Page 118 of Trapped

“You’re family,” I said, tucking the photo back inside. “You’ll always have a place here. That doesn’t change, no matter how long you’re gone.”

Luca’s eyes went glassy, but he blinked, hardening. “You don’t know what I had to do for them.”

“I don’t care.”

His face flushed. “You say that now…but you might not like who I am.”

I shrugged. “We take care of our own, no matter how fucked up they are.”

Delilah sighed. “What Santino means to say is that he loves you unconditionally.”

“I can speak for myself, principessa.”

She raised a brow. "Could’ve fooled me."

Luca looked away, his jaw flexing. Delilah reached out and squeezed his shoulder. His eyes dropped to the floor. Delilah wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in tight. Luca stiffened, then leaned into her embrace, his chin dropping to her shoulder.

I hesitated. Then I moved to the couch and placed a hand on his back. "You're not alone anymore."

Luca tensed, then glanced up, a faint, almost defiant smile forming on his lips. Then I saw him—the cousin I used to know, still in there, fighting his way back.

FORTY-ONE

DELILAH

TWO WEEKS LATER

“Are you Delilah?”

I hitched a smile. “Yes, I am.”

An olive-skinned man with wild hair shook my hand. “I’m Tony. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

I nodded. “Likewise.”

“This is my wife, Evie,” he said, gesturing toward a young woman in jeans and a leather jacket. “I just wanted to thank you for what you did for our family. If you ever need anything, give me a shout.”

His ringed hand patted mine, and he disappeared into the party. As soon as he left, yet another member of the family introduced himself to me. Michael. Or was it Alessio?

Santino had thrown a party to celebrate Luca’s miraculous return. Relatives, friends, and allies kept filtering into the living room and wringing my hand. The atmosphere was ecstatic. Santino’s mom had collapsed against me, thanking me through a stream of tears. They wanted to hear what happened toLuca. What his life had been like. They begged me for stories. Everyone wanted to meet the woman who’d brought Luca back to life.

Santino was by my side most of the time, his hand a constant presence on my lower back. He drank seltzer in his tumbler. The whole party was alcohol-free. I tried to make him change his mind, but he said he cared more about me than his guests’ comfort.

“You okay, principessa?”

I needed a moment to breathe. “I can’t believe all these people want to meet me.”

Santino smiled, shaking his head. “Even Tony crawled out of his cave to see the girl everyone’s talking about.”

It was overwhelming, the constant stream of people, the noise, the praise. I felt like I was suffocating under the weight of it all. My chest tightened. I needed to be alone.

Santino’s hand moved up to my shoulder. “You sure you’re okay?”

“I need a little air,” I said, trying to keep my voice light, not wanting to worry him. “It’s a lot, you know?”

His eyes softened. “Go on, then. I’ll cover for you.”

I slipped out of the main room, maneuvering through the maze of people. The chatter faded as I found a quieter hallway. I wandered down, the sounds of laughter fading. I wasn’t used to being the center of attention.

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