The Recluse Heir by Monique Moreau

9

Fucking hell, this discussion with Cat topped the charts in terms of raw agony. It was fucking killing me. The light in her bright eyes dimmed and turned glassy with unshed tears. I had done that to her. If it would help, I’d rip my beating heart out of my chest and hand it to her to crush under her dainty little shoe. At least I had the wherewithal to admit that our powerful attraction was mutual. I could never let her walk away thinking that I didn’t want her. That would’ve been a travesty and an outright lie.

I tapped on my horn at a pedestrian jaywalking diagonally across the street, tugging his dog behind him. Fuck, I hated this city. Especially in the summer. In Manhattan, the buildings practically touched the sky, blocking the sun’s rays even in the middle of the day. People swarmed everywhere, the noise was constant and the traffic brutal. There was no space, no greenery. The stifled, cramped trees with cement or grates plastered over their roots didn’t count in my book. The miserable place—dirty, noisy, and oppressive—left me with a headache.

Instead of spending the entire summer in L.A., I’d spent the last two weeks there. Working nonstop. I got as much done as possible and cleared my schedule so that I could be back to shuttle Cat to her class and back home. Things were heating up in L.A. The small mafie family that no one had paid attention to took issue with us for encroaching on what they perceived as their property, but what we equally regarded as free, unmarked territory. I’d met the şef of the Hagi clan. Although small, I could attest that they were a feisty bunch. Feisty was best treated with kid gloves. For now.

If an issue came up out West, I’d take the red-eye and be back before Cat’s next class because no one was taking my place. Over my dead body would Simu ever drive her. That fucker had to be kept in check. Knowing that he pressed his lips against hers made me to want to smash my fist through the windshield. This had nothing to do with our rivalry. This was all Cat. I wanted each and every one of her kisses and touches.

After she told me about those innocent kisses he’d stolen, swear to God, I was about to turn the car around and tear that man to shreds. Fucking poacher. I didn’t give a shit that they thought they were promised to each other. Fuck that. He shouldn’t have touched her. Period. The only reason I didn’t go beat his ass was because I wouldn’t have gotten away with it without breaking her confidence. But his time would come.

For the first time, I learned what it felt like to be possessive, and…I gave zero fucks about it. To keep hold of my sanity, I’d soon have to extract an oath from her to stay away him. One day, I’d get my revenge. The reason? Because he’d touched what was mine.

Stop.

She’s not yours.

Try telling my heart and my dick.

I was living through hell, but I didn’t give a rat’s ass. I was prepared to suffer any amount of pain to be around her. To check her out in that sweet little dress, with the hem riding up her thighs. Or the way her bare shoulders gleamed in the light coming in through the windows. Her enticing floral peach scent alone had my cock in a chokehold.

It was excruciating, and yet…I couldn’t get enough.

A tense silence had descended between us. Not knowing what to say, but unable to take the silence any longer, I burst out, “Well, I’m sure you’ve heard about my father and his enormous faux pas.”

Cat turned to face me with a blank look.

“You know…” I made a little waving motion with one hand as if that could somehow hurry along her memory and we could get past the humiliating acknowledgment that my father was a cheating son of a bitch who should’ve had his balls cut off. Christ, am I a glutton for punishment or what?

A frown marred her smooth forehead and she pursed her lips in an expression of concentration that was cute as fuck.

Shaking her head, she said, “No, I don’t think I have. I haven’t been around much these last six years, and my best friend is from school. I try to keep to myself and avoid the other Romanian girls from the neighborhood, because honestly, they can be catty.”

I stared at her like she’d sprouted two heads. A Romanian mafie girl who wasn’t on top of the latest scandal? A Romanian mafie princess who wasn’t absorbed in our world of intrigue? If I wasn’t such a good judge of character, I’d have thought she was pulling my leg. I knew for certain that Cat was the furthest thing from manipulative as a person could get.

“How did Alex introduce Sebastian and Emma to you?” I asked curiously.

“As your brother and sister,” she replied straightaway.

“Didn’t you find it strange that he introduced you to an additional set of siblings?” I prompted.

That adorable expression of concentration returned.

“Now that you mention it, there’s only ever been the four of you. Alex, you, Nicu, and Tasa. It was so hectic that weekend, I guess I hadn’t noticed.”

“Yeah, well, they’re our siblings by another mother,” I replied, blowing out a breath.

“You don’t like them?” she queried.

“Sebastian’s a stand-up guy, and Emma is funny and sweet, although she shares the same stubborn streak that Tasa has. It’s my father’s betrayal of my mother that I can’t forgive.”

She gave a little sound, half snort, half huff. “I’m baffled when we pretend to be better than we are. We create this honor code to make it seem like we’re virtuous, but considering what our families do to survive, I can’t see how you’re surprised by his behavior. You and I both know that it’s by far one of the milder things your father has done.”

“While I appreciate you calling out the fake bullshit, it’s rare that anyone notices, much less says anything about it. I would know better than anyone how deep hypocrisy can run in a family, but I still believe in loyalty. We’re supposed to treat family better than the way we treat people on the outside,” I ground out. “At least, in principle.”

“And how often are we able to keep up that pretense?” she scoffed.

“For such a pretty, young thing, you’re quite jaded. And to top it off, you’re a woman. It’s not like you’ve engaged in any of the unsavory activities we men are routinely forced to partake in.”

“I’ve witnessed them,” she replied softly. “And that was bad enough.”

Fuck, how did I forget?Impulsively, I reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry, beautiful. You should’ve never seen that.”

She shook her head slightly. “No worries. I suppose, you’re right. I am jaded. Seeing the father you’ve admired your entire life kill a man in cold blood can do that. And I don’t even have cause to complain. My father and brother treat me well, and I’ve seen many fathers over the years. Not all of them can leave what they do during the day at the door. My father’s ability to compartmentalize is impressive, but I operate under the assumption that it’s the exception, not the rule. How can a man not let violence bleed into other aspects of his life?”

Her observation hit a little too close to home. My father did let it bleed in. He confined his abuse to me, but with me, it was no holds barred. Hell, he used methods on me that he’d used on men he’d tortured.

Impulsive. Contrarian. Reckless.The words came out in a staccato rhythm between the thwacks of his belt against my back, the buckle catching the flesh of my ribs and tearing into it. I absorbed each of his insults into my fucking soul and swore to never release them. I would become all that he accused me of and more. Not only would I not try to change. I would make sure never to change. What he hated most, I would preserve and nurture.

“We’re supposed to be able to separate them. To protect you from the ugliness.”

“I understand where that impulse comes from, but every single member of a clan is implicated. Having the veil ripped off did me good. It made me stronger,” she replied. “I don’t live in a protected little bubble like so many other mafie girls. It also changed my life for the better. I was able to go to a prestigious school. My loneliness forced me to focus on academics. I would’ve become a pampered, spoiled mafie princess if I had stayed in Queens.”

She paused, her forehead creasing in concentration. “My father tried to shield me, but sometimes, bad things happen. Especially in our world. At least it was an accident. He hadn’t failed me on purpose, like some men. Some take their entitlement too far or exploit their power to do whatever they want, regardless of who they hurt. Like your father did by cheating on your mother.”

“Not only cheated on her. He maintained an entirely separate family for decades,” I clarified.

She pulled back; her eyes flared wide. “Oh, that is bad.”

She really hadn’t heard the whole sordid story of how my father kept a separate household with an American woman. Apparently, he’d had photos of us children scattered around the house when Sebastian and Emma were growing up. How fucking twisted was that?

“If only it stopped there, I would’ve considered myself lucky,” I huffed out. “He was a bastard, through and through.”

I snapped my mouth shut before I gave away any more.

Shit, I’d gone too far.

I made a disgusted sound from the back of my throat. Should I go on? Should I reveal what he was really like? I’d never spoken about it with anyone but Tatum, and only because he’d found me, bound and gagged in a closet, in a dog crate no less, when he and Alex were playing a game of hide-and-seek. That was when he began inviting me over for sleepovers at his house and we created our own independent friendship, despite our two-year age difference. Even knowing that he pitied me, he was one of the few people I allowed in. It was a sign of how lonely and desperate I was at that time.

My father ingrained in me a culture of silence, to protect my siblings. I didn’t have to protect Cat, but I’d just finished spouting off that it was our duty to protect our women from the brutality of our world. On the other hand, she herself said that she was strong. I had seen glimpses of that steel in her spine. It was part of what attracted me to her.

Always so perceptive, Cat’s head snapped toward me.

Eyes narrowed, she demanded, “What is it?”

Her eyes glided over the tension in my facial muscles down to my clenched jaw. “Tell me, Luca. Tell me. I know you want to protect me from the ugliness, but I don’t break easily.” Her voice dropped. “I can handle whatever your secret is. I want to know, and I promise that you can trust me.”

Fuck, that little speech hobbled me. How could I deny her?

The quiet hum in the tight confines of the car resembled a confessional of sorts. We were in a small, hushed space, with little noise outside the occasional honk penetrating our bubble. Although we didn’t know each other well, we had shared intense private moments, creating a shared sense of security and intimacy. Perhaps it was the way she’d been so brave and honest with me earlier. Either way, I had the urge to speak of what he’d done to me. To speak my truth.

“You’ll find Nicu and Alex have a very different view of my father than I do,” I began. She pivoted her body toward me in anticipation, her full attention on me.

Clutching the steering wheel tightly, I focused ahead and continued, “Rebellion wasn’t tolerated with my father, but as my mother told it, I’d been a rebel right out of the womb. I always chafed against rules and regulations. My disobedience provoked him, and he allowed himself a free hand. Over time, I embraced the label and went out of my way to antagonize him.”

“Allowed a free hand? What does that mean exactly?” Cat asked me, concern lining her sweet face.

I gave a little shrug. “Means that when he was pissed off about something, he came home and beat the hell out of me.”

She remained silent.

“I provoked him with my behavior—”

“Don’t,” she cut me off abruptly, eyes flashing in anger.

I shook my head. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t say it’s your fault or lay the blame on yourself in any way. You were a child. His son. He was an adult. His job was to take care of you, not hurt you or take advantage of you because you were smaller and weaker than he was. You do know that, right?”

No one had ever said that to me. Not even Tatum, who mostly sat and listened, which had been a gift in and of itself. But what Cat said to me? Removing me from the equation and laying the responsibility squarely on my father’s shoulders was mind-bending. It left me a little light-headed. I had spent years attempting to understand his behavior, justifying it to try to make sense of what I had lived through.

In a single moment, she’d summarized the years of relentless torture and simultaneously judged him for it. It wasn’t your fault, is what I heard. It was on him. He was the adult, the father. I was the child, the helpless one, and he’d taken advantage of that inequity. I already knew Cat was smart and perceptive, but she became my savior in that moment. By being there for me, by succinctly stripping away the excuses for his behavior, she’d gifted me with the freedom that eluded me for years. I’d never be able to repay her, and that only bound me to her more securely.

“I know it now,” I replied.

The car rolled to a stop at a red light at the corner of the college. To our left was the towering crenellated black entrance gate framing Barnard Hall, a three-level red brick building with Corinthian columns.

As we waited for the light to change, she asked, “What did he do to you, Luca?”

She wanted the details, and I was powerless to keep them from her, even if it shamed me to admit to having once been so weak. But if I could be weak with anyone, it was with her.

“He was into punishment and humiliation. He tried to break my spirit. There were the usual beatings and whippings, but he would also gag me and throw me into a dog crate for hours, things like that,” I replied with a thick swallow around the constriction of my throat. It was hard getting the words out.

I pressed my foot on the accelerator, rolling past the light when a man sprinted across the middle of the street. Braking hard, the car lurched and Cat slammed hard against her seatbelt, gasping harshly.

“The fuck,” I shouted, my arm crossing over her chest. Honking, I scowled at the foolish student who’d weaved in between passing cars.

“Are you okay, baby?” I queried, worry clogging my chest.

Hand on her chest, she said, “Yeah, I’m fine. Thank God, you have good reflexes and braked in time. We would’ve definitely hit him.” Peering over at the young man laughing with the crowd of friends he’d joined, she shook her head. “What the hell?”

Driving on, I turned into the nearest street, searching for parking. Eventually, I found a spot on Riverside Drive.

Her hand touched my forearm. My eyes shifted to her. Holding my gaze, she swallowed and said, “I can’t begin to imagine what you’ve been through, and I know you only scraped the surface. God, Luca, you’re a survivor and I’m awed by your endurance. I already thought you were incredible, but now…to know what I know, it humbles me.”

Her praise left me speechless. My gaze roved over her face, riveted. There was only one thing I wanted to do and so I did it. My lips ghosted over hers slowly. She released a little sigh of delight. I took that as an invitation. My hand slipped beneath her thick hair and clasped her nape, bringing her in closer. Our mouths opened to each other and I dipped in for my first taste of this gorgeous creature. Goddamn, the flavor of sweet peaches and nectarines exploded on my tongue. I groaned, delving in deeper. Fuck, I hadn’t intended to taste her, but I was vulnerable, and her praise cut me at the knees.

Her fingers clung to my shirt, her tits pressing against my chest with the most delicious pressure. My hand slid down her side to palm her ass. Aww hell, I had to stop before it went any further. I had to.

I took another slow swipe of her mouth and forced myself to pull away before we reached the point of no return because there was a fair chance that her cherry would get popped in the back seat of my car. She nipped my bottom lip before I broke away completely and it took every ounce of control not to haul her back for more.

We were both panting, our breaths mingling together.

I leaned over her and shoved her door open.

“Out,” I warned.

One leg out of the car, she turned to me and asked, “Are you sure you want to keep your fancy car parked on the street? Why don’t we drive it to a lot?”

The little minx was baiting me.

“Parking lots are for wimps. But, more to the point, if I stay any longer, there’s a good chance we’re going to do a hell of a lot more than kiss.”

I heard a gasp behind me as I swung my door open. Facing away from her, I smirked. “Come on, you’ll be late.”

We entered onto the college campus through the front gate we’d passed earlier. A collection of stately red brick buildings encircled a lawn sprinkled with groups of students. I stopped one and asked for directions to the building where Cat’s class was situated. She was practically bobbing up and down in excitement as we strolled through the campus.

Walking beside me down a path around a pristine lawn in front of the right building, Cat’s shoulders slumped.

“What is it?” I asked, immediately on the alert.

“My best friend from school, Jewel, will be starting here in the fall. In fact, she’s living on campus for the summer. I wanted to join her, but my parents didn’t see the point of me starting college when I’m getting married. I hope Nicu won’t mind if I take a class or two,” she replied, darting a worried look my way.

“You like studying,” I noted.

“Yeah, I was valedictorian after all,” she confided forlornly.

My eyebrows rose. Valedictorian of that prestigious prep school? “Impressive.”

Her eyes brightened. She liked my compliment but then she gave a self-deprecating little shrug. “Yeah, well. My family isn’t like yours. They’re not really into academics, and they wouldn’t think it’s something worth paying for.”

“I’m sure Nicu will be supportive, even if he wasn’t enthusiastic about his studies. Nothing but graduating cum laude was considered acceptable. Alex had to leave his pre-law program at Columbia University when my father was killed, but he insisted we finish our education with honors. I completed an MBA in Corporate Finance.”

She looked at me hopefully, “Yeah?”

“You should definitely go to college, Cat. Our family will do everything to help you. We can stop by the Admissions Office after lunch and find out the requirements and deadlines, and you should check out other colleges in the city and apply to them as well,” I suggested.

“The application deadline has long passed,” she grumbled.

I gave a little snort. “Exceptions can be made. You’d be surprised what money can do to facilitate these kinds of things.”

A gorgeous smile spread over her cupid’s bow lips. She was stunning. I’d be willing to do anything to bring that smile to her face. “You really think so?”

“I know so,” I said as we reached the ivy-covered building and I propped open the door for her. After convincing the guard at the front desk that I was her brother, all the while ignoring her dramatic eye roll at my lie, I followed her down the wide, high-ceilinged hall to her classroom. Waving her in, I ducked into the nearest empty room and dropped my briefcase on the wooden desk that the professors used. Pulling out my laptop and secure portable Wi-Fi router, I set it up and got to work on the cryptocurrency scheme, playing with one of the most market-capped crypto after bitcoin.

One good thing about playing guard with Cat was that I could work uninterrupted for several hours. Realizing that she’d have a break at some point, I squeezed into the hard plastic seat of a small student desk facing the open door, positioning myself so that I’d spot her if she left.

There was no denying I was taking this assignment above and beyond the call of duty, considering she was simply sitting in a classroom the entire time. She wasn’t exactly engaging in a high-risk activity in a dangerous area. Everything about her called to my possessive side, in a way I’d never experienced before. It was uncharacteristic of me to be so attentive to another person. Attentive to work? Yes. To my duties? Sure. To another human being, and a woman at that? Highly unusual.

Regardless of the madness that had clearly taken hold of me, there was no denying that I ached to be in her presence. I had foolishly judged her before ever meeting her. I assumed that she was a vapid, spoiled mafie princess. Wrong. The distance she kept from the gossiping misses and her dedication to hard work and education shattered those misconceptions. Not only that, but it was her dedication that made her seem so…Lupu-like, so very un-Popescu.

Via this arranged marriage, I assumed that Nelu was planting her as a spy. Wrong again. It was obvious from the moment I met her that she was an innocent. That innocence, combined with her thoughtful introspection, drew me in like a moth to a flame. Forget the fact that I wanted her writhing underneath me or riding my cock, I enjoyed conversing with her, watching her lively mind respond to my questions or challenge me. Hell, I simply liked being around her. The bottomless pit of loneliness, that I never fully shook, vanished in her presence.

Everything I never knew I wanted in a woman was dangled in front of me with Cat. Being with her taunted me with intimacy that I could never have. Once she married my brother, I’d be driven into further isolation, forcing a greater wedge between Nicu and me because I wouldn’t be strong enough to stand by, watching her at his side. The worst of it was that while I had the chance to be around her before she married, and I’d be forced to move halfway across the country to stay away from her, I’d indulge as much as possible.

Propping my elbow on the tiny desk, I pinched the space between my eyebrows.

I was so fucked.