CHAPTER SEVEN
LUCIANO
“You seem to be a bit of a downer this morning, Sylvi.” Standing opposite my brother, I crossed my arms over my chest as Georgio’s stern voice took the room. Carefully concealed annoyance brightened Sylvi’s eyes, and his face twisted into a sneer as he leaned his elbows on his knees. Supported by a low wall that also served as a counter, I tilted my head as he heaved a harsh sigh.
“Yes, well- your escapades are beginning to take their toll on me, Georgio. Normally, I wouldn’t mind, but lately any whores I fuck feel like cold, wet potato sacks.” My eyelid twitched in disgust as Sylvi clasped his hands together, but Georgio hummed as if he knew exactly how his ‘son’ felt. They’d always been open about this kind of thing; as revolting as it was the two had bonded over their enjoyment of hurting women. Hovering up air through my nostrils, I held my breath and hoped to pass out before they went into details.
“I see. I went through that as well, several times. Sometimes, my boy, you need to mix it up a bit. Find a woman that isn’t a whore. There’s nothing more satisfying than destroying a woman with pride, you know.” Glancing at Georgio, my eyes narrowed on the sick smirk that cracked his lips. “Where’s the fun in a woman that doesn’t fight back? I will tell you- it is like your seasons in America. It comes and goes, replenishing itself after taking some time away. Besides, there is always the option of not fucking the same woman you intend to beat.”
I watched the exchange with a twisting gut as Sylvi grunted absently, his head dipping in a nod. The conversation was so serious it was almost comical.
“Yes, I’ve considered that. The time between the two just seems too long. Maybe finding a woman to fuck that also-” Cut off by a soft cough, Sylvi stiffened as my eyes flickered to the patio door. Tyler stood, looking mightily uncomfortable, and a grimace smeared itself across my face when he looked at me.
“Luciano, can I borrow you for a moment?” Pushing myself off the ledge, my legs felt tight as I stepped around a few lounge chairs. The relief I felt at being able to escape this conversation was sharp, and I shot Sylvi a glare as I passed. Shouldering my way past Tyler and into the house, I let go of my filled lungs. Air gushed from my mouth, and behind me a wisp of a laugh sounded before Tyler appeared in my peripheral.
“Sorry to take you from such a lovely conversation, Luciano, but something came up that you would be interested in.” Only offering a grunt, I followed Tyler to the stairs to his little cave of computers with slacked shoulders. “I haven’t brought this up with Sylvi yet-”
“Aya.” Her name tumbled from my mouth, and I clenched my hands into fists at my sides. She’d been here for four days, but Georgio hadn’t discovered her yet. If he had, he never mentioned it, and I wasn’t going to bring it up. A quiet affirmation from the man before me was all I needed to grow tense again.
“Yeah. This literally just came in half an hour ago, and I didn’t see it until now. Apparently Sovich just announced he’s holding auditions for a wife.” Pushing open the door to his office roughly, Tyler dropped into his chair as his terse words rang in my ear. For a moment everything was quiet, my brain not registering his shuffling of papers or the slight squeak of his chair. “I don’t understand why Trevor would’ve had Aya for a year and a half and never touched her. This is literally the only reason I can think of- that he had something to gain by not raping her. If that’s the case, why did we just hear of it now?”
I didn’t answer, couldn’t answer, that rhetorical question as an image of that Red bastard filled my mind’s eye. He was smart and good looking enough to find his own wife; there wasn’t a shortage of women for a man like him. Sylvi and he had the same stature, but what that little bitch lacked was proper ambition. The only reason anyone did anything for him was because his father was a top dog.
“We need to go deeper.” The declaration was guttural as it bubbled up from my throat, and Tyler grunted without looking away from his papers.
“Yeah, that’s my thought as well. I’m not oblivious to the fact that this might be a trap to catch the spies we planted with the Russians, but I honestly don’t think Sovich is sneaky enough to do something like that. Maybe Trevor was two timing us longer than we knew, and Sovich told him something of his plan. If so, I can see someone like him taking a liking to Aya.”
Clenching my teeth hard, I leaned against the desk as my knuckles tingled. Sovich was a fucking coward, riding his father’s dick but having nothing he made himself. Absently my eyes found the smallish screen that showed Aya, and my pupils tightened.
Lately she’d been different since that morning three days ago. She was constantly scared and tense, but there was something in the way she looked at me. I couldn’t place it, and that alone was frustrating. Staring at her as she ate whatever I had pulled out of the refrigerator, I had to hold back a growl.
“Neither of them are good enough to plan that far ahead. Sovich is a fucking puppet. Tell the spies to go in deeper. Dig into Aya-” Snatching a random paper from Tyler’s lap, I grabbed a pen and scribbled down what information I knew of her. “Don’t fucking tell Sylvi until after Georgio leaves.”
“Give me some credit here, Luciano. Why do you think I turned Georgio down- the fucking creep.” Grunting, I didn’t wait, and Tyler didn’t say anything more before I left his office. My feet took me to the stairs without my brain having to tell them to.
Pushing open the door Aya hid behind, my hands twitched as I watched her scramble to the head of her bed. My fingers ached to grab her and pull her back, to wrap around her heart shaped face and slender neck. Taking a shallow breath, I shut the door behind me before she appeared to actually notice me. The shirt she wore had ridden up, exposing her legs and the side of her ass as she huddled in a tight ball against the headboard.
Throwing the thoughts away, I stalked over to the side of the bed before opening my mouth.
“Tell me everything you know about what Trevor was doing with the Russians, Aya.” A shudder jerked Aya’s shoulders, her lips pursing together. For only a moment she was silent, frantically organizing her thoughts into two categories- what was relevant and what wasn’t.
“He said… I-… The- there was a man. A man with a m- mustache… and- and a scar on his neck-” Thin, long fingers reached up, shivering, to trail from under her ear to the center of her throat, and Aya gulped hard as my gaze narrowed on the action. “And he said… that- that Trevor was s-stupid for being disloyal… that he betrayed the Italians and he’d never get anywhere with them… But Trevor- he said he had something that they wanted-”
Aya slowed down to breathe, and I flung my hand out to stroke her pale cheek. The effect it had on her was instant, her thick eyelashes fluttering and her head tilting into my touch. I knew she liked it; she was like a cat, almost. Her skin was soft, dotted in tiny, light freckles, but her jaw still wobbled as her voice came rushing back.
“Trevor locked me in the bathroom. He was on the phone and talked about a- a safe. A safe where he kept important stuff. Letters and money and- and…”
“Tell me where the safe is.” In the ensuing silence I pondered these things Aya had revealed. I wasn’t smart; Tyler would have a much easier time doing this than I would. Still, it didn’t take an elevated IQ to realize that not only was Trevor dealing with the Russians, but a third party as well.
“6-… 69…7? 697… I think…” Who the fuck uses a street address to name a hiding spot?
“Tell me more.” Dragging my knuckles down Aya’s jaw, I swiveled my own when her gaze finally met mine.
“There was a woman one time- Trevor had a lot of different women. He was too drunk- he passed out. She took all his money. She- she wanted me to go with her.” Her eyes glazed over, and I paused my petting as she got lost in the past. “She said she worked for a man- he treated them good. He would treat me good, too. That if I ever wanted, I could find her at Soleil du Italia.”
“More.” Murmuring softly, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to break this trance Aya had fallen into. It was the most detailed she’d gotten yet. Soleil du Italia was a mens’ day club, complete with golf courses, restaurants, and very good whores. A woman that worked there wouldn’t pick up johns off the curb.
“When Trevor woke up, he got so mad… so, so mad- and I was the only one there. He hit me so hard he cut my nose, and he- he climbed… on me… and I- I-…b- but-t he said- he said I was lucky- I was lucky I wasn’t his type-” Tapping Aya’s cheek hard, my fingers curled around her face as she jumped. The cloudiness in her gaze vanished, and a frown tugged at my lips when she focused on me again. Harsh breaths tore out of her, her body trembling and legs closed tightly.
“Aya…” My call made her tense, and I leaned over her to get close to her face. The bruise that had marred Aya’s skin was fading; from across the room it was an ugly, yellowish-blue color, and I thumbed her tender flesh. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
She was like a mouse too, and her eyes widened at my demand. For a second, I wondered if this was just what she was like- if she hadn’t actually changed all that much in the past two years. I hope not.
“Are you going to make me scream like that?” Clenching my jaw, my muscles bunched up at the question as Aya closed her eyes. Slipping down, my fingers wrapped around her neck to squeeze weakly. Her breath caught, body stiffening while I watched her face turn a shade redder.
“No.”