The Recluse Heir by Monique Moreau
21
After spending the morning luxuriating in bed together, Luca left me to go to work while I put away the clothes and items I’d brought from home. My body ached in the most delicious manner. I was sure there would be bruises along my hips, the exact shape of his fingers, from when he took me from behind this morning. That position had seemed degrading from the little bit of porn I’d watched. Turned out, it was so not demeaning. In fact, it was my favorite to date. He could get in so deep. I felt like I had been thoroughly taken.
This was a perfect time to go through the apartment for Cristo, but I was crippled by guilt and had been battling myself for the past couple of hours. At my parents’ house, the guilt had been overshadowed by worry for my brother’s safety. But after the incredible time I had with Luca, it came roaring back a hundred times stronger.
Pacing up and down the living room, I wrung my hands as I sifted through any alternatives. Hours later, I came to the realization that there were none. If I didn’t at least try to help my brother, he could legitimately end up dead.
Procrastinating, I went into the bedroom and focused on putting my clothes away. How could I survive Cristo’s death? That was easy. I couldn’t. Then again, how could I live with myself if I betrayed Luca? Crushing a shirt to my mouth, I screeched into the material.
Pushing past the guilt plaguing me, I hurled the shirt across the walk-in closet and stormed out, leaving clothing tumbling out of my suitcases and hanging off every available space.
Barefoot, I crept around the apartment, quickly snooping through every room of the apartment before pausing in front of Luca’s office. I’d already found a collection of guns and knives littered throughout the house, in random places like his underwear drawer. I supposed the idea was that he’d have easy access to a weapon if there was a surprise attack.
The man was prepared for every contingency, but he hadn’t seen me and my shady family coming.
God, the idea made me want to run to the bathroom and vomit, but I gave myself a mental slap. Get it together! You do this one thing and it’s over.
Facing his office door, I pressed my forefinger into the center of the door and pushed. With a tiny creeeak, it swept open the rest of the way. I hovered at the threshold, listening for any sounds. The only sound breaking the eerie silence was my own heavy panting. God, this was so nerve-racking I wanted to scream.
Taking a huge breath of air, I stepped into the quiet room. Shimmering from the windows, sunlight bathed the room and bounced off the monochrome white-on-white furniture. Like the rest of his place, Luca’s office was tidy. On a sleek white lacquer desk, there was a wireless keyboard, two monitors propped up on stands, an aluminum desk lamp, and a small leather notebook with a pen lying across it. One wall was made of recessed shelving, holding a large aquarium and custom-made drawers, which most likely held files.
Not bothering with his computer, which I figured was impenetrable, I decided to start with his desk. First, I rifled through the drawers of the desk. Nothing. I opened the leather notebook and read through his calendar and a smattering of private notes that made no sense to me.
So far, so good.
Taking a bracing breath, I walked to the shelves and pulled open the first drawer. I flipped through the different files and halted at a little tab labeled “L.A.- Hagi.”
Hagi?As in the Romanian mafie family out West that my father owed money to? If I had any idea that the Lupu clan was involved with them, I might have told Luca. I shook the thought from my head. It was too late now.
Pulling out the first file folder, I flipped it open. There were bills, each one of them had a circled “Paid” in red ink. There was a sheet with a list of names and numbers beside them. That might prove useful.
Putting that one aside, I pulled out another file. Taxes. Flinging that aside, I grabbed another and opened it. This one had colored brochures of Soviet-style weapons. I should’ve known it wouldn’t be as easy as this. A man like Luca wasn’t going to have incriminating evidence lying around. The only thing interesting so far was that the Lupu family was in deep with the Hagi clan. Checking to see how far back their relationship went, I snagged the file with paid notices and noted that they only went back two years.
I leaned over to pick out another file when I heard a scuffling noise.
Before I had time to move an inch, a low, gruff voice demanded, “What the hell are you doing with my files?”
I froze in place, crumpling the file folder in my hands.
Oh, God.
Oh no, no, no.
My head swung over my shoulder as I slowly pulled away from the cabinet. Luca stood across the threshold, feet apart, arms crossed over his chest. He was fuming. Fuming. He looked like he’d instantaneously combust, with flames licking the outline of his body, right about now. This looked bad. This was bad. My stomach dropped to the floor. A whoosh of tingling covered my skin, like one might feel before free-falling from a plane. Busted. My tongue was glued to the top of my mouth. Shaking my head numbly, I remained mute.
“Answer me,” he snarled. “I leave you alone in my home to go to work, rushing through my errands so I can return to my fiancée. Instead of finding her on her hands and knees, naked in my bed, ready for my cock, I find her on the floor of my fucking office, going through my files. Are you spying on me for your family, Cat? Is that what you’re doing here? Is that what you’ve been doing here all along?”
“No! I-I was looking for something…”
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
His eyes narrowed on me.
“Answer me, and try the truth this time,” he spat out.
I averted my eyes, unable to watch the disappointment and indignation in his eyes.
“Only one time,” I murmured. “I had to find something to help my family. They’re going bankrupt a-and they owe a mafie family a lot of money. Cristo beat up their prince. Now we have to pay them back or they’ll kill him. But I never meant to hurt you,” I rambled.
He recoiled as if I’d slapped him. “You mean you never meant to get caught. In what world would betraying me not hurt me, Cat?”
“I wouldn’t have given them anything that could be used against you or your family. Only something to help them. The Lupu clan is so rich. They can afford it.”
He barked out a bitter laugh. “They can afford it, you say? The Lupu family, you mean. That’s supposed to be you. As my fucking wife, you’re supposed to be a Lupu. But you don’t see yourself as one. You could’ve come to me and told me. I would’ve helped you. Nicu was right. I should’ve known better, you being a Popescu.”
I flinched at his accusation. He was right. I saw it in his eyes. He would’ve helped me. But I didn’t know that until now. I was so used to looking after myself that I automatically went into self-reliant mode. If it was me alone, if my brother’s life wasn’t on the line, I would’ve risked it. But I’d been too afraid to come to him.
I rose to my knees, my hands coming together in supplication as I argued the only thing I had on my side, “My brother’s in serious trouble, but I wouldn’t have hurt you, Luca—”
His palm came up. “Don’t. Stop trying to defend yourself. You know better than anyone how important trust is in a family. It’s the difference between life and death. Do you know, this whole time, Nicu hated you because he believed you were a spy? That your father insisted on a marriage to plant you in the bosom of our family? I believed it as well, until I met you. Then I thought, there’s no way. I thought that boarding school must have saved you from the worst of the Popescu tribe poison, but you’ve proved me wrong. Do you even care for me?”
“Of cour—”
His hand slashed through the air. “Don’t answer that. I can’t stand hearing another lie come out of that pretty, treacherous mouth of yours. Of course, you don’t.”
I flew to my feet. “But I do! I do, Luca. God, I do.”
“Stop,” he thundered, his voice thundering through the air, bouncing off the walls and ringing in my ears. My nostrils burned. My eyes stung with pain, tears spilling out in a fast and steady stream.
My head and shoulders dropped. Swallowing over the lump in my constricted throat, I mumbled, “I’m sorry. I would have made sure not to hurt you. You have to believe me.”
“Too late for sorry,” he clipped out. “I don’t believe a damn thing you say to me.”
“Don’t,” I whimpered, my bottom lip trembling.
“I want you out.” He pointed a trembling finger to the open doorway. “I want you fucking out of my house. Out of my life.”
The tremor that had started in my hands radiated up my arms and my shoulders began shaking.
He jabbed his forefinger again. “Go. Get the hell out, Cat. Go!” he thundered.
I jerked as if smacked across the face. It was what I deserved. Fuck, fuck, fuck. He was right. I had betrayed him. The pain of losing him seared through me, and I tried again, “Luca, can I explain—”
“No,” he declared hoarsely. “I need you to leave before I say something regrettable. I need you gone. Now.”
My chest heaved with agony. I’d lost him. Stupid me, I thought I’d get away with it, that I could have my cake and eat it, too. Instead, I’d thrown away the best thing in my life.
Reeling, I staggered past him like a drunkard. Grabbing my purse, I shoved my feet into my shoes, threw the door open, and fled. My skin was clammy and cold, doused by waves of shame and hopelessness. The way my heart was palpitating, I knew I couldn’t stay on this floor and wait. Stabbing the elevator button, I snapped my head from side to side, searching for a fast escape route. There was a door at the end of the corridor. I lurched toward it and yanked on the doorknob. Thank God, thank God, it flew open.
Propelling myself forward, I caught the banister in time before flying headfirst down a flight of stairs. Stumbling down a couple of steps, I righted myself and took the rest of the stairs two by two as fast as I could without cracking my head open. Tormented by what I’d done, the idea crossed my mind to fling myself down the stairs and take my chances on anyone finding my splattered brains this far up a building of seventy-seven floors.
My blubbering cries and gasps for breath ricocheted off the walls of the narrow stairway, making me feel stupid, but I couldn’t help myself. I’d ruined everything. In the end, I did the one thing I’d tried to avoid—hurting Luca. Somewhere around the fiftieth floor, I paused to pull out my cell phone. Raising my face to the ceiling, I sent out a silent prayer that there were enough bars on my Wi-Fi to make a call. I’d normally text, but it was hard enough finding Cristo’s number through my tears.
Pressing the call button, I continued to make my way down as I waited for him to pick up.
“What?” he answered irritably.
“Cristo?” I croaked out.
His tone changed from annoyed to alarmed in an instant. “What is it, Cat? What’s wrong?”
“He caught me. He threw me out,” I blubbered out, followed by a sharp cry before I shoved my fist into my mouth to stop myself.
“Fuck. Where are you?”
“I’m i-in the stairway, going down the stairs. I can’t stay here. What sh-should I do, Cristo?”
He moved into big brother mode. “Fuck, sweetie. You can’t walk the streets alone.”
“I’m not staying down there,” I replied in growing panic. “I’m a mess—”
“No, you can’t wait there. Who knows what will happen once he talks to Alex? They could take this chance to take you out. You need to hide until Simu can get there to pick you up. You’ve got to get out of the building right away.”
“Not Simu,” I mumbled.
“Pull it together, Cat. I can’t come get you. I’m in the middle of something. I’m going to text you a safe place to hide until he can get to you.”
He covered the mic with his hand because suddenly his voice was muffled. Then he was back on, “Simu’s leaving now. Get off the phone and get out of there. Take the service exit and check your phone right before you step outside so you know where to go. Once you’re on the street, make yourself as inconspicuous as possible, and follow the directions to the meeting spot.”
“Okay,” I muttered and hung up. Thrusting the cell phone in my purse, I lopped it across my chest and quickly took the stairs down. Did I agree with Cristo that I was in danger? In a heartbeat. This wasn’t simply about upsetting or hurting Luca’s feelings, this was about betraying a mafie clan, and not just any mafie clan, either. The most powerful mafie this side of the Atlantic.
Mafiewas mafie was mafie. There were a few hard-line rules, and betrayal was as black and white as they came. There was no room for gray, for shading. Even if Luca was willing to spare me, there was little chance that Alex would. And Nicu? He’d insist on disposing of me in case I’d found something incriminating.
Skidding to a halt when I heard a noise, I snapped my mouth shut and breathed through my nostrils. I waited a few moments but didn’t hear another sound, so I resumed my descent until I hit the ground level. Peeking out into the hallway, I found myself near the mail room, off the main foyer. Shit.
I sifted through my muddled brain to remember which direction the service entrance might be. Did it even matter? I deserved whatever they did to me. Then the image of my father choking that man in our basement flashed in front of my eyes. Yikes. I wasn’t sure I was worthy of living, but I wasn’t going to let someone torture me to death. It would break my mother’s and Bunică’s hearts. Although, dying by my own hand was still up for debate. After what I had done, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to live with myself.
Sneaking out of the stairway, I flattened myself against the wall and followed the hallway until I passed the service elevators. Spotting a “Service” sign on a door, I sprinted the rest of the way and slipped into another stairway. The walls of this staircase were bare concrete and scuffed-up. I dashed down to the lower level. Halfway across a dark, gray-colored corridor, I saw a crack in a pair of double doors.
The service entrance.
I checked my phone and opened Cristo’s text. It was the address of a movie theater a few blocks away on Broadway. He directed me to buy a ticket and hide in a stall of the women’s bathroom until I got a text from Simu. My spine slammed against the wall as a building maintenance worker came whistling down the hall and turned a corner without noticing me.
The moment he disappeared, I raced to the opening and slipped out onto the street. Stooping forward in an attempt to make myself smaller, I ducked my head and hugged the storefronts as I fled to my meeting point.
