“Brother, you need to get hold of Grayson. He was a fucking mess about last night.” Keller’s deep voice booms through the speaker as I wait for my coffee to pour.
I grit my teeth, I won’t let anyone hurt my family again. Last night was supposed to be a simple hit at the casino. It was all arranged with the manager and commissioner.
Turns out, Marco had more men there undercover and one decided to try to rape Maddie in the bathroom. Grayson took him out, but it was another close call.
“I’m meeting him soon. I’ll straighten this out. We’re close to ending this.” I can taste victory. I know we’re getting under Marco’s skin.
There’s a pause on the line. “Maddie’s pregnant.”
Shit. Running a hand over my face, I need something stronger than a coffee.
“That’s good news, right?” I ask, confused by my brother’s harsh tone.
“It would be if I didn’t have Grayson in my office after nearly killing one of our new recruits this morning. He thinks he can’t protect them, that he’s not cut out for this. He’s spiraling.”
“I’ll speak to him. You know I’ll do anything to protect our families, right?”
He sighs. “I know. Luca, you need to let us in. Don’t kill yourself over this on your own.”
I stifle a yawn and we say our goodbyes. I need to get to Grayson and make sure he’s okay. I’m running off of three nights of no sleep.
Rosa wasn’t lying when she said she needed a drink to help her sleep. Every scream is like a punch to the gut. I am hurting for her. Last night, I held her until she calmed down and then I fell asleep cradling her in my arms.
All I want to do now is find a way to get inside her brain and take whatever memory is haunting her away. She’s been on edge since I dumped the alcohol. It fucking pained me to watch my Macallan swirl down the sink. But this could be her one chance in life to fight for herself.
I just can’t quite work out why I care so much about this woman and her future. Or why I spend my afternoons digging into her past from the notes Enzo shared. So far, there isn’t any clue as to who did this to her.
Because I swear to God, I will hunt him down and cut his dick off. As I take a drink, I notice the time on my gold Rolex. Ten am.
She should be getting up any time now.
Setting aside my own black mug of coffee, I fire up the machine to make hers. She likes everything sickeningly sweet, so I grab the milk and caramel syrup from the fridge.
A smile creeps up on my face as I hear her light footsteps coming down the stairs.
I have no idea if she knows I’ve been cradling her in her sleep. I don’t want her to know and be embarrassed.
She groans as she slides herself up on the bar stool.
“Morning, grumpy,” I say, handing her a steaming cup of coffee.
Dark circles surround her eyes, and her usual olive complexion is gray.
“Are you feeling okay, Rosa?” I straddle the stool across from her.
She stares past me and doesn’t respond.
“Rosa?”
She shakes her head. “Huh?”
“I said, ‘are you okay?’”
“Fine.” She sips her coffee and I grab my own.
“I have to head out. The fridge has been stocked back up. I’ll make us some dinner when I get home.”
She nods.
I sigh and take in her shrinking figure. She has been eating, but nowhere near enough. The withdrawal effects of her lifestyle are hitting her hard. Add in the nightmares on top, and I fear she’s a ticking time bomb.
And I can’t watch her explode. I won’t.
As I walk past, her hand flies out and grabs my sleeve.
I stop and turn to face her.
“Thank you,” she whispers, not looking me in the eye. I can’t help but notice the pink blush spreading along her chest.
“What for?” I hold my breath. I know what she’s about to say.
“I know you’ve been helping with my night terrors, Luca. I’ve never had anyone to help me through those.” She takes in a breath and snaps her lips together.
My chest aches. I can’t imagine how hard this is for her. “How long have you been dealing with them?”
She bites her lower lip. “Six years.”
I cover her fingers with mine and squeeze her hand.
“I’m so fucking sorry,” I say quietly.
She drops her hand from mine, so I take a step forward and tip her chin up. Those big dark eyes gaze into mine, stealing my breath away.
“Give me the name, Rosa. I need his name. I can make him go away.”
Fear flashes across her face and she chews on her lower lip. A tear rolls down her cheek that I swipe with my thumb.
She squeezes her eyes shut as she shakes her head slowly. “I-I can’t. Don’t make me say it.”
“Shh, it’s ok. One day, when you’re ready, you’ll tell me the name, and I promise I will end him.”
My jaw ticks as I think of all the ways I’ll punish that man, but I keep my touch light on her face.
She looks down and plays with the hem of her shirt. “Luca, I’m not your problem to fix. I’m just the woman you kidnapped. Once I leave here, I’ll go back to being the broken girl trying to claim back a sense of control. That’s just my life.”
This protective feeling I have over her surges within me. She sounds so fatalistic, something isn’t sitting right with leaving her, not like this.
I’ll make sure I wrap this meeting up in record time so I can get back to her. Maybe I shouldn’t even go. “Are you sure you’re feeling alright? I can stay home if you need me?”
Her bottom lip trembles, and she shakes her head as little beads of sweat form on her forehead. I thought we had gotten past this stage of the withdrawals. Since the nightmares started, she’s become a shell of herself.
