Page 22 of Taken By the Mafia King
“That’s not true.”
He looked me in the eyes, those blue and silver swirls of color, of life, a total contrast to his darkness.
“Do you know why I killed Gabriele de Luca?” he asked. When I didn’t respond, he continued, “I’m going to let you in on a little secret, Seraphina. So that in the future, if you’re given an opportunity to turn to someone for help, you think twice about it.”
I swallowed hard, and his eyes darted to the column of my throat.
“Gabriele died at my hands because I found his weakness. His love for someone greater than his desire to survive. That washis downfall. Not a debt, not being in the wrong place at the wrong time, not his greed. Love.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You love Emma,” he purred. I went rigid, fear crippling my senses as tears began to well in my eyes. “Don’t you? You sounded so broken on that call, Sera. She is your weakness. Had anyone wanted to truly break you, it wouldn’t have been by taking what’s between your thighs, would it?”
I bit back a sob.How dare he?
“Never,” he rasped, “let anyone know how to hurt you so badly it will leave you broken and scared and weak.” He moved closer, his elbows now resting against the door he pinned me to. “Love is the greatest weakness of the strongest man. Don’t forget that. You’re fortunate it was just me listening in on the call.”
My jaw ached from clenching my teeth. “Don’t hurt her.”
“I have no interest in your friends as long as they stay out of my way. If not?” He paused, smiling wickedly. “You know what’ll happen. You’ll watch, Sera, as it happens.”
“You’re fucking evil,” I managed to say through gritted teeth.
He reached up and wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb, his touch sending a rush of heat down my spine.
“Such pretty tears,” he rasped against my cheek, his breath tickling my neck and sending shivers of desire rippling over my skin. “Don’t waste them,bella.”
“Don’t call me that,” I said breathlessly, my voice suddenly so small and weak and broken. His mouth hovered over mine and I felt, at least for a moment, that he might kiss me. I’d welcome it, if only to feel a touch that wasn’t laced with violence.
But he pulled away, looking down at me with a flash of concern as I cowered away from him. His height, his build, his body shadowing me, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking of the way Gabriele had touched me, had risen over me and dominated me.
Did he see that fear? Maybe.
“Boss,” came a voice from the doorway that I recognized as Tommaso. I couldn’t see him over Killian. I didn’t even try to peek around him, not with his gaze fixed firmly on mine and his expression suddenly caring, even if just for a split second before the icy darkness changed his features to something far more familiar.
“What?”
“He’s here. Already.”
Killian kept his eyes on me as he took a deep breath, his chest rising sharply with the action. He turned on his heel and walked away, not looking back as he slipped through the door. Tommaso followed him, glancing in my direction and giving me a small, reassuring smile as he closed the door and locked it behind him.
I sank onto the floor and hugged my knees to my chest, forcing myself to breathe.
A few moments later, I looked up at the window over the desk and noticed the tray of food there. He’d brought it with him. Killian had brought me breakfast.
I sat there for several minutes just trying to wrap my head around what he’d said to me. Then I rose and walked toward the desk, looking down at the eggs, pastries, and fruit. He’d also brought a pitcher of coffee, fresh cream, and a bowl of sugar.
For the first time in days, I sat down and ate my fill.
CHAPTER 19
SERA
My body thanked me for finally eating something and not totally giving up on myself. It spurred me into desperate action. I chipped at the seams on the windows with my fingernails until they cracked and bled. I went through every drawer in the room looking for something to pick the locks with, going as far as to pull a corner of the carpet up to search for nails. Nothing worked.
Eventually I crumpled to the floor and hung my head in my hands, letting the tears fall again, sniffling pathetically as I thought of Emma and Killian’s warning about how stupid I’d been to risk her. The same could be said for Jim, I realized. Emma would tell him, no doubt about it.
I could only hope that Fred would be willing to protect him. He’d always been like a father to me when my own Dad was incapable of doing so. He’d worked for my dad for a long time as a caporegime, tough and powerful and loyal to a T. He was one of the rare few that ever retired from the mafia, and even after I’d left, cut ties and fled, Fred had been kind to me. Calling to check in. Delivering boxes of frozen meat from his son’s deli and butcher shop to my doorstep so I wouldn’t starve my way through college.
