Dreadnought (Nemesis #1)(26)

Stunned, Chloe looked at her questioningly. “Are you going to tell Lucca?”

“No.” Her face held a definite possible lie.

Chloe pointed at the ceiling where possible cameras were. “Can Drago hear us?”

“No.” It was another possible lie.

Chloe looked at her, trying to decipher if it was the truth or not before she gave up. “If Lucca weren’t holding me against my will and would let me talk to Elle, then I … might not hate it. But it’s a strong might.”

“Do you like him?”

She did not just say that! “What!”

Blowing on her nails, Maria had no problem elaborating. “Do you, you know, like Lucca?”

“Are you seriously asking me if I like the crazy—and frightening, I might add—man holding me hostage?” Am I in la-la land? What the hell is going on?

Maria held up her hands. “Jeez, okay. I was just asking. Every girl falls in love with Lucca immediately, so I was just wondering if he got to you as well.”

Every girl falls in love with—Nope, don’t care.

Maria’s voice changed, turning almost ominous when she asked, “Are you sure you’re being held hostage?”

Is she crazy like him, too?

“What are you talking about, Maria? He won’t let me leave. Drago watches every move I make. What does that seem like to you?”

“Sorry, I just—Never mind. I’m sorry. You’re right.”

A weird feeling started coming over her, not understanding why Maria wasn’t the least bit concerned. It was like she was used to Lucca doing this, like it was normal behavior, like it was his job or something.

“Is Lucca the vice president of the casino hotel?” The words seemed to spill from her mouth.

Maria busted up with laughter. “That’s a funny way of putting it. Who told you that?”

Putting the brush into the bottle of nail polish, a cold chill began moving up her back. “Sal did.”

When Maria looked over at Chloe, she saw the serious look on her face. “Crap. He hasn’t told you yet.”

The chill spanned her whole body now. “T-Told me what?”

“You really need to ask Lucca about that.”

“That’s exactly what Sal told me,” she whispered.

Closing her bottle of nail polish, Maria put it back in the kit. “Uh, yeah, for a reason.”

Chloe shook her head. “No, I-I want you to tell me.”

Maria shook her head. “No way.”

“Please, you’re my friend, Maria.”

Staring at her, Maria seemed to be contemplating something before she stood up. “Come with me.”

What the …?

“Hurry up,” she told her, quickly going to the stairs and making her follow.

Running up the stairs after her, they went into the huge upstairs bathroom.

Closing the door behind her, Maria locked the bathroom door, making Chloe more chilled than she already was.

“You’ll want to sit for this.”

Taking a seat on the lip of the tub, Chloe felt like she was going to pass out.

“Why did we come in here?”

“The bathrooms don’t have any video or audio surveillance,” she said like it was no big deal.

“You said he couldn’t hear us!”

“Yeah, well, I lied.” Maria put her hands on her hips. “Now, do you want to know or not?”

No. She was now sure she didn’t by the way Maria was acting, but that was the exact reason she probably should know.

Holding her breath, she uttered the word she would soon regret … “Y-Yes.”





Twenty





The Calm Before the Storm





Closing the door behind him, Lucca pulled out his keys to lock his penthouse at the casino hotel when he heard the door opening behind him on the other side of the hall. He turned to see Nero, Elle, Vincent, Lake, Adalyn, and Amo leaving Nero’s penthouse.

Turning back toward the door and realizing he was a minute too early or late leaving, he slid the key into the lock, locking it.

“Hi, Lucca!” Adalyn slid out from behind the boys with a huge smile on her face.

Dammit. He was too tired for this and just wanted to get home.

Putting the next key into the top lock, he didn’t turn around as he said, “Hello.”

Lake was the next one to slide out from behind Vincent and Nero. “You’re making sure your house is awfully locked up for this to be a now guarded area.”

To keep out nosey, little shits li—

“How come I’ve never seen the inside of your place? Have you been in there, Nero?” Elle came out from behind the boys as well.

Finally, Lucca turned around, leaning up against his door and crossing his arms. He looked at Nero, hoping he would lie.

Elle, Lake, and Adalyn turned their heads eagerly toward Nero.

Vincent looked at him in speculation as well.

Then Amo turned, too.

Nero looked at Lucca in pity. “No.”

I’m gonna fucking kill you. His younger brother did not, in fact, lie for him.

“That’s pretty weir—”

Vincent grabbed Lake to shush her.