my men."
"I fought you off," Luca says hotly. "You motherfuckers drugged me."
"Just a whiff of chloroform. Admittedly, you put up a good fight. You did take down one of my men; managed to wound another. But four to one is too many, even for a man your size. You were out like a light; and then we brought you here."
"Why don’t you fight me face-to-face, youstronzo, and then we’ll see who wins." Luca takes a step forward. He throws up his fists, and Freddie raises his gun. That’s when I close the distance to Luca and grab his arm.
"Don’t," I whisper-scream. "If you antagonize him, he’s going to shoot you."
Luca growls deep in his chest. The sound is so rough, so abrasive, that a hot sensation swirls in my underbelly. My pussy clenches, my thighs quiver, and moisture beads the space between my legs. Damn, we’re fighting for our lives, and all I can think of is how I want to throw myself at this guy, wrap myself around him, press my nose into his skin, and draw his scent into my lungs. I press my face into his back, and the hardness of his muscles is a shock to my system. What am I doing? I step back, putting space between us, but my touch must have distracted him enough that he lowers his arms to his sides.
He draws in a breath and seems to get control of his emotions. "What do you want from us?" he asks in a voice laced with steel. "And cut the crap, Freddie. Just tell me what that warped mind of yours has dreamed up."
Freddie chuckles. To my relief, he lowers his gun.
Some of the tension drains from my body. I step up next to Luca. "Yes, tell me why you brought me here. Also, whatever it is had better not take too long. I need to be back at Palermo for the premier showing of my musical in two days. I really can’t afford to miss it."
"Afraid it’s not that simple, because firstly, we’re no longer in Italy."
"What? We’re no longer in Italy! Then where are we?"
He shakes his head. "Can’t go revealing that to you now, can I? Suffice to say, we’re far enough from the mainland that you’ll have a tough time getting back. Secondly, it’s clear I chose well because the chemistry between the two of you should help the proceedings."
"Proceedings? What proceedings? You, motherfucker, better come clean or else..." Luca’s voice trails away as Freddie once again glances at the camera, then at us.
A shiver rolls up my back and stiffens the hair on my nape. Luca must realize what the bastard is suggesting at the same time that I do, for his entire body tenses.
"No fucking way," he snaps.
"Oh, yes." Freddie laughs delightedly. "You’re both performers.” He directs his gaze at Luca. “Being in front of a camera fuels your kink. All I’ve done is provide the perfect setting for you to enact your favorite acts."