Chapter 6

CHAPTERSIX

LUCA WAS GOING crazy.

He’d been locked up, tied up, sitting in the dark for who knew how long, and what was worse, he didn’t understand why. Or where. Or how.

A spot by his temple began to itch, and he automatically went to rub it, only to struggle against the zip tie he’d been bound with. All the struggling he’d done earlier made his wrists sting something fierce from the chafing, and he wasn’t about to make it worse. Not when breaking free only meant trying to escape the room, and there was no way that was happening. Not with the behemoths Dom had working for him probably outside the door.

Dom. The name seemed appropriate for someone like him. A dominating, takes-prisoners-and-beats-the-shit-out-of-them type. Somehow, he was more intimidating than the bigger guys carrying Ennio around on their shoulders. Quick to anger when he didn’t get what he wanted, and seeming to produce weapons out of thin air.

Jesus, how had Luca managed to escape that form of torture? So far, anyway. It wasn’t a great sign that he’d been left here or that the poor guy they’d beaten had been tossed out the door with a message that “we’ve got him.”

“Him” being…Luca? That didn’t make any sense. The only people who would care would be his parents, and they were about as far removed from this world as he was.

His stomach growled, momentarily interrupting his thoughts, and for that, he was somewhat grateful. The more he sat there trying to figure out what was happening, the more his body wanted to send him into a full-fledged panic attack.

You’re fine,he told himself. You’re hungry, you’re tired, and you’re scared, but you’re not actually hurt. They’ll realize soon they have the wrong person and you’ll be back at school, on rotation.

Shit.Rotation. He didn’t know how long he’d been here, but it had to be hours… God, hopefully not days. How long had he been out before he ended up in this place?

The sudden sound of the locks being unlatched was like a gunshot in the silence. Luca sucked in a breath and straightened, trying to put on a brave face as the lights flickered above him.

It wasn’t Dom who stepped into the room this time, but the two burly guys, and as they moved toward him without a word, Luca’s stomach clenched in fear. Especially when he caught sight of something that glinted silver in one of the men’s hands.

He couldn’t stop his trembling as they moved in close, and when the man lifted his hand, Luca squeezed his eyes shut. “Please don’t,” he managed to get out, just as his wrist was grabbed tightly and—

His arms were freed.

Then his legs.

“On your feet.”

The gruff command caught him off guard as he rolled his wrists, testing that the joints still worked, and when he didn’t immediately comply, a massive hand gripped his bicep and hauled him upright.

Oh God. Is this the moment they take me to wherever they had kept Ennio? Where I meet the same fate?

They tugged on Luca’s arm, directing him toward the door, and despite the fear roiling in his gut, Luca fought against their grip.

“I…I really think you have the wrong guy.” Luca tried in vain to dig his heels in, to somehow halt their progress, but since the floor was made of concrete, he didn’t accomplish much.

When they got to the door of his “cell,” they drew him to a stop and shared a look, and before Luca could say anything more, everything went black—the hood. The hood was back on his head, and that couldn’t mean anything good.

In… Out…

In… Out…

As Luca reminded himself to breathe, he wondered if this was the end for him. Maybe they wouldn’t even take him to another room. Maybe the plan was to just end it here. Put the hood on his head and take him out. If he was closer to the door, he’d be easier to move, right?

Wow, way to think positive there, Luca.

“Let’s go.” The two words jolted him out of his morbid thoughts as the fingers around his arm tightened and he was once again pulled along beside his guard.

The material of the hood was thick, so thick that no light, no shapes or shadows, could be seen through it, and with as hard as he was breathing, it was becoming stifling. Luca had the fleeting thought that he needed to calm down or risk passing out. Because while the idea of not being conscious sounded appealing if torture was in his near future, he figured it would be best if he could gather some kind of helpful information to escape, or even maybe to tell the cops if he made it out of this place alive.

He glanced down to his feet and realized the only part of the hood that had any kind of opening was at the base of the neck. They hadn’t tied it off—thank God—no doubt thinking their presence was enough of a deterrent to not try ripping it off and fleeing for his life.

They were half right. He wasn’t that stupid. But the slight slip-up afforded him a glimpse of the hallway they were walking him down and, if he was lucky, a clue to where he was going next.

Luca kept his eyes trained on his Nikes where the concrete continued out of the room and down what felt like a never-ending hall. It felt like some sort of dungeon, but no one had those anymore, so maybe a basement?

That was all kinds of creepy, because who took people down to concrete basements? Serial killers or hired hitmen, that was who.

Luca’s feet faltered slightly at the thought as his mind wandered back to Dom. He knew exactly which category he thought he fit in, and it wasn’t the John Wayne Gacy type.

A mechanical whir jarred Luca out of his thoughts as the two holding him drew him to a stop. Then a loud ding echoed off the concrete walls and Luca’s entire body perked up.

An elevator? That’s an elevator. Maybe they’re going to let me go after all.

Luca held on to that morsel of hope as the elevator door slid open. The men guided him inside then thrust him toward the back of the car and punched a couple of buttons.

Luca looked to his feet, and this time there was no concrete. Instead, the floor under his Nikes was a shiny black marble with what looked like a shimmering moon and flecks of gold stardust.

It was so shocking to see after what he’d been through that for a second Luca forgot about what was about to happen next and instead tried to think if he’d ever seen a pattern like that before.

Think, Luca. Think.But nothing was coming to mind as the elevator continued to climb. That was one thing he could work out at least, because a couple seconds in, his ears popped.

Finally the car came to a stop and the soft whoosh of the doors opening made Luca raise his head.

“Move it,” the gruff voice said by Luca’s ear, and Luca began to walk. He stepped out of the elevator and onto pristine white carpet that looked soft enough to sleep on. Then he was directed several feet down and drawn to a stop.

Where the hell was he? This sure didn’t feel like he was about to be released. He’d been expecting maybe a parking garage, a car trip, and then a quick—but hopefully not fatal—shove out the door. This was definitely not that.

Three rapid knocks—similar to what he’d heard down in the basement when Ennio was delivered—sounded somewhere in front of him, and seconds later he was shoved forward.

Luca spotted a golden threshold that he stepped over, and then his feet went from carpet to polished wooden floors. He let out a deep breath as his feet came to a stop, and before he could even begin to imagine what would happen next, the hood was pulled off.

Luca blinked several times, and as the enormous room he stood in came into view and a door slammed shut behind him, he sucked in a gasp of air. Nothing in the world could’ve prepared him for what he was now seeing, and the juxtaposition of this place to where he’d just come from was truly shocking.

A sprawling room, bigger than most houses, took up what felt like the entire floor of the building. In the low lights, the beautiful creams and gold accents gave off a feeling of elegance and opulence that only the rich could afford. But at the same time, the crackling fire and cozy seating invited one to come in, to come closer, and revel in the decadence of the place. The soaring ceilings looked as though they would touch the clouds, and the twinkling chandelier led you to believe that you were touching the stars instead. But the real jaw dropper was the floor-to-ceiling panoramic window showcasing a view that even God would be jealous of.

As Luca tried to process all that he was seeing, his eyes caught on the intimidating silhouette of a man he would know anywhere. Tendrils of fear slid through his veins as the one they called Dom finally turned to face him.

Those dark eyes ran over Luca, and Dom lifted a brow. “Did you miss me?”