Heartless Prince by Brook Wilder

 

 

 

Chapter 57

Lucas

 

This was too fucking hard.

 

I clenched my jaw tightly, not wanting to look back at Leda now. I heard the gasp of recognition. She knew where we were, and all I really wanted to do was push her back into the car and drive off.

 

But as my fucking heart wanted to do one thing, my brain reminded me that this was the only choice I had.

 

I hated it. I hated myself.

 

I’m sorry, Leda. I’m so fucking sorry.

 

“Lucas?”

 

Turning, I found Leda staring at me, her face pale. “What are we doing here?” she whispered.

 

“Leda, I—” I started, not sure what to tell her.

 

How could I tell her that she was the most important thing in my life, but I had to give her up? How could I even look at her right now, knowing I was about to hand her off to another fucking Don?

 

My hand clenched in a fist. Leda was mine. But I couldn’t keep her right now. No matter how much I wanted to.

 

“Lucas, why are we here?” Leda’s head shook slightly. “Lucas, please. Why are we here?”

 

I could hear the unmistakable panic in her voice tugging at my heartstrings.

 

I closed the distance between us, fighting everything I had not to touch her. Because I knew that the moment I touched her, I wouldn’t be able to do what was necessary.

 

“Tell me this is some sick, twisted joke,” she continued. “Tell me that you are going to tell me to get back in the car, Lucas.

 

“Tell me that this isn’t happening!”

 

“I’m sorry,” I told her, every word a dagger stabbing into both our hearts. “I have to.”

 

Leda’s eyes widened, and she took a few steps back.

 

“No, please don’t do this. Whatever I did, I won’t do it again. Please don’t put me back there. Please!”

 

The terror in her voice was real, and I hated it. I couldn’t comfort her. Hell, I didn’t know what she was about to face out there or who would be the one to take her. I couldn’t tell her that this was tearing me in two, that I hated this more than anything else in the world. I didn’t want to give her up.

 

Some would call me a coward, and maybe I was.

 

“You didn’t do anything wrong.”

 

Tears sparkled in her beautiful eyes. “You lied!” she cried. “You said you would protect me!

 

“You said you loved me!”

 

I did. I do.

 

That was what she didn’t understand, and I didn’t expect her to, but I loved her to the point of it physically hurting. Adrian wasn’t going to stop, and he was demanding for me to make a point with Leda, to save the Mafia.

 

Without that, Adrian would destroy me. And it wouldn’t matter then if Leda was with me or not. Her death would be nearly guaranteed.

 

“I’m so sorry, Leda,” I told her. “I truly am.”

 

I nodded at Rocco. I couldn’t bring myself to touch her again.

 

Rocco gently grabbed her by the shoulder, and she physically tried to fight him.

 

“Let’s go, girl,” he stated, grabbing her wrists and placing the zip tie there.

 

She called my name, called for me to save her, to take her away from here. Instead, I turned away. I had to turn away. Her voice was breaking my own heart. Her despair was ripping out my very soul.

 

By the time I got to the door, I had composed myself, sliding behind the mask of indifference. This shit better work, or I was going to tear Adrian’s limbs from his body.

 

“Good evening, Don Valentino,” the auctioneer stated when I reached the double doors leading to the auction room. “I’m surprised to see you bringing your purchase back yourself.”

 

“I have a special interest in this one,” I replied evenly. “To see where she goes, of course.”

 

The auctioneer didn’t even bat an eye. “Of course. You know the rules, Don Valentino.”

 

I held up my arms and allowed the wand to be dragged over my body, ignoring the way that the bouncer at the door patted me down. No weapons were allowed in the auction room. Otherwise, it would be the perfect place to carry out a hit or to get rid of an enemy.

 

As much as I hated to go in blind, what they didn’t realize was that I was just as dangerous with my bare hands as I was with any weapon. Cosimo had molded me into an enforcer that needed neither steel nor bullets to kill someone. Those very skills would be used tonight.

 

“He’s clean.” the bouncer grunted and stepped back.

 

“Well then,” the auctioneer replied, tapping her red nail against her tablet. “All I need is your thumb, Don Valentino.”

 

I pressed my thumb to the screen, and watched for the green light.

 

When it happened, the auctioneer stepped back with a satisfied nod. “Go right on in. Enjoy your night.”

 

I pushed the door open and stepped into the velvet opulence that was the auction house. Every don was given admittance as long as he followed the rules. Cosimo had left me his card to show on my first visit. The last time I was here was when Leda had gone up for auction.

 

And now I was back, about to watch her go up on that block again. I didn’t know how I was going to handle it.

 

There were curved black sofas in the greeting room, but I bypassed them, ignoring the looks as I walked through.

 

“Something to drink, Don Valentino?” the bartender asked by way of greeting.

 

“Lagavulin, neat. Make it a double,” I said. I wanted to forget everything that had happened from the time I climbed out of the car to now, but there wasn’t enough alcohol in the entire fucking world for that to happen.

 

For the rest of my life, I would be haunted by Leda’s devastated face and her desperate screams for me to save her. And the knowledge that I just watched as she was let go.

 

The bartender pushed the scotch in front of me and I took it in my hand, throwing it back in one swift gulp, not bothering to savor the taste. The liquor burned a fiery path down my throat, and I relished in it. Even if it wouldn’t do anything to dull the pain, it sure was going to help me forget it for a while.

 

“Don Valentino.”

 

I turned to find Don Salasito behind me, curiosity in his gaze. He wasn’t much older than I was. But unlike me, he had gotten the title like many of the others here: through the death of his father. I really didn’t like the fucker. His smile was too oily and his eyes roamed where they shouldn’t. But he hadn’t done anything to wrong me. Not yet. So I tolerated him.

 

“Don Salasito,” I said.

 

“Are the rumors true?” He asked , motioning for a drink. “Did you bring the D’Agostino bitch back to the auction block?”

 

I clenched my hand to keep from wiping the grin from his face with my fist. “I guess you will have to wait like everyone else.”

 

He chuckled as the vodka was pushed in front of him. “Frankly, I was surprised to hear she was still alive given your, well, your reputation. Tired of her already? What was she like? Tell me all the details. She looked like she can suck a mean dick.”

 

Fuck you.

 

Scowling, I watched as the asshole picked up his drink. It would be so easy for me to smash the glass into his face, and draw a thin red line across his throat.

 

“That’s none of your fucking business.”

 

“Watch your mouth, Valentino.,” The smile dropped from his face and all pretense of friendly banter disappeared. His hand clenched around his glass. “I’ve heard that your family isn’t as strong as it once was. And don’t think I forgot what you really are. You’ll be back to turning old tricks real fucking soon.”

 

I didn’t react to his words. “Good to see you, too Salasito.”

 

He didn’t have a chance to respond.

 

The doors opened and captured the attention of everyone in the room. “The auction will begin momentarily.”

 

It was time. I followed the crowd into the room and took my customary stance in the back of, crossing my arms over my chest. I fucking hated everything and everyone in this room right now.

 

It wasn’t long before the auctioneer took her place, smiling at the crowd.

 

“First up, one that has been here before with us, and we are pleased to see her again.”

 

I swallowed hard as Leda was pushed out onto the stage, wearing a black silk negligee. It took all I had not to rush the stage and cover her with my coat.

 

Her eyes were searching the room. Was she looking for me? Would she hate me when she saw me? Fuck. She looked terrified, and this was all my fault. My stomach twisted in knots as the buzz about the room started to build again.

 

“Leda D’Agostino,” the auctioneer stated, a cruel smile on her lips. “The bidding will begin at five million.”

 

Far more than they had started out with the first time. There was a bite immediately, but I ignored the bid, watching Leda’s face as she scanned the sea of faces before her. I didn’t want her to see me. I didn’t want to see the hope fade from her eyes when she did.

 

It was one of the main reasons I had stuck to the shadows of the back of the room. 

 

“Eight million.”

 

The voice caught my attention, and I frowned, searching the room myself now. What the fuck?

 

I had to be hearing things.

 

“Eight million going once!” the auctioneer called out. “Eight million going twice!”

 

I finally found the source of the voice, my blood raging. Adrian met my eyes and smirked, giving me a nod as the auctioneer indicated that Leda had been sold.

 

To him.

 

I pushed my way through the crowd and grabbed him by the hem of his shirt. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I seethed, keeping my voice low.

 

“I heard you put her back up on the auction block tonight,” he replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “I had to make sure you had actually done it.”

 

“You don’t have eight million,” I growled as the next auction started.

 

“Oh, I don’t?” he challenged, a glint in his eye. “You know. Oddly enough, I suddenly came into quite a bit of extra money, you see. Just enough to buy Leda D’Agostino to make sure she doesn’t end up in your bed again. You see, I had the good grace to ask her father for permission first.” He leaned in, brushing imaginary lint from my shoulder. “So all of this? Done with the old man’s blessing.”

 

I didn’t reply, stepping back so that I wouldn’t be tempted to do something to him like bash his face in. “You lay a finger on her, and I will fucking kill you.”

 

Adrian smirked. “She’s mine now, Don. Surely you will respect that.”

 

He didn’t wait for my answer, walking away to pay his fees and gather his prize.

 

“Calm down,” Rocco grabbed my arm. “You don’t want to make a scene. Not right now.”

 

“That fucking bastard,” I seethed, my eyes still on the spot where Adrian had vanished to. “He played me like a fucking fiddle.”

 

He wanted what I had. Not just the title.

 

Everything.

 

“You can’t go after him,” Rocco cautioned. “Not here.”

 

He told me that giving up Leda meant peace within the Mafia. The fucker played me.

 

“Come on,” Rocco was saying. “It’s over. We gotta go.”

 

But I couldn’t, and he knew that. I had fucked this up. I had put Leda on that auction block because I thought it was the only option I had. Instead, I betrayed the one person I loved more than anything in the world.

 

And now, all I wanted was to get Leda back.

 

“Shit,” Rocco swore. “You are going to do something that I am going to regret, aren’t you?”

 

I ground out my jaw. “I have to.”

 

“Like I said before,” Rocco sighed. “You are going to be the death of me.”