Page 54 of On Ice

“Luca,” Isabella calls after me. “Won’t you reconsider and let Evan eat dinner with us?”

I ignore her and make my way upstairs. Sometimes Isabella is as annoying as a little gnat buzzing my ears. As I reach the upper level and pass Evan’s bedroom door, excitement zips through me just knowing he’s in that room. I’m trying not to get my hopes up that Evan will fall into line, but I can’t help fantasizing about getting more of him. I’ve given Evan way more leeway than I usually give anyone. He’s like a drug that I simply must taste again.

Once in my room, I rush through my shower. I shave to get rid of the dusting of stubble on my jaw, and slap on somecologne. I dress in a fitted white shirt and jeans, hoping to appear less intimidating to Evan.

I laugh self-consciously as I stare at my reflection. “I’m putting way too much thought into this,” I mutter.

It’s true. Iamhandling Evan very differently from how I’d usually handle someone who’d fucked me over. But that’s only because I want to sleep with him. If I didn’t crave more of him, he’d already be dead. But we had such amazing chemistry that first night together, I want to feel whatever that was again.

I point at my reflection. “You need to charm the little bastard into submission. Nobody can resist Luca Barone forever.” I smirk.

With my pulse racing, I head to the connecting door. I’m breathless as I knock like I promised, and then slowly open the door. As I step into the room, I open my mouth to greet Evan, but before I can get a word out, something smashes against my skull.

Chapter Fifteen

Evan

As Luca falls to the ground, groaning, I have a momentary jolt of guilt. But that’s a wasted emotion. Luca deserves this. He’s a brutal thug, and despite his words about protecting me, I believe he’ll kill me without blinking an eye if it serves his needs.

It occurs to me I should probably hit him a few more times and finish the job. After all, he’s less of a danger to me if he never wakes up. Yet, as I stare down at him, I can’t do it. His lashes are dark and thick against his cheeks, and his breathing uneven. He looks so vulnerable, it makes my gut ache.

The truth is part of me hates Luca.

But a perverted part of me doesn’t.

I drop the lamp I used to bash him over the head and kneel beside him. His eyes are closed, but I hesitate to touch him in case he’s faking unconsciousness. However, I need his phone so I can call for help. Slowly, I roll him onto his back, and he lets out another soft groan. My stomach churns as I rummage through his pockets until I find his cell phone.

My hands shake so badly I can barely swipe the touch screen. Of course, it’s password-protected, but I’m fairly certain he has facial recognition enabled. I hold the screen close to his face, ignoring the blood smeared on his cheek. The phone unlocks, and I let out a raspy thank you to the universe.

I dial 911 and run to the bedroom door. I hesitate and then slowly open the door. Thankfully, the hall is empty and I slip outof the bedroom. I listen to the phone ringing on the end of the line as I inch down the hallway in the opposite direction of the stairs. If Luca comes to, he’ll expect me to bolt for the front door. But there’s no point in trying that. His armed guards and dogs would be on me before I could get anywhere near the front gate. My only hope is to hide somewhere inside the house, and wait for the cops to show up.

I reach the farthest end of the corridor just as the 911 operator answer. My heart is pounding so loud I can barely hear her as she says, “911, what’s your emergency?”

“I need help. I’ve been kidnapped,” I whisper into the phone, opening a door on my right. The scent of oil paints and turpentine fills my nostrils as I enter the dark room. I see the dim outline of an easel near the window. Apparently someone in the Barone family likes to paint.

“Can I have your name?”

“Evan Riley.” I quietly close the door and press my back against it. “Can you send the police?”

Silence.

Frowning, I glance down and see the call has dropped.

“Shit.”

Will she call me back? Did she even hear anything I said?

Before I can decide what to do next, the phone rings in my hand, nearly making me jump out of my skin. My pulse pounds as I stare at the screen. Emergency Operator.

Heart racing, I answer, “Hello?”

“This is 911 dispatch. We received a call from this number, but the line disconnected. Do you have an emergency?”

“Yes.” My breathing is erratic. I’m terrified that any second Luca will find me and murder me. “I… I need help. I’m being held captive.”

“Take a breath,” the operator says quietly. “Are you safe right now? Or are you in immediate danger?”

“I’m definitely in danger,” I mumble. “If he finds me, he’ll probably kill me. I need to get out of here.”

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