Lucca (Made Men #4)(54)
The second her fingertip touched the ring, she knew it wasn’t just an illusion, and her mouth opened to scream, but nothing came out.
I’m coming for you, little girl …
Lucca touched her shoulder, the worry back in his voice. “Darlin’?”
I’ve missed you.
When she continued staring at the ring, he turned her to face him. Then, holding both of her shoulders, he lightly shook her. “Chloe. Chloe!”
Staring at Lucca now, the devil’s voice disappeared and she began to unfreeze. Now she was trying desperately to get away from him, away from his touch. Trying her best to fight him.
“Stop it!” Lucca commanded. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Why do you have it!” she screamed. “Why do you have the ring?” Ghost tears tried to fall down her face as she struggled against him, not wanting to believe he could have had something to do with what had happened to her.
“I took it off the man who bro—”
“You’re lying!” she cried out, still without the tears, though they desperately wanted to be there. It explained how he knew everything about her.
Pulling her to him, he held her body with one arm while grabbing ahold of her face with his free hand, making her look into her eyes.
“Look at me.” His voice became melodic and strong. “No, I’m not. I would never lie to you.”
Closing her eyes, she let him hold her to him fully now as she pressed her face into his chest.
She didn’t have to see the truth; her heart could feel it, knowing he couldn’t have been involved. It was the scared little girl who had been living in her for almost four years now who had needed the reassurance. The scared little girl who had screamed for someone like Lucca to save her that night … only for no one to come. The scared little girl who now had her savior and was petrified to even think about losing him.
Thirty-Six
As He Took the Sight of the Other
Lucca dragged the body, taking him to the steel pipe that was in the back corner of the room.
“WWWhere a-am I?”
The fucker wasn’t dead, but he was fucking close to it.
The sound of metal chains echoed throughout the dark, cold concrete room.
“WWhat are yyou doing?” he cried, trying to lift his body unsuccessfully.
A loud snap followed by something locking in place silenced the room.
Staring down at the broken man who had passed out, Lucca gave a yank to the chain that locked his ankle to the pipe.
“OWWWW! Whhhat do you want from mee?” More tears fell from his eyes.
“Who were you looking for?”
“I ddon’t know.”
Another yank to the chain pulled at his shattered leg, making him wail in pain.
“Who were you looking for?”
“I ddon’t know!”
Lucca squatted next to the man, noticing a gold ring on his finger. Pulling out his knife, he grabbed the man’s hand then spread his fingers open before placing the blade right under his ring.
“Now—”
The man began repeating, “Please don’t.”
“—tell me who you were looking for in the penthouse.”
“I ccan’t tell yyou!”
Lucca sliced into his finger, cutting deeply.
“SSScars!” the man screamed, and Lucca immediately stopped, relieving the man from his pain. “The girl with the ssscars.”
Lucca stared down at him. “That so?”
“Yes.” He took a thankful breath.
“Unfortunately”—he sliced into his finger again—“you came after the one who’s mine.”
Now that he was sawing into the bone, the screams that filled the air only grew louder … until the man passed out cold.
Pulling the ring off the now chopped off finger, Lucca wiped at the blood, revealing the diamond’s surrounding the horseshoe …
Staring down at the horseshoe ring, Lucca put it back in his pocket to look at the frail, malnourished Italian man who no longer resembled himself. His hair and beard were matted and long; burns, scars, and bruises now riddled his body; and most of his teeth had been removed, along with all of the nails on his toes and nine fingers.
Lucca stalked toward the man chained up in the corner. “You lied to me. You said you weren’t there that night.”
Shaking his head, the man tried to scoot into the corner as much as he could. “No, no, no, Mr. Caruso, sir.”
“She remembered your ring,” he warned.
His face morphed into pure terror, his hands coming together in prayer. “I cccann expllaiin, sir. Pleaseee, let me explain.”
Pulling out a cigarette, Lucca held it between his lips as he took out his lighter and let the glow burn the end. “Go on.”
“The ffffirst night you told me she was yourss, if I told you I wwwas there the night she got her scars, you would have killlled me. Thennn I would have been no good to you, sir. I did it for youuu, sir.”
Lucca held the cigarette between his lips as he reached out and grabbed the chain, pulling it with all his strength and bringing his captive to him, flattening him like a pancake.
The man hit his head hard on the concrete, unable to move his fragile and tormented body.