His Twisted Heart by Ellie R Hunter
Chapter Ten
Victoria
“Why are we going into town?”
Lockdown is over, but we’re still under certain rules from Cas with our comings and goings. For one, Luca and I are not supposed to be out this late on our own, but when Luca texted, asking me if I wanted to go for a drive, I wasn’t going to say no.
“You’re the one who wanted to come. Just wait.”
Rolling my eyes, I fiddle with the radio and grin when I hear the awesome Janis Joplin’s “Cry” spilling out of the old, tiny speakers.
Turning it up, I’ve barely sat back when Luca turns it off.
“Hey!”
“I’d rather listen to you talk,” he huffs, making me laugh.
I turn it back on, swatting his hand away when he goes to turn it off again.
Singing along, I pat my thighs in time with the beat. Rolling his neck, he side-eyes me, gripping the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles turn white.
Not at all bothered, I continue singing, only louder, and undo my belt. Leaning across the bench seat, I shuffle closer to him while singing into his ear, pleased he has no way of escaping me.
“You’re so annoying, you know that?” he nags, fighting back a smile.
Running my tongue along his jaw, I grab onto his bulge and start to sing quietly.
Shifting in his seat, I’m surprised at how well he maintains his focus on the road, even as he hardens in my palm.
“You’re going to make me crash.”
The truck stops, but not because he wants to do something about his hard-on. We’re on a quiet street, somewhere normal people live. Sitting back, Luca grabs my wrist. “You’ll pay for this later. But for now, look over there.” He points to the house at the bottom of the street, not far from where we’re parked. Sliding back to the passenger side, I look at the house, thinking there’s nothing special about it that I can see.
“That’s where Lily lives.”
Unbuckling himself, he scoots across the seat until he’s close enough to breathe down my neck.
Slipping his hand under my top, a growl rumbles from deep inside his chest when he discovers I’m not wearing a bra, and he pinches my nipple. It’s hard to concentrate when he starts talking.
“Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to erase her permanently,” he whispers, his warm breath caressing my skin. He kneads and squeezes, moving from one breast to the other, while continuing to whisper his violent desires to me.
“I hear brothers talking about killing, wondering who has the ability to pull the trigger and who doesn’t. Me? I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot that whore.”
“What’s stopping you?” My voice is breathless, and the need for him to move his hand lower, under my skirt, overwhelms me.
“It’d be too easy. There’d be no long-lasting satisfaction.”
“So? Why are we here tonight?”
“We’re going to fuck with her a little.”
Swivelling around to face him, I’m so turned on, I could combust.
“I think we should fuck around ourselves. It would be very satisfying.”
The corner of his mouth raises, and one of his rare laughs fills the truck.
“You hot for me, Tor?”
“Yes.” My response comes out as more of a hiss.
“Then I believe we’re even. But first, I need your phone.”
Sitting back, he turns off the radio. Handing him my phone, he types in a number and puts it on speaker when it starts ringing.
“Hello, Lily speaking.”
Luca’s eyes darken, which is eerie because they’re too bright of a green to do so. “Why are you at home, Lily?”
“Luca,” Lily snaps. “Leave me the hell alone.”
He barks out a menacing laugh. “The day my mom doesn’t have to see you around will be the day I leave you alone. I gave you twenty-four hours to leave town, and here we are, ten days later, and you’re still here. Did you think I’d forgotten about you?”
“Don’t call here again. I’m hanging up now.”
“That’s okay. I’ll just watch from here.”
Luca ends the call, and moments later, Lily appears in the window, looking up the street until she sees our truck.
Her fear shines brighter than the streetlamp, and Luca laughs again.
My phone rings, and Luca takes his time answering, but puts it to his ear this time and not on speaker.
“You don’t get to give me orders, whore. I’m just letting you know I can get to you wherever you’re in this town. Like I said, leave, and I won’t bother you ever again.”
Ending the call a second time, he tosses me my phone back and starts up the truck and pulls away from the curb.
“I can’t see her leaving because you park outside her house and call her phone.”
Kicking my feet up on the dash, I don’t bother with the radio and roll down my window, letting the late evening breeze whip my hair around my face.
“Start small, Tor, and eventually…”
He doesn’t continue, which frustrates me.
“And eventually what?”
“The last house she lived in, she set fire to it. With her history of keeping secrets from the club, it wouldn’t be difficult to burn this house down with her inside, eventually.”
“Do you hate her that much?”
“That’s the thing, babe, I don’t hate her. I feel nothing when it comes to her. When I think of how she makes my mom feel, there’re no line I wouldn’t cross to make it right. She could be anyone.”
Sometimes his darkness hits me like a bolt of lightning. He can’t be this way because of Sara leaving him. I’ve heard Aunt Alannah talking with Mom, telling her Luca’s emptiness worries her most nights as she falls asleep. But being around him… well, once you get past his bitchy attitude, you conclude that’s all it is—a bad attitude.
Hold on… Did he call me babe? He fucking did. I’m too busy having a meltdown at the term of endearment that I miss him driving past the turnoff for the club.
“Where are you taking me now? Have someone else on your shit list?”
Ignoring me, he simply answers, “I’m taking you home.”
“But I thought—”
“What have I told you about thinking or speaking?”
This time, I ignore him, replacing my disappointment with a coy smile.
“I would’ve thought you’d want to relieve yourself after our little mishap earlier?”
“You’re so considerate,” he snorts. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll have a cold shower.”
“Such a waste,” I sigh, making him chuckle.
It’s been nice hearing him laugh tonight, but come tomorrow, I doubt I’ll ever hear it again.
He pulls over at the start of my driveway, where my dad’s motorcycle is parked next to my mom’s car.
“Will I see you tomorrow?” I dare ask as I open the door.
“I have no idea. Night, Tor.”
Jumping down from the truck, I slam the door shut and head inside. I don’t look back, because I know he won’t be watching.
“Is that you, Victoria?” Mom calls out once I’m inside.
“Yeah.”
Plodding through to the kitchen, I find Mom sitting on Dad’s lap, and I thank my lucky starts that I didn’t arrive five minutes later. My parents aren’t like most. Their love for each other is still as strong as when they first got together, and they don’t care where in the house they get jiggy with it if they think they’re alone.
“Where have you been? It’s getting late.”
“I was out with Luca.”
Dad frowns.
“What business have you got with him?”
Oh, you know, fucking him and wanting him to fall in love with me. Just the usual.
“He’s my friend, Dad. I don’t know why you’re so surprised, seeing as we’ve known each other our whole lives.”
And if I have my way, someday, he’ll be more than my friend.