Page 37 of Trapped

Luca sighed. “Are you okay?”

“I’m alive. How are things on your end?”

“Everybody’s looking for you. Dimitri has people searching as far as Seattle. Wherever you are, stay there.”

“Staying put isn’t an option,” I mumbled, swirling my glass. “The man I’m with is crazy. He wants…well, I’m not sure what.”

“You’re with another guy? Who?”

I bit my lip. “Santino Costa.”

“He’s in Boston, right?”

“Yeah. How did you know that?”

Luca was silent for a moment. “What’s he like?”

“He’s nice…scary, sometimes, but he’s got a soft spot for his mom. He likes mixed martial arts fighting. He loves taking me out and buying me stuff.”

Luca made a noncommittal sound. “Have you met his family?”

“We don’t have that kind of relationship. I’m hiscomare.”

“Isn’t that a girlfriend?”

“No, it means mistress.”

“That makes no difference to him. If you’re in his life, you’re his. Period.”

“I see.”

“You need to be careful, Delilah. Santino Costa isn’t someone to take lightly. Guys like him are in the business of power, not charity.”

My blood froze. “I think he wants more. He gave me keys to his place.”

“That’s good.”

“No! I’m freaking out, Luca. He’s way more intense than I thought he’d be. You should’ve seen what he did to this random drunk guy who hit on me. He beat the piss out of him. It was crazy.”

“That checks out.”

“Also, he keeps not using protection. Why’s he doing that?”

“Either he’s a fucking idiot, or he’s trying to trap you.”

I swallowed hard. “What am I supposed to do?”

He laughed. “Don’t fuck him without a condom.”

Hearing Luca echo my fears made a huge boulder sink in my stomach. Santino dismissed my concerns when I brought them up, but Luca was right.

Santino knew what he was doing. I’d lost count of how many times we had unprotected sex. Every time he agreed to use protection, it felt like him humoring me. I’d never liked how hormonal birth control made me feel, but I needed to look at options and schedule an appointment. Between Santino and planning the boutique, I hadn’t had the time.

“I’ll figure this out,” I whispered. “Thanks for talking to me.”

“Watch your back, Delilah. Don’t let your guard down for a second.”

The line died.

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