Chapter 26

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

LUCA WRAPPED A towel around his waist and stepped out of the shower the next morning feeling like he’d been hit by a bus. The last few days had finally caught up with him, and after he finally fell back asleep this morning, he slept so long and hard that the sun was now high in the middle of the sky. He never slept so late, but the adrenaline that had kept him on edge was now gone. In its wake, he felt nothing but bone-tiredness and a resignation that nothing was in his control. The events of last night had made sure of that.

He wiped the steam off the mirror and rubbed at the stubble along his jaw. He liked to keep his face smooth, but apparently a razor was too much to ask for in this place. Did they honestly think he was any kind of threat even with a shaving tool?

Luca sighed and tossed the towel over a rack then looked at the clothes he hadn’t asked for. He fingered one of the shirts that probably cost more than his tuition for a year. It was nice, softer than what he normally wore. He considered leaving it there, a rebellious act that would only prove futile. But hell, if he was fucked anyway, may as well wear the damn clothes.

As he pulled on the shirt, his thoughts went to what he should be doing right now. There was no doubt in his mind he’d already been kicked off the general surgery rotation for being a no-show, and that made him sick to his stomach. All that hard work, all the years of being focused, all the dreams he had of the future—gone.

And in its place, a multimillion-dollar penthouse without a razor and an arrogant bastard who’d rather push him around after a blow job than actually admit he enjoyed it.

Fucker,Luca thought as he pulled on a pair of jeans. No matter what was happening, however bad, it wasn’t an excuse to treat someone like shit, and Luca was done. He wasn’t letting Dom intimidate or threaten him anymore.

He threw open the door and stalked down the hall, not giving a thought to who else might be there. As far as he was concerned, if he was stuck here, then free rein of the place was within his rights as an occupant. Poor, scared little hostage no more.

As he walked to the kitchen, he saw Dom out of the corner of his eye, sitting at the dining table eating. Luca ignored him and opened the fridge, scanning the contents. At some point it must have been stocked, because each shelf was piled high with condiments and prepackaged meals from one of the restaurants downstairs.

After choosing one of the gourmet salads, he settled on one of the barstools, his back to the dining room. The last thing he wanted to do was make conversation, especially without an apology, which he doubted Dom even knew how to do.

As he stabbed a forkful of lettuce and steak, he heard the scraping of a chair being pushed back.

Good. Maybe Dom was so put off by the sight of Luca that he’d go hide in his room for once.

No such luck. Dom rounded the island, dropping his empty meal package into the trash before moving to the sink. He took his time washing off his knife and fork then stood opposite Luca, his hands braced on the counter.

Luca felt the stare but continued to pretend Dom didn’t exist. His food was surprisingly delicious, and it was easy to focus on that.

“So you are alive,” Dom finally said.

“Unfortunate, isn’t it?”

“What’s your problem? You wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”

“Nope, just shocked I didn’t wake up at the bottom of a river.”

“Ah. Feeling spirited this afternoon?”

Luca had to stop himself from rolling his eyes and stabbed one of the hard-boiled egg halves. “I don’t hear an apology.”

“Excuse me?”

He looked up at Dom. “An apology. You know, where you say, ‘I’m sorry for being such an asshole.’”

“An asshole…” Dom smirked. “But not for threatening your life? Interesting where you draw the line.”

Luca glared, well aware that his logic was way off, but he wouldn’t sit there and justify himself. He was over being so meek, and if he was stuck in this godforsaken tower with this egomaniac then he was going to make this just as uncomfortable for Dom.

“At least I know how to draw a line. You don’t have any boundaries. You walk around as though life is yours to give and take.”

“It is.” Dom crossed his arms. “Especially yours.”

Luca shook his head. “Whatever.” He stabbed into another piece of meat and chewed it with vigor. It was probably best he shut up now with the way he was feeling.

“Wishing that was me right now?”

Luca swallowed and eyed the arrogant ass. Why won’t he just leave me alone? “Definitely not. I had enough of you in my mouth last night.” He thought he caught Dom’s lips twitch.

“I meant the way you impaled the steak.”

Luca looked at the fork and thought of the conversation they’d had the other night.

“Unless you’re going to go through my eye, don’t even bother. Anything else would just excite me.”

“You’re seriously fucked up, you know that, right?”

“And you’re seriously fucked. I know which one I’d prefer to be.” Dom turned away, opened the freezer, and pulled out a bottle of vodka. Then he grabbed two crystal highballs.

Luca eyed the glass as Dom poured a finger of the clear liquid and slid one across the table. “I’ll pass.”

“I didn’t ask. Drink.”

“And if I don’t?”

“I’ll make you.”

Luca looked at the glass and then to Dom, reached for the vodka, and tossed it back.

Fuck it. In for a penny, in for a pound. If it was poison it’d be a horrendous way to die, but at least this would all be over.

Luca coughed as the liquid burned down his throat, and Dom poured him a second.

“Again.”

“Seriously?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

Luca sat back and crossed his arms. “No. I’m not drinking another fucking drop until you tell me you’re sorry.”

“For being an asshole?”

Luca scowled. “How about for existing?”

Dom cocked his head to the side, examining Luca as one might an anomaly, and Luca wasn’t surprised. Up until now he’d been too scared to talk back, too confused to have a backbone, but the gloves were coming off now.

“What is it, exactly, you feel I should apologize for, Luca?”

If Dom thought Luca was about to back down, he was sorely mistaken. Luca had rage, humiliation, and a healthy dose of insanity riding him now. His instinct to do whatever it took to stay alive had disappeared around the same time he realized trying to run from Dom was futile.

“How about the fact that only hours after you had your dick halfway down my throat, you told me to fuck off like I was nothing more than a piece of garbage?”

Dom narrowed his eyes as he poured himself a drink and threw it back. “As far as I’m concerned, the only thing that happened of any consequence last night was your trying to escape. I didn’t let you. The end.”

“Really?” Luca jabbed his fork into a piece of tomato. “Okay. Because from what I remember, you saved me from some thug who was about to strangle me. So… I don’t know, maybe you want to look up your Mafia handbook about the mixed signals you’re giving to your hostage, because saving me and then forcing me to suck your cock kinda gives the wrong impression.”

Like a lightning bolt, Dom’s hand whipped out and grabbed Luca’s wrist. “You’re mine. I get to decide your fate. Not some fucking Fiore thug.”

Luca wasn’t sure what possessed him, maybe the fact that he finally had Dom talking, but before he thought twice about it, he said, “Aren’t I a fucking Fiore?”

Dom’s eyes burned, but Luca couldn’t discern the feeling behind it. Annoyance? Anger? Something else? He was so close he could reach out and grab Luca by the shirt…and do what? Hit him? Kiss him?

Like he could read Luca’s mind and didn’t like the direction his thoughts were taking, Dom moved back and reached for the alcohol again. He poured himself another round and muttered, “Lapse in judgment.”

“Really? I thought you didn’t make those. Doesn’t that get you killed in your line of work?”

Dom slammed the bottle on the counter so hard that Luca was surprised it didn’t break. “Hey—smartass. Cut the shit.”

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll cut out that tongue you think is so fucking talented.” He pushed Luca’s glass forward. “Drink.”

Clearly Luca was pushing Dom’s buttons, and something inside him felt pretty fucking proud he could do that. He picked up the glass and held it up to his lips. “You getting me drunk for a reason?”

Dom refilled his own glass. “Why? Have something better to do?”

Good point. Without a TV or any entertainment for a distraction, all Luca was left with were his thoughts. Numbing them with vodka wasn’t a terrible idea. Hell, it might even make Dom bearable.

He downed the contents in one long gulp, wincing at the taste. Wasn’t the expensive shit supposed to be smoother? It all tasted the same to him.

“If you tell me you need a fucking mixer, you can get the hell out.”

Luca narrowed his eyes and pushed his empty glass across the counter. “Another.”