CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
LUCIANO
Shoving the gear in park, I took a deep, hard breath to try to cool the raging magma that sloshed in my veins. My hands flexed around the wheel, itching to squeeze as much life out of Sylvi as I could. The car was quiet, and I ground my teeth together with a groan. Even in the silence I couldn’t hear myself think; there was nothing but the overwhelming desire to jam my fist down Sylvi’s throat.
Directly in front of me was Marco’s van, and for a moment I debated what to do. Whatever was in that safe could wait until after the anger in me had been quenched. Glancing at Aya, I took in her pensive expression and tight shoulders through narrowed eyes. Depending on what was in the safe, I could kill Sylvi. It would be a bad decision, but I wouldn’t feel guilty.
The person sent to replace Sylvi could be a problem, though, and it was that thought that had me kicking open my door roughly.
“Let’s go.” Reaching for her arm, I pulled Aya across the center console as I jumped from the vehicle. She was hot and soft, and I squeezed her tender flesh absently. Scanning the drive, my pupils became fine points at the steadily graying atmosphere. The silence was ominous even as the first, distant rays of the sun pierced the darkness, and electricity zinged through my already tense muscles.
The front porch step creaked under my weight, and I held Aya close to my side. Anxiety thrummed between us like a physical current, but for the moment I ignored it to grab the door handle. Her proximity did nothing to soothe the writhing, black mass that festered inside me, but she brought me a comfort.
As long as she was close to me, Sylvi wouldn’t shoot her. As long as I didn’t make the mistake of thinking distance would help, she would be safe.
Safety- it was a strange notion. Wanting this woman safe, to keep her safe, was a desire I’d never felt before. Drawing my brows together, I pursed my lips as her hot, shallow breath flowed down my arm. Vengeance danced with desire in my chest, slithering down to my hand to twist.
In the pre-dawn hours the house was quiet, but I knew it was an illusion. Swirling shadows and whispers betrayed the stillness, and a gruff noise lodged in my throat. My hand swung to wrap comfortably around my gun pommel, finger itching for the trigger even as a wave of irony slammed into me.
Sylvi’s home had never felt so uninviting before, and a grimace painted my face as I dragged my feet across the threshold. Aya clung close to my side, her heart sputtering and starting against me. My gaze narrowed on the gloom, searching for the faintest hint of light, the tiniest shimmer of movement. Carefully maneuvering through the living room, I held my breath behind barred lungs before a shuffling sounded from the second floor.
“Luciano- holy shit. You’re not going to believe this.” Half hanging over the banister, Tyler motioned towards himself with stiff movements. His expression terse, eyes narrowed; even in the dark he looked annoyed and somewhat shocked. Grinding my teeth together, I hauled Aya up behind me as I took the stairs two at a time. She stumbled against my back, her little breaths culminating in a gasp. The sound echoed in my ears, and I glanced back at her pensive, tight face to grimace.
“So, before we get to the safe, I figured out why Aya’s parents were doing drugs in the first place.” Tensing up at the topic, I clenched my jaw as the three of us crowded into Tyler’s little room. Dropping into his chair, he crossed his long legs and slouched while Aya sidled up next to me. I couldn’t bare to look at her face, knowing exactly what I’d see. With each passing moment my heart rate doubled and my chest tightened until I was no longer breathing.
“They were trying to get pregnant. Ever since she was 7. First they tried to do it the old fashioned way. Then, three years later, they started IVF. Ten treatments over two years- ten takes- ten miscarriages before the fourth month. They were doing drugs because their losses and failures were too much.” Finally look down, I took in the stoic, detached expression Aya wore through narrowed eyes. Anxiety buzzed in my veins, but she seemed more nervous being in an unfamiliar room than anything else. “It was the mother’s fault- she just couldn’t carry. I dug into it a little. Found out it’s genetic, which means Aya will have a hell of a time. Probably for the best.”
Facing the harsh lights, Aya looked as pale as a corpse while I was struggling to keep myself from melting. The force of the heat bubbling inside me squeezed my heart, and I tightened my grip on her arm.
No children. Probably for the best. Vivid green eyes met mine, and I sucked in a sharp breath before forcing myself to look away. Aya was empty, as if what she’d just heard was incredibly sad but had nothing to do with her. Clearing my throat, I turned my gaze to Tyler while he observed silently, his pupils mere points.
“Fine. Tell me about the safe.” Gruff, my demand sounded tight even to my ears, and I pursed my lips tightly together. What the fuck is wrong with me? The question blared in my mind’s eye; Aya wasn’t affected by any of this, so why was I?
“Uh, well, there was more money. Another $10 million was found in the safe in bank notes. When Marco brought back the urn, I checked the date of death- which is fake, but the name and date of birth are real. Carl Montoya. I managed to track down an alias of his out in Vegas. Seems like he faked his death.” Tapping a few keys, Tyler brought up a photo on one of the monitors. The man was unremarkable in looks, with bland brown eyes and dead hair that curled around his ears. His longish face was gaunt, but he couldn’t be older than 25.
“I don’t know how he’s connected with Trevor yet, but you should probably take Aya to the law firm and talk to the partner- see if the name rings a bell. I’ll do some more digging. Luciano…” Snapping to Tyler, my eyes narrowed at the grim expression on his face. “Marco wanted to see you.”
An itch shot down my arms to settle in my knuckles, and I curled them into fists. Turning on my heel, I grabbed Aya’s bicep to pull her out of the room. Slamming the door behind us, I let out a hot breath and tried to get my pounding heart under control. Soft hands trailed up my chest, and my cheek twitched at the sensation. Pressing her lips against my jaw, she pressed against me as the feel of her sucked the tension from my body.
“What now, Luciano?” Her question flowed down my neck, and I released her arm to wrap my around her back. My mind churned, torn between dropping this whole thing and seeing it through. Aya had been through enough- Trevor was dead, the Russians were out of the picture, and she had no more enemies left. She had $30 million and nothing to tie her down.
Nothing but me, and I sure as fuck wasn’t going to let her go.
“You need to eat and rest your feet.” Palming Aya’s hips, I hauled her off the floor to wrap her legs around my waist. Tiny spots of blood seeped through the bandages, and an irritated grunt past my lips. “Marco can wait.”