Something that I should not have mentioned to Lucas Valentino.
“What are you going to do?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he replied. “I merely wanted to know more about you.”
I allowed myself to meet his gaze. His expression was contemplative at best. Did he have a life as fucked up as mine and my brother did?
I felt like he did. The way he had shut down when I asked about his past told me more than what I needed to know.
He probably wasn’t the type of guy that craved something other than the Mafia life. A life that I desperately wanted to escape from. A life that I was still hopelessly stuck in.
Tears threatened and I tried to blink them away.
I wouldn’t cry in front of him. I wouldn’t let him see a shred of weakness.
“Tell me what’s going on in that pretty head of yours,” Lucas said suddenly, breaking through my thoughts.
I looked up, clearing my throat. “What?”
“That look,” he responded, his fingers drumming on the table. “I can practically hear you think.”
I let out a mirthless laugh. “I doubt that very much.”
He didn’t smile as he leaned forward. “What were you thinking about, Leda?”
No, you don’t get to fucking ask.“Do you sleep well at night?” I asked suddenly. “With everything you have done in your lifetime?”
Lucas widened his eyes, caught off balance by my sudden pivot. “What?”
“You see,” I began. “My brother was caught up in the middle of being a Mafia Don, like you. He did some horrible things, but the entire time he had a righteous goal in his mind. So I want to know
“Do you sleep well at night, Lucas? Because from where I’m sitting, you have no righteous goal. You’re a black-hearted bastard who likes hurting people.”
A hint of a smile crossed his lips, and there was an unreadable hardness behind it. I was rapidly starting to recognize what he would hide behind. Despite what Ishouldhave felt for him because of what he did to me, a piece of my heart was also softening.
Lucas leaned forward, eyes hard in the candlelight. “I sleep very well, Leda. Even better now that you’re here.”
I rolled my eyes and his smile vanished. “Liar.”
“Choose your words carefully, Leda.” He said slowly, his expression darkening. “Or else I may punish you.”
“Go ahead,” I challenged him. There was a boldness growing inside of me. I mean, what did I have to lose? “You won’t gain anything by it.”
His mouth worked, and I saw a vein throbbing at his temple. Here was my chance.
“So, you want to know what’s going on in this pretty head of mine? I’ll tell you: I think that you’re hiding something from me. Something that you’re afraid of admitting.
“Because like it or not.” I continued. “You forget who my father is in your weird desire to punish him through me. I’ve seen what he’s capable of. And one of the first things he ever taught me was toknowwhen someone was hiding something.”
“In other words: you, Lucas Valentino.” Leaning forward, I pursed my lips. This was going to be either my salvation or my demise. Either way, I couldn’t go wrong. “Youare what’s going on in this pretty head of mine.”
Chapter 31
Lucas
“Youare what’s going on in this pretty head of mine.”
I stared at Leda, every nerve ending in my body pulled tight. She had surprised me tonight, not being the scared rabbit I had expected once I released her from her cage.