Luca turned and raised an eyebrow.
“I mean, your plan worked. We can go back to normal.”
“Right.”
Then he just stood, his face giving away nothing.
Irritated, I snapped, “What?”
“I’m trying to figure out what the hell I’m supposed to do now.”
“Okay?”
Luca shoved his hands in his hoodie pocket and went over to the window that had a fantastic view of the parking lot. “I mean, now he’s gone. He won’t be there to push his agenda. He won’t be there to handle the shit I don’t want to. It’s all me now.” The fabric pulled taught around his fists. “I’m in deeper than I ever thought was possible.”
I stayed silent.Lucawas right. I had nothing to offer him. Over the course of an evening, he went from being the transitional leader of the most powerful crime family in the Midwest to the leader. All because we couldn’t let go.
“I hoped that dating Zoe and eventually marrying her would calm things down enough to take the heat off me, but now even that’s fucked.”
My forehead scrunched, and as I tried to ask what he meant, there was a knock at the door. Ashley flew into the room, not even glancing Luca’s way. “Sasha! What the hell!”
A tall, tuxedoed angry man followed in her concerned wake. “Yeah, what happened to not leaving my side?” Malcolm’s eyes did clock Luca by the window, and the two men stared each other down.
“I’m sorry, you guys. I just—” I looked at Luca for help, but he was too busy glaring at Malcolm.
“We’ll talk about it later,”Ashmumbled, finally noticing my brooding ex.
“I think you should go.” Malcolm’s voice was cold and menacing.
“Wait a second—,” I tried to shout.
Malcolm raised a hand in my direction, cutting me off. “You’ve caused enough trouble for Sasha. Go back to your girlfriend.”
Luca’s jaw ticked, but he didn’t respond to Malcolm. Instead, he walked over to the bed and bent down to my level. “I’m sorry, Sasha.” He placed a gentle kiss on my busted lips, mindful not to put too much pressure. Too bad I wanted more. I would take every miserable moment of pain if he would really kiss me. “I love you. Feel better.”
Standing to his full height, he nodded at Ashley, then stalked out of the room, knocking into Malcolm’s shoulder on the way out. Malcolm huffed out a laugh and came to sit by Ashley. “What happened, Sasha? One minute you’re in the bathroom, the next I can’t find you, and I’m getting a call from Ashley that you’d been in an accident with Mr. Moretti.” He arched an eyebrow, his lips flattening into a severe line.
I grabbed Ashley’s hand for support. “I got a text from Luca asking me to meet him in his room. After watching him all night, I wanted to see him, even if it was a stupid fucking idea.” I looked around Malcolm to make sure the door was closed. “When I got to the room, it wasn’t Luca.”
“What do you mean it wasn’t Luca?” Ashley practically growled out.
“It was his dad, and things got ugly.” I blew out a breath to keep from crying. “Long story short, Luca helped me, and we had to come up with a plausible story for the cops. Case closed.”
“Not case closed. Case mother fucking open, Sash.” Ashley shot out of her seat like she was about to run after Luca. “Thatman’sgot you lying to the cops? Hell no!”
Malcolm grabbed the pint-sized warrior and sat her on his lap. His arms acted as a cage. “Calm down. Sasha’s safe now.”
“For now. What happens when he tries to get her back?”
The two of them were so wrapped up in each other and talking about me like I wasn’t there.
“That shouldn’t be a problem.” The sound of my voice startled Ashley out of the trance Malcolm put her in. “He’s with Zoe Chronis now. He’s going to marry her.”
Ashley frowned, shaking her head. “Well, now I’m really confused.”
“You and me both.”
I spent the night chatting with my mom and Ashley, who got to stayaftersaying she was my sister and my mom vouching for her. Weirdest fucking sleepover I’d had in a while.