Luca wrapped his hand around Rick’s throat and lifted him until he stood on his tiptoes and his face was turning red. Then he tossed him away and Rick collided with the wall and crumpled to the floor.

“I hope you’re hungry,” Luca snarled. “Because I’m going to feed you your cock.”

“Take the girls to the car, Romero,” Matteo ordered as Luca unsheathed his knife. Romero lifted me into his arms and walked out the backdoor, Gianna close behind. Dizziness cloaked my brain and I pressed my face into Romero’s jacket. He stiffened.

Gianna snorted. “Do you think Luca will cut off your dick too because she leaned against you while she was sick?”

“Luca is my boss and Aria is his.”

Gianna muttered something under her breath but I couldn’t make out the words.

“Open the door for me,” Romero said and then I was lying on cool leather. Gianna lifted my head and put it in her lap. Her fingers untangled my hair and she rested her forehead against mine. “That guy gets what he deserves.”

I closed my eyes. I had condemned a man to his death with my words. My first murder. “Your bodyguard doesn’t even dare to wait in a car with us. Luca is a beast.”

“Romero keeps watch,” I whispered.

“Sure.” I must have dozed off because suddenly the door was ripped open and Luca spoke. “How is she?”

“Holy fuck,” Gianna said, voice shrill. “You’re covered in blood.”

I opened my eyes, but had trouble focusing.

“Only my shirt,” Luca said, annoyance clear in his voice. There was rustling.

“You have no shame,” Gianna said.

“I’m taking off my shirt, not my fucking pants. Do you ever shut your mouth?”

“Here, Boss.”

Blurrily I saw Luca putting on a new shirt. “Burn that one and take care of everything, Romero. I’ll drive.”

A hand brushed my cheek and Luca’s face hovered over me. Then he was gone, the door closed and he slipped behind the driver seat. The car started moving and my stomach churned.

Gianna leaned forward, her head between the seats. “You are quite a hunk, you know that? If you weren’t married to my sister and not such an asshole I might consider giving you a go.”

“Gianna,” I groaned. When she was scared or nervous or angry, she never stopped talking, and the longer she talked the more offensive she got. And around Luca she was constantly angry.

“What, cat got your tongue? I hear you usually jump everything that doesn’t have a dick,” Gianna said.

Luca still didn’t say anything. I wished I could see his face to find out how close to exploding he was. He’d killed a man not long ago; Gianna should really shut up.

Gianna sat back, but I knew she wasn’t done yet. She wouldn’t give up until she got a rise out of him. He pulled into the underground garage of our apartment building. “We’re there,” Gianna whispered into my ear. I wished she would talk as reasonably to Luca as she did to me.

The car door swung open and Luca hoisted me into his arms. He carried me toward the private elevator and stepped in. The bright halogen lights hurt my eyes but I kept them open to watch Gianna and Luca in the mirror. She leaned beside him and her expression didn’t bode well. “Have you ever had a threesome?”

Luca didn’t move a muscle. He was looking down at me but I kept my attention on the mirror, trying to send Gianna a silent message to close her mouth. “How many women have you raped before my sister?”

Luca’s head shot up, eyes burning as he stared at Gianna. I pressed my palm gently against his chest and he glanced down at me. The tension remained. “Can’t you do something else with your mouth than yap?”

Gianna straightened. “Like what? Give you a blowjob?”

Luca laughed. “Girl, you’ve never even seen a dick. Just keep your lips shut.”

“Gianna,” I croaked in warning.

At last, we arrived on the top floor and Luca stepped out into our penthouse. He headed for the stairs to our bedroom when Gianna blocked his way. “Where are you taking her?”

“To bed,” Luca said, trying to sidestep my sister but she followed his movements.

“She’s high on Roofies. That’s probably the chance you’ve been waiting for. I won’t let her alone with you.”

Luca became very still like a wolf on the verge of attacking. “I’m going to say it only once and you better obey: get out of my way and go to bed.”

“Or what?”

“Gianna, please,” I pleaded. She searched my face, then she nodded once and quickly kissed my cheek. “Get better.”

Luca walked past her, carried me up the stairs and then into the master bedroom. The sickness that had been a distant pressure in my stomach turned into an insistent throbbing. “I’m going to be sick.”

Luca carried me into the bathroom and held me over the toilet as I retched. When I was done, I said, “I’m sorry.”

“What for?” He helped me stand, though the only thing keeping me upright was his steely grip on my waist.

“For throwing up.”

Luca shook his head and handed me a wet towel. My hands shook as I wiped my face with it. “It’s good that you got some of that shit out of your system. Fucking Roofies. It’s the only way for ugly fucks like Rick to get their dicks into a pussy.”

He led me back into the bedroom and toward the bed. “Can you undress?”

“Yeah.” The moment he let go, I fell backward and landed on the mattress. Laughter bubbled out of me, then a new wave of dizziness hit me and I groaned. He leaned over me, his face slightly blurry.

“I’m going to get you out of your clothes. They stink of smoke and vomit.” I wasn’t sure why he was telling me. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen me naked before. He grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head. I watched him as he unzipped my leather pants and slid them down my legs, his knuckles brushing my skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. He unhooked my glittery bra and threw it to the ground before he straightened and stared down at me. He turned abruptly and disappeared from my view. Dots danced in and out of my vision and I was on the brink of another laughing fit when Luca returned and helped me into one of his shirts. He was only in his briefs. He slid his arms under my knees and shoulderblades, and moved me up until my head rested on the pillow, then he got into bed beside me.

“You’re impressive, you know?” I babbled.

Luca scanned my face, then pressed a palm against my forehead. I giggled and reached out, wanting to touch his tattoo but misjudging the distance and brushing my fingertips across his abdomen and then lower. He hissed, snatched my hand away and pressed it against my stomach. “Aria, you’re drugged. Try to sleep.”

“Maybe I don’t want to sleep.” I wriggled in his grip.

“Yes, you do.”

I yawned. “Will you hold me?”

Luca didn’t say anything but he extinguished the lights and wrapped his arms around me from behind. “You better lie on your side in case you feel sick again.”

“Did you kill him?”

There was a pause. “Yes.”

“Now there’s blood on my hands.”