Heartless Prince by Brook Wilder

Chapter 30

Leda

 

Lucas moved aside, and I crossed the room, wrapping my arms around my waist to keep my flimsy robe closed. I thought I heard a sharp intake of breath as I passed by him, and walked up to the bedroom down the hall.

 

The room was dark, but there was a flicker of light on the balcony, and I crossed the room to find an intimate table setting behind the door. Candles danced in the cool night air.

 

“Here,” Lucas said as something settled on my shoulders. I looked down and saw that he’d draped a thick coat—heavy with his scent—over my body. I slid my arms into the large sleeves. It was warm, far warmer than anything I’d been allowed to wear, and a small shudder of satisfaction rolled through me.

 

He was being nice to me.

 

Why was he being nice to me?

 

Was he about to throw me off the balcony?

 

I whirled around to face him, and found him right behind me.

 

God, I never realized before now how tall Lucas was.

 

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Something’s up.”

 

“Something is always up,” Lucas said slowly. “The sun, the stars, maybe even the moon.”

 

“Is this like my last supper or something?” Not that I really wanted to know that it was. I would have preferred for him to strangle me in my sleep or shoot me when I least expected it.

 

To my complete and total surprise, he smiled, and two dimples appeared on his cheeks. Dear God, he was gorgeous when he smiled! Still, the smile never reached his eyes. A shadow clung to the depth of his beautiful blue gaze.

 

“If you want it to be your last supper,” he said. “I can have that arranged. But you will be quite hungry for the next few days.”

 

I stepped back, only because he was so close, and grasped the edges of the coat. “Who are you, and what did you do with Don Valentino?”

 

“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” Lucas answered. “I’m not going to kill you. I’m here to dine with you, Leda.”

 

My conscience told me to run as far away as I could. But where? I was on a balcony. This couldn’t be right. I just got used to his gruff demeanor, but now he was being something completely opposite, and I didn’t know how to handle that very well.

 

Yet I was insanely curious where this night was going to end up.

 

I crossed the threshold and took one of the chairs at the table. Lucas took the other, stretching out his legs before him as he sat.

 

He held his piercing gaze on me, and goosebumps ran down my body—even underneath the thick coat.

 

“So,” he said after a few moments, reaching for his glass. “Did you enjoy my gifts?”

 

I took the wineglass, inhaling the heady scent as I swirled the liquid in the glass. “You conveniently left off the clothing I requested.”

 

As I lifted the glass to my lips, Lucas smirked. “You are dressed how I want you to be, Leda.”

 

The sensual timbre of his voice sent shivers down my spine, and I busied myself by taking a sip of the wine.

 

“Eat,” he continued, his finger tracing the rim of his glass. “I insist.”

 

I pulled the dome off the plate and inhaled the tangy scent of Bolognese. “God, you must have an Italian master in the kitchen.” I picked up a fork.

 

“I have a weakness for pasta dishes,” he responded as I shoved a small forkful of pasta in my mouth.

 

It tasted like heaven, and I moaned as the flavors exploded on my tongue. Lucas sat up straighter in his chair, and that predatory gaze turned heated. I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked down at my pasta, feeling the same wanton need deep in my stomach.

 

“This is really good,” I said quickly, wanting to keep my mind focused on anything other than the fact that Lucas Valentino looked like he wanted to devour me whole.

 

“I want to know about you,” he finally said.

 

I placed the fork down. So that was what he wanted: more information.

 

“I have a brother,” I started hesitantly. “But you knew that already. And he has the cutest little boy.”

 

“You must miss them.”

 

It wasn’t a question but a statement, and my heart squeezed in my chest. I did miss them terribly. After a lifetime of being under my father’s thumb, Nico finally escaped. I thought that I would also find happiness like Nico did with his wife Rory.

 

Instead I was sitting on a balcony with a man who had paid to have me here.

 

Yet, it didn’t feel as bad as I imagined.

 

“I do,” I finally said. “I miss them more than anything in the world.”

 

I’m sure that his son Anthony had already hit some crazy milestones. Rory and Nico both would have been over the moon. We had never had any other babies in our family until Rory came. I had been excited to hear about Anthony’s first word, his first tooth, finding something other than the depravity that was my father’s influence.

 

Something that could be cherished.

 

Something that I should not have mentioned to Lucas Valentino.

 

“What are you going to do?” I asked.

 

“Nothing,” he replied. “I merely wanted to know more about you.”

 

I allowed myself to meet his gaze. His expression was contemplative at best. Did he have a life as fucked up as mine and my brother did?

 

I felt like he did. The way he had shut down when I asked about his past told me more than what I needed to know.

 

He probably wasn’t the type of guy that craved something other than the Mafia life. A life that I desperately wanted to escape from. A life that I was still hopelessly stuck in.

 

Tears threatened and I tried to blink them away.

 

I wouldn’t cry in front of him. I wouldn’t let him see a shred of weakness.

 

“Tell me what’s going on in that pretty head of yours,” Lucas said suddenly, breaking through my thoughts.

 

I looked up, clearing my throat. “What?”

 

“That look,” he responded, his fingers drumming on the table. “I can practically hear you think.”

 

I let out a mirthless laugh. “I doubt that very much.”

 

He didn’t smile as he leaned forward. “What were you thinking about, Leda?”

 

No, you don’t get to fucking ask. “Do you sleep well at night?” I asked suddenly. “With everything you have done in your lifetime?”

 

Lucas widened his eyes, caught off balance by my sudden pivot. “What?”

 

“You see,” I began. “My brother was caught up in the middle of being a Mafia Don, like you. He did some horrible things, but the entire time he had a righteous goal in his mind. So I want to know

 

“Do you sleep well at night, Lucas? Because from where I’m sitting, you have no righteous goal. You’re a black-hearted bastard who likes hurting people.”

 

A hint of a smile crossed his lips, and there was an unreadable hardness behind it. I was rapidly starting to recognize what he would hide behind. Despite what I should have felt for him because of what he did to me, a piece of my heart was also softening.

 

Lucas leaned forward, eyes hard in the candlelight. “I sleep very well, Leda. Even better now that you’re here.”

 

I rolled my eyes and his smile vanished. “Liar.”

 

“Choose your words carefully, Leda.” He said slowly, his expression darkening. “Or else I may punish you.”

 

“Go ahead,” I challenged him. There was a boldness growing inside of me. I mean, what did I have to lose? “You won’t gain anything by it.”

 

His mouth worked, and I saw a vein throbbing at his temple. Here was my chance.

 

“So, you want to know what’s going on in this pretty head of mine? I’ll tell you: I think that you’re hiding something from me. Something that you’re afraid of admitting.

 

“Because like it or not.” I continued. “You forget who my father is in your weird desire to punish him through me. I’ve seen what he’s capable of. And one of the first things he ever taught me was to know when someone was hiding something.” 

 

“In other words: you, Lucas Valentino.” Leaning forward, I pursed my lips. This was going to be either my salvation or my demise. Either way, I couldn’t go wrong. “You are what’s going on in this pretty head of mine.”