Chapter 23: Letting Her Go?

HAYLEY

Hayley’s eyes fluttered open. She was in Luca’s room. Her head was heavy, and she had no idea how long she’d been here.

But she hadn’t forgotten anything—she remembered going to the restaurant, she remembered how Lorenzo Borroni had her tied to a chair, she remembered how he’d forced Luca and her to play a sick game of Russian roulette.

She put her hand to her neck where she’d been sliced. There was gauze stuck to her skin. Luca must have had her looked at.

The room was dark, but she could make out a figure sitting in a chair in the corner of the bedroom. “Luca?”

He stood up and walked to the foot of the bed as she reached over to switch on the bedside table light. It only dimly lit the room, but she could see well enough to take in his appearance.

He was clean and dressed in the usual expensive suit and dress shirt. The cuts on his face were no longer bloody, but they looked sore, and his bruises had darkened.

“Luca. You’re okay.” She sighed and looked into his chocolate-brown eyes. There was a remoteness there that surprised her.

“How are you feeling?” he asked flatly, and she shrugged.

“How long have I been out?”

“We were found in the early hours, and you fell asleep in the car. It’s five p.m., Hayley.”

“Shit. I have work.” She jumped out of the bed and looked down at herself. She was wearing one of his shirts. “Where are my clothes?”

He went over to the dresser, took out her clothes from last night, and handed them to her.

She turned her back to quickly remove the shirt and put on her navy lace dress. “I’m going to have to go. We’ll talk later, yeah?” Her shift started at six p.m., and she still had to cross the city.

She went to pass Luca, but he took her by the arm, and when she looked up at him, his face was hard and serious.

“Luca, what the—”

But he cut her off. “Hayley, there will be no later for us.”

Her mouth dropped open.

“It was whatever it was, but that’s it.”

She fiercely pulled her arm away from him and stepped back. “It was what it was?” she said harshly, but he didn’t move, just continued to look at her impassively. “I nearly put a bullet in my head, you arsehole.”

She was so furious she could barely contain herself, and he just stood there like a freaking statue! She violently pushed her palms against his chest, and he stepped back from the force.

“I didn’t ask you to,” he said in a low voice.

Her anger boiled over as he uttered those words, and she raised her hand to hit him. But he was quicker than she was. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her close.

She could feel his breath on her face as they locked eyes. “I said I would only let you hit me once, sweetheart,” he whispered in a threatening tone.

She yanked her hand away and then stepped back herself. She couldn’t believe she’d risked her life for him. She was in far too deep, and for no good reason.

“I’m just another bed warmer to you, aren’t I?” she asked bitterly.

When he just shrugged, she yelled, “Fucking answer me, Luca!”

He stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders, taking her by surprise. “What the hell do you want me to say?” he said, losing his cool at last. “I’m a piece of shit?

“I don’t do relationships, I don’t love, and believe it or not, Hayley, I don’t want you anymore.”

Tears were stinging her eyes, but she refused to cry, didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. “But—”

“But what, Hayley?” He laughed scornfully. “Did you think you were special? A girl I would commit to?”

Something inside her tore in two as she fought against his grip. She wanted to get as far away from him as she possibly could, but when he let go of her, she felt a tear escape and run down her cheek.

“You ~are~ a piece of shit!” she said with all the hate she could muster.

She fiercely wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I did everything to stay away from you, but you wouldn’t leave me alone.” How did she end up back in this position? Hadn’t she learned her lesson all those years ago?

“And I never believed I was special. I just thought you had some human emotion underneath that stone façade.”

“You were wrong.”

She nodded and pressed her lips together. “I guess I was, wasn’t I?”

She walked to the bedroom door and fumbled with her shoes. It was hard getting them on since her hands were shaking and tears were flowing down her face.

“This is all on you. I warned you, Hayley.”

Shoes now on, she took a deep breath and turned to look at him.

“I told you I didn’t love,” he growled. “I didn’t want it to be like this.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t want this either,” she lied. But she knew he hadn’t bought it.

“Goodbye, Luca.”

She pulled open the door and slammed it closed behind her.

***

Her tears were relentless as she flew through the house, out the front door, and into the pouring rain. She dropped to her knees on the gravel and sobbed.

Why? What had she done to deserve this? How did this man manage to make her feel on cloud nine one minute and in the pits of hell the next?

She staggered to her feet—she had to get away from this house—just as a car pulled up. Three men got out, and the only one she recognized was Nic.

“Vai. Go tell the boss what happened,” he told the other two, who went past Hayley to the front door of the house.

Hayley tried to walk past Nic, but he stepped in front of her and put his palms up.

“Whoa, whoa. Hayley, what’s going on?”

She took a deep breath and released it. “Nothing I didn’t see coming. I’m just another piece of skirt to him, another name in his little black book.” She rolled her eyes.

Nic looked up, and Hayley followed his gaze to a window. Luca was there, calmly puffing on a cigarette.

Nic looked back at Hayley. “He told you this?”

She nodded, and he sighed.

“Come, I’ll drive you home.”

He put his hand behind her lower back—not touching, just guiding her to the car—then opened the back passenger door for her and got in the driver’s seat.

Hayley wanted to say no, that she was capable of getting herself home, but she couldn’t be bothered to argue—and she doubted Nic would listen anyway.

She put her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. What had possessed her to let that man into her life? Why had she allowed herself to get sucked in by the devil himself?

As she threw her head back against the seat, she caught Nic’s eyes in the mirror.

“Nic?” she whispered. “Can you take me to the club? I have to go to work.”

When Nic nodded and smiled weakly, she sighed.

They drove the rest of the way in silence, Hayley just staring at the world outside her window.

***

She thanked Nic as she got out, then ran through the rain into the staff entrance of the club. She got some funny looks as she walked through the back-door hallway—she was wearing a dress and was soaked through.

“Hayley?” Siobhan appeared in front of her. “You look like hell. What happened?”

Hayley began to cry, and Siobhan hurried to her and put her hands on her shoulders, then led her to one of the side dressing rooms and locked the door.

She sat Hayley on the couch in the room and sat beside her.

Between sobs, Hayley told Siobhan about being taken by Lorenzo, the game he made them play, and how she was treated by Luca when she woke up.

“I’m so mad at myself!” she wailed.

There was a quiet knock on the door, and Siobhan answered it, then closed the door behind the waitress who’d brought them two whiskeys. She returned to sit beside Hayley and handed her a glass.

“I ~knew~ he was a bad idea,” Hayley said. “I should have stayed well away.” She took a sip of the burning liquid.

Siobhan sighed. “Little bird, you two are like a hurricane and a volcano.”

Hayley just looked blankly at her boss and friend.

Siobhan nodded. “Both stubborn and filled with passion, so when you come together it will never end well.”

“Well, we won’t be coming together again,” Hayley said forcefully. “I’ve been burned by him before.” She sighed and shook her head. “I thought I learned from my first love how not to be burned twice.”

Siobhan took her hand. “Luca hasn’t hurt you?” she pressed.

Hayley shook her head, a part of her regretting ever telling Siobhan about Alex.

“No. But I think the things he said hurt more than any physical injury.”

“I’m sorry, little bird.” Siobhan sighed as she squeezed Hayley’s hands. “But maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Being in love with a mobster is no easy task, and the heartache always outweighs any pros.”

Hayley nodded. She knew Siobhan was right.

Siobhan gave her the rest of the night off, and as she slipped into a taxi, Hayley looked forward to a bath, some wine, and a night away from Luca Marcello.

LUCA

It was after midnight when Luca walked into the Venetian Lounge with Nic and Frankie.

He looked around at the room full of men watching women, and his eyes scanned over the bar Hayley normally worked at. Only Ben was there, with Ava on the pole above.

Nic told him earlier that he’d brought Hayley here, but also that Luca should stay away from her.

He looked up at the VIP booths. One was free, so he led the way to it.

When the waitress brought them some whiskey, Frankie sighed. “I am so in need of this drink.” His eyes followed the waitress as she walked away, and Luca snorted.

Typical Frankie. “Is Jonas gone?” he asked his friend.

“Yep. And his wife has been given a generous bouquet. He never said much in the end, though, only that Lorenzo is growing in strength and numbers.”

Luca nodded solemnly as he took a sip of his drink, his eyes scanning the club relentlessly.

“The waiter from the restaurant said Borroni threatened his family if he didn’t help,” Nic said. “I reminded him that we can offer protection, but apparently Borroni already had his daughter.”

Luca didn’t care.

He didn’t care about excuses—he just wanted to know how Borroni had managed to get to him. He didn’t care about the threats—everyone knew the Marcellos looked after anyone who looked after them.

“Where are he and Nate?” Luca asked, remembering the young driver who’d delivered him and Hayley to be tortured and nearly killed.

“They’re both at the lockup still. Ric and Dom are waiting for your instructions on what to do with them.”

Luca had no choice. They’d both betrayed him, and they both posed a risk. He had to have them killed. “I can’t be seen to show mercy; I can’t be weak.”

Both Nic and Frankie nodded.

“Kill them both and make sure they’re found on Borroni territory. We need to let him know I find out everything.”

Frankie stood up and left, taking his phone.

“What happened with you and Hayley?” Nic asked, pouring himself another glass of whiskey.

“She wanted a relationship. I can’t do that to her,” Luca said with as much honesty as he could muster. As much as he trusted Nic, he couldn’t appear to have any kind of weakness.

“So she was just another Arianna?”

Luca shook his head as he brought the glass to his mouth. “No. Arianna I can go back to without a commitment. I can’t with Hayley.”

Nic nodded, and the pair continued to sip their whiskey in silence.

“Luca!” Siobhan barked as she came around the corner of the booth, then rested her hands affectionately on Nic’s shoulders as she stood behind him. “And hello, Nic. Son.”

Nic looked up at her and returned her warm smile. “Hello, Siobhan.”

She turned to Luca and sent him a vicious glare, and he just rolled his eyes before knocking back the rest of his drink.

Nic smirked as he slid out of the booth. “Um… I’m gonna look for Frankie. Good luck, Boss.”