Page 40 of Broken Innocence
So, an afternoon hanging out with my brothers and my girl, along with a few cats, is a nice change. Even if it means listening to Rafe brag about his sexual prowess.
Eden scoots closer to me and bumps my shoulder with hers. “Are they always like this? All I’ve witnessed are the stoic mercenaries. Reverting to teenage boys is… different. Funny. Not what I’d expect from a group known as the Blackchapel Bastards.”
“Stick with me, baby, and you’ll never lack for entertainment.” I grin, shaking my head at my brothers’ antics. “This is what we’re like when we don’t have death and destruction breathing down our necks.”
Her eyes widen to round amber orbs. “Geez, Luca. You make it sound like a pack of bloodthirsty vampires are about to descend upon us at any given moment.”
“Sometimes it feels that way.”
Sympathy softens her expression. “You realize you don’t have to follow through on your plans, right? People change, and what you craved at fifteen doesn’t have to be the same at thirty-five. You don’t have to live with targets on your backs.”
Her quiet words sink into my bones as I study each of my brothers. Oblivious to the serious turn of our conversation.
I don’t think any of us have considered veering from our chosen path.
It’s always been known that our fathers would pay for their part in our shitty childhoods, and their criminal ties—The Syndicate—would crumble to nothing. There was never a question of walking away. Of letting things stand.
“We’ve come too far to stop now,carissima,” I whisper, though for the first time in decades, she has me wondering how true that really is.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
EDEN
My hand sweeps across the bed, and a frown forms as I search for Luca. Cool sheets meet my fingers rather than his muscular warmth. Sitting up, I squint into the darkness, foggy sleep replaced by curiosity.
Where is he?
After leaving in the middle of the night to save those trafficked women without telling me, Luca has been better about letting me know when he has to duck out of our bed for business—even if it’s a brief whisper and kiss before I fall back to sleep again.
The small lamp on the nightstand flicks on with a flip of a switch, but the sudden illumination shows an empty room, not my missing husband lurking in the dark. I check my phone for any messages, but there’s nothing from Luca.
Biting my lip, I consider my options. Go back to sleep and wait for his return, or try to find him. Knowing I’ll toss and turn for hours worrying about him, I choose the latter.
The bedroom door opens silently as the grandfather clock downstairs signals the hour. Two low drones. 2:00 A.M. Shadows creep over the hallway and walls, creaks and groanscreate a spooky soundtrack while the old manor settles for the night.
Those original gothic imaginings from a few months ago play in my mind again.
“I swear if I see a ghost…” I mutter to myself while carefully following the dark wood staircase down to the ground level. Rugs and carpet runners cushion my steps as I peek into the study, game room, and kitchen.
No Luca.
Hearing the faint splash of water, I follow a back hallway deeper into the manor. This is where the professional gym setup is located, along with an indoor pool and hot tub. There’s also an outdoor pool, tennis and basketball courts, and a guesthouse on the grounds.
All the amenities rich and reclusive men with avenging agendas need, I think with a flash of amusement.
Humidity hits me in the face the moment I step into the indoor pool atrium. With the chilly autumn weather outside a wall of windows, the gigantic pool is kept heated to combat the cold, and the immediate production of sweat on my skin attests to its strength. Shrugging out of the robe I donned to cover up my flimsy nightgown, the silky material tumbles into a puddle on a nearby table as my gaze traces the smooth movements disrupting the pool of aqua before me.
Sleek arms cut through the water as Luca swims laps. I've heard Mathias and Rafe tease him about being part fish since he swims so much, but this is the first time I've seen Luca's obsession in person.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I sit in one of the white loungers surrounding the pool and watch his controlled strokes in awe. He’s mesmerizing, and it’s no wonder swimming is his escape. The rhythmic slice and kick of his body is enough to lower my blood pressure as a mere observer.
"Eden?" Luca emerges at the end of the pool and slicks his wet hair out of his eyes. He crosses his arms on the concrete ledge and glances up at me. "Why aren't you sleeping upstairs, baby?"
I hungrily devour the handsome picture he makes. Wet and gleaming. Muscles flexing.
Athletes have never been my type. Too cocky. Too intimidating. But I can't help but admire Luca's swimmer's build. It's bulkier than the ideal but those shoulders? Broad. Strong. And all mine.
"I could ask you the same thing," I say, clearing my throat and discreetly swiping at my pool for any rogue spots of drool.
