Arranged love

“No, for once, you said exactly how you feel.” I sniff, running my hands down my face to erase the tears, and then I square my shoulders. “You don’t have to pretend you want to be with me. Don’t do me any favors.” I turn, giving him my back, and return to the house. He follows me, but he remains silent.

Entering the back door, I make sure to slam it shut in his face. I hear him let out a curse before it’s ripped open. I don’t stop. Instead, I pick up my pace until I’m running down the hallway to the front of the house and take a right. I pass the guest bathroom and game room before I enter my room and gasp.

My entire Louis Vuitton luggage set sits on the floor at the foot of my bed along with my purse and backpack. “What the …?” I spin around to see Luca leaning against my doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest and eyes on mine. He watches me with a look of annoyance. Like he has somewhere to be, and I’m keeping him against his will. That tightness returns to my chest, and I shake my head as those damn tears begin to sting my eyes once again. “No.” That’s all I can say.

He pushes off the doorframe and walks over to me. I want to back away, but I’m frozen where I stand. Cupping my tear-streaked cheek, he whispers, “You belong to me now, Haven. And it’s time to go home.”

LUCA

Two years ago

I sit on the rock wall, waiting for her to meet me. She told me she’d be here at eight, and it’s now almost nine. I pull the leather jacket tighter around my chest, trying to block out the cold. For some godforsaken reason, it started snowing in Las Vegas twenty minutes ago. And the fact that the sun has set doesn’t help.

Where the fuck is she?

At first, I was worried. I blew up her phone with calls and messages, but she ignored them all.

My teeth grind, and my fists clench. I’m Luca Bianchi, and I don’t wait for any woman.

Making up my mind, I jump down from the wall. Just as I take my first step, I see her brown hair blowing in the wind. She has the white ski jacket on that I bought her last year for Christmas before I went with her and her family on their trip to the Alps.

I shove my hands in the pockets of my leather jacket and start walking over to her. “Where the fuck have you been?” I demand.

She has her head down, staring at the ground. The snow falls on her hair but melts instantly.

“Haven?” I snap, coming up to her. “I’ve been out here freezing my ass off.” Gripping her chin, I force her to look up at me, and her light brown tear-filled eyes meet mine.

“I’m sorry.” Her perfectly white teeth chatter.

“Hey.” I open my jacket and pull her body flush with mine immediately. “What happened?” I rub my hands along her back, trying to warm her up. Her body trembles against mine. “Did something happen at school?” I wonder.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

She’s a senior this year in college. And that thought terrifies me. We haven’t discussed what she will do after graduation. I’ve never had a choice. The family business is what I live for. It’s what I was made for. But her? She could do anything. Go anywhere. The thought of her moving on and walking away from me is paralyzing, but inevitable. Especially since I have no choice but to leave her.

She shakes her head and grips my shirt. “I just need you.”

My chest swells at her words. I love how much she loves me, how much she needs me, but I know she’s lying. “Tell me. What’s wrong? I’ll take care of it.”

I know her father does work with mine. He’s in with the Mafia, and it scares the shit out of me. I’ve seen what they can do. Hell, I’ve done it. I wish I could shield her from what I know waits around the corner because she doesn’t deserve this life. The bloody bodies and blackmail. Maybe her leaving Nevada could be the best thing for her. Maybe me leaving her is the best thing for her.

She pulls back, her dark eyes look up into mine, and a single tear runs down her face. “I love you,” she whispers brokenly.

Reaching up, I cup her cold cheek. “I love you, Haven.”

“Run away with me.”

“What?”

She pulls away from my arms, and I allow it, too stunned by her words. “Run away with me.” She takes my hands, and a smile graces her gorgeous face. “Please, Luca? I know where my father has a lot of money stashed. I can get it, and we can run away. We can change our names and move to an island where no one will ever find us. Just you and me.” She releases me and places her hands flat on my chest.

I remove them and take a step back from her. Her face falls and so does my stomach as I say. “I can’t.”

“You have to. I overheard …” She stops herself. Her eyes widen for the briefest second, and she licks her lips, wrapping her arms around herself.

My jaw tightens. “What did you hear?”

She bites her bottom lip nervously.

“Haven?” I snap, gripping her shoulders. “What did you hear?”

She sniffs. “Your dad was here. And I overheard him telling mine that he’s sending you on a job.”

Fuck!

“You’re going to Italy,” she cries, breaking her silence. “He’s sending you away, Luca. He’s going to make you …” She trails off, staring up at me. Her face morphs from panic, to pain, and then to anger. “You know,” she whispers. “What … when …?” She shakes her head.

I run a hand down my face. “I …”

“Were you going to tell me?” she shouts, shoving my chest.

I didn’t want her to find out this way. “Haven …”

“He’s going to get you killed!” she screams, her fists hitting my chest. “Don’t you see that? You’re not like them, Luca.”

But I am. She doesn’t know about half the shit I’ve done or the people I’ve killed. When she’s around, I always hide the dark and evil side that comes so naturally to me. She makes me think that I can be better. That maybe, just maybe, I don’t have to be a monster.

“Please.” She grips my jacket. “Please don’t go.”

“Haven …”

“Pick me,” she cries, and my chest tightens. If only it were that easy. “Please, run away with me. I’ll give up everything for you, Luca. I’m asking you to do the same.” She drops to her knees as if her legs can no longer hold her up.

I drop to mine as well and pull her small body onto my lap. I close my eyes and hold her. They pop open the moment she shifts to straddle me. Her freezing hands go to either side of my face, but I don’t even flinch. The desperation in her eyes chills me to the bone. “I love you. We can do this. I know we can. We deserve this chance, Luca. To be free and live our lives together. Like we’ve discussed so many times.”

I’ve thought that a million times.

“If not for you, do it for me. I need you.” She licks her chattering lips. “Please don’t leave me. Run away and marry me.”

I cup her face and let out a long breath, knowing I have a choice to make. And I know it’s the right one. “I meant it when I told you I loved you, Haven. More than anything in this world.” Her eyes light up with newfound hope. “And, of course. I’ll do it for you. For us.”