Dreadnought (Nemesis #1)(68)

Elle quickly pulled away from her then, going right up to Lucca’s face and shoving him right in the chest as hard as she could.

What the—

“I told you that you couldn’t have her!” Elle pushed him harder this time. Lucca didn’t budge.

“What the fuck!” Nero yelled, running to get her away from him.

Lucca held his hand up, stopping him again.

“I told you that if you hurt her, I will kill you!” Elle hit his unresponsive chest again.

Chloe’s mouth dropped to the floor.

Lucca stood there, taking the hits. “I promise you that if I do, I’ll let you.”

Elle, who was mid-hit, stopped, shocked by the answer. “Really?”

Lucca nodded. “Yes.”

What Chloe saw next shocked her even more while it also warmed her heart.

Elle wrapped her arms around Lucca, hugging him. “Thank you for saving her.”

“You’re welcome, Elle.” He accepted her hug, patting her on the back.

Aw … Chloe felt herself getting emotional again.

“I still don’t like you.” Elle composed herself, going back to pushing him. “You’re not good enough for her. She deserves a nice boy. I know why you’re so secretive at your place. All you do is fuc—”

Lucca reached out, grabbing her and covering her mouth with his hand. “Okay, you can fucking get her away from me now,” he growled at Nero.

Nero, completely stunned, hurriedly went for Elle.

“W-What did she just say?” Chloe bit her lip.

Elle managed to get her mouth free when they transferred her. “Women. Probably hundr—”

Nero slammed his hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, Lucca. I’ll get her under contr—OW!” He jerked his hand from her mouth when she bit him.

“No, you will not. I’m still mad at you for knowing she was with Lucca this whole time!”

Chloe could see by Lucca’s face he hadn’t even known Nero had known.

He then pulled Chloe to the door opposite of Nero and Elle’s and started unlocking it.

“Is this your place? Where she said you fu …?” She couldn’t even think clearly.

“Yep! He answered the door, covered in sweat, with no shirt on. Me and Lake think he has a sex dunge—”

“Shut her the fuck up before I do it my-fucking-self!” Lucca yelled over his shoulder while trying to hurry up and unlock all his bolts.

“I’m trying, but she’s fucking slippery!” Nero tried to push a fighting Elle back into his place.

“I-I-Is all that true?” Chloe started wringing her hands. A sex dungeon?

“She’s just assuming, darlin’,” he assured her as he started pushing her quickly inside, along with her things. “When she needs to look at who she’s with.”

“Fuck it.” Nero quit worrying about Elle’s mouth and just picked her up over his shoulder.

“Don’t let him call you that. He calls every girl darlin’. You got to nip it in the bud like I did with Nero when he called me bab—”

Both doors slammed at the same time.

She wasn’t even able to look up at him, not knowing what to think.

Lucca’s ferocity simmered out at seeing Chloe’s nerves, and he gently took her hand in his. “Come with me.”

Following him, she looked around the space, noticing it was laid out just like Nero’s, but mirrored. The styles, however, were completely different. Lucca’s had earth tones of dark wood and greens, just like in his room at the house. It was modern, but not too modern. More traditional than the other penthouses she had seen. It was cozy, warm, and perfect, reminding her of the outdoors that perfectly sat in downtown Kansas City.

With it being a corner penthouse, it had floor-to-ceiling windows on two of the walls, really giving juxtaposition on the outdoors and the city.

A slight pain reached her heart, thinking about what Elle had said. It was hard to imagine Lucca in here with many women.

Pulling her close, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. “I’m not going to pretend I’m a virgin, when we both know I’m not.”

“I-I know.” She pressed her face into his chest, not wanting him to see the hurt on her face.

She knew he was far from a virgin, but it had stung to hear how he brought many other women here when this was her first time coming here. Admittedly, it hurt to even think about Lucca with a woman.

He leaned his head down, nestling into her neck. “But I can promise you, you’re the first and last woman I have or ever will bring here.”

Moving her head, she wanted to look into his eyes, almost not believing it.

“I’ve had this place for a long time now. I don’t like letting anyone in here because it’s my own personal space and a place for me to think. The only one to come in here, other than me, is Sal on occasion.”

Chloe smiled, pressing her face back into his chest. For once in her life, she felt important. She took it as an honor for a man like Lucca to trust her in a space so special to him.

“Now, is there anything else that upset you?” he asked teasingly, bending down to bite her earlobe.

Biting her lip, she didn’t know how to come out and say it, but … “I-I like it when you call me darlin’, but …”