Page 14 of Broken Innocence
A jade bracelet. Eucalyptus. The rattle of an old van.
Someone mentioned a half-brother to Fabian, then…What?My head pounds, begging me to stop pushing, but I can’t stop. I’m in a strange place with no clue as to how I got here.
A girl’s cry.
The memory sharpens for a second before disappearing. Maybe it was my own cry? I study the top of the canopy above me as Beanie’s soft fur pushes between my fingers with each slow pet.
Footsteps near the room before pausing outside the door.
Both Beanie and I freeze, our heads jerking toward the sound in anticipation, although my cat appears less scared than curious, judging by her sheathed claws and the fact she doesn’t immediately scramble for a hiding spot.
The brass knob turns to let in the handsomest man I’ve ever seen.And a familiar one.Broad shoulders stretch the fabric of Luca’s ash gray button-down shirt which is tucked into charcoal slacks that skim a sturdy waist and even sturdier-looking thighs.
“Eden…” He breathes my name like it’s meant to be whispered in awe. A tray of delicate china rests in his hands, tanned fingers wrapped around the side handles. Saucers clink together as he steps closer, though the kettle and teacup remain still. “How are you feeling?”
Why is my maintenance guy bringing me tea in bed?
Where the heck are we?
Struggling to a less vulnerable position, I sit up and dislodge Beanie, who saunters to the bottom of the bed and offers her head to Luca, her orange tail flicking back and forth.
“Hey, cutie. Are you looking after our girl?” He balances the tray in one arm to free a hand and run it over my traitorous cat’s back.
Beanie is a rescue. She lived in the shelter for months before I adopted her from a terrible hoarding situation. The shelter volunteers warned that it took time for her to warm up to people, yet here she is, sidling up to her kidnapper.
Because that’s what Luca is, or how else would Beanie be here instead of safe at home sleeping in her favorite cardboard box?
Sure, Beanie met him once before—and caused an awkward ending to his visit—but still. This situation calls for caution, not cuddling with a man who, apparently, is a lot more than your average maintenance man.
“What are you doing here, Luca? What amIdoing here?” My voice croaks out like a bullfrog preparing for a night of annoyinghis swamp neighbors, and I swallow the little bit of moisture in my mouth to alleviate the dryness. A futile attempt since my tongue and cheeks are currently the Sahara freaking Desert.
“Shh… Don’t try to speak yet. Drink this first.” He pours a steaming arc of tea into a cup, stirs in a teaspoon of sugar, honey, and cream, then offers the concoction by raising it to my chapped lips. “Your hands are a little banged up,” he says by way of explanation.
Ignoring the shiver his soft words provoke, I carefully wrap a hand around the fragile base—the red lashes on my wrists from the zip ties used to bind me a stark contrast to the white ceramic—and take the cup from him. “They’re fine. I can handle a tiny teacup.”
White teeth shine through the shadow of his beard as a small grin appears. “Of course, you can, Butterfly. How are you feeling? Dr. Bellamy examined you last night, then left a bottle of painkillers.”
“I feel like I got run over by a truck.” Hot tea isn’t usually my go-to, but I can’t deny the calming effect the honey and chamomile have as I sip from the delicate gold rim. “Who’s Dr. Bellamy? Who areyou? What’s going on?” My voice cracks on the last question, vocal cords straining from overuse.
His weight depresses the mattress beside me, and I work not to dip toward him. He rubs a hand over his bearded cheek before sighing. “Dr. Bellamy is someone we trust to make house calls, and you know who I am except for my last name. I’m Luca D’Amora. What do you remember about last night?”
LucaD’Amora.
Fabian’s half-brother!
If I squint, the barest of resemblance becomes clear, but for the most part, I never would have guessed they were related. Luca is taller, broader, and infinitely more attractive than Fabian, based on the social media photos I found, though myopinion may be biased considering Luca hasn’t had me viciously attacked.
“I was ambushed then tossed into a van by two thugs blaming you for my predicament. Something about payback for Fabian?” A shudder travels down my spine. “They’re responsible for this.” I nod toward my bruised body.
The muscles of his jaw flex as anger flares in his eyes. “I’m going to kill that motherfucker,” he growls under his breath. Clearly, there’s no love lost between the two siblings.
But how did I get in the middle of their feud?
I’m engaged to marry Fabian. If someone wanted to exact their revenge through me, shouldn’t it have been Luca instead of the other way around?
“How were they able to kidnap you? I went to your apartment to grab Beanie, but it didn’t look like the door had been broken in. Was it through the patio?”
“No, I was walking back from the apartment mailboxes. They grabbed me in the parking lot,” I murmur, digesting everything he just said. Luca remembered my patio and Beanie from his lone visit to my apartment. Enough to bring my cat here, so she wouldn’t be alone.
