Page 54 of Wicked Tricks

Grace told him everything, things that even I didn’t know. The kettle boiled and I made cups of coffee, handing one to Grace, and the other to Antoni. He grazed my hand briefly as he took the cup, smiling up at me with his warm eyes. I dropped my eyes to the ground, walking away and hiding my face so as to not give away anything with my expression.

I was having trouble comprehending the way this man made me feel.

He was a contradiction, an enigma.

A ruthless killer, a murderer, the root of all sin and evil in our city.

But he was also this.

I thought for sure that the mafia, the Don of Melbourne, would take the side of his loyal employee over some young woman. It was no secret that traditionally, they did not treat their women well. The women were to be seen, not heard. To be used as beautiful pawns, trophies, sex dolls. Perhaps this was the new generation of mafia. Or perhaps it was just Antoni. I rolled my eyes to myself, and cut off my own train of thought before it ran away too wildly.

Hope was a dangerous thing.

Assumption was a dangerous thing.

Facts and evidence. That’s what I stuck by, and it was the only thing I could trust.

It was foolish of me to think the way that I was.

I sipped my coffee, noticing the details of his face as he nodded, listening intently to Grace’s story.

“Luca really wasn’t always like this,” she said to both of us, “it was so different in the beginning. He treated me so well.”

I shook my head and had to remind myself not to roll my eyes.

Wasn’t that the beginning of every love story?

They’re great at the start, making you feel safe, loved - and just when you get comfortable and they know that they have control over you, it’s over. My eyes flickered to Antoni, why should I have believed that this particular man was any different to the rest? But, I felt a warmth in me, watching him interact so gently with Grace and her daughter. I leaned back and found myself smiling as I watched them.

The little girl grabbed Antoni’s finger, and he looked up at me with an accomplished grin as the child began to like him. His smiling eyes transformed into a piercing glare and I frowned, but it was too late.

A hand was clasped over my mouth, and a cold, metallic blade pressed against my throat.

“Luca!” Grace screamed, retreating to the other end of the room.

Antoni stood in front of her, protecting her with his body.

I wrestled against the man, but I felt a stinging warmth building the more that I struggled, blood starting to drip from the small cuts of the knife.

“Let her go,” Antoni said, his voice deep and menacing.

It was a tone that I had never heard him use before.

Luca was obviously not expecting Antoni’s presence, “B-b-boss,” he stuttered against my ear.

“Now. Luca.” Antoni’s hand twitched, reaching behind his back for the gun in his waistband.

“I’m just here for Grace,” he said, still holding me in his grip.

Luca smelled of beer and wet clothes, like he hadn’t changed or showered in days.

Antoni scoffed, “you’ve got to be kidding.”

“Please, Gracie,” the man slurred, his eyes wide and pleading as he leaned around Antoni, trying to meet Grace’s eyes. He took me with him as he leaned, using me to hold his weight and keep himself upright.

I could feel him getting heavier as the time passed slowly.

“You do understand that you have a knife against my woman’s throat,” Antoni pointed out, slowly closing the space between us.

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