Page 129 of Between Us

He took a step forward, raising the hand holding a manila envelope. “I have a delivery for your father.”

“He's in his office with Roman and Matteo and some other men. This is Tatyana, Roman's sister.”

Luca glanced at her. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Tatyana said, blue eyes sparking with interest. She abandoned her phone completely, and Alessandra would have found her sister-in-law’s reaction indefinitely more amusing, were she not so tired and cranky.

Luca's attention returned to her. “You good?”

“Mhm,” she answered noncommittally. “And you?”

He looked well, much better than the last time she'd run into him. Even his hair was different, cut shorter than she was used to seeing on him.

A small nod was his only answer.

An awkward silence stretched between them, and Alessandra could sense that he wanted to speak with her in private, but Tatyana being there prevented him from addressing it. Before he could get any bright ideas, she dismissed him with a, “Good seeing you.”

Luca took the hint, although the look in his eyes told her he wasn't happy about it.

“Friend of yours?” Tatyana asked when he was gone.

“Ex-fiancé,” Alessandra murmured, lowering her gaze to her phone.

“Ah.” There was something in the other girl's voice that sounded awfully close to disappointment.

Alessandra didn't get why. As far as she was concerned, her sister-in-law could have Luca, althoughshe was fairly certain Roman was never going to allow it.

Another fifteen minutes passed before the men finally emerged from Nero's office on the first floor. Alessandra was crossing the foyer from the bathroom when she saw Luca coming down the stairs, followed by another man.

He stopped at her side, eyes filled with concern. “You don’t look too well.”

“I’m just tired.”

“I heard about last night. I’m glad you’re back here with your family where you’re safe.”

“Roman can keep me safe,” she bit back angrily, though she didn’t know if that was exactly true at the moment.

“Last night proved different.”

“Luca… that’s none of your concern.”

He put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re the boss’s daughter. Your safetyismy concern.”

Before she could reply, steps thundered down the stairs, and she looked up to see Roman heading their way. The look on his face made her hair stand on end. He was so visibly angry it was downright frightening. Instinctively, she took a step back from Luca.

“Leave,” Roman said, not even looking at Luca, his voice hard like reinforced steel.

“Since when is this your house,Russian?” Luca sneered.

Roman was on him so fast, he didn’t have time to react before he was being pushed into the wall, his back slamming hard against it. Roman kept him pinned there with an arm firmly planted into his throat.

“One more time,” Roman growled. “Come near herone more time, and I’ll fucking end you.”

“Roman,” Alessandra begged softly, though she didn’t dare get closer to them. She didn’t think he was this upset just because Luca had spoken with her.

Luca glared at him with wild eyes, both hands wrapped around Roman’s forearm as he struggled to breathe.

“Let him go.”

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