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I need her trust and I really need to know why DeLuca sent her to me.
“It can wait,” I tell her.
She studies my face. “You're putting off taking care of business for me?”
“I'm still standing here aren't I?”
When she doesn't answer I say, “Now can you please tell me the reason my father sent you here? I know what he wanted you to do but I just need to know why.”
She shakes her head and scowls. “I've already told you enough truths about me for the night, Ricardo. It's time I heard some of yours.”
I take a deep breath and walk over to the bed. “I don't like bathtubs because I watched my mother die in one. I've hated them ever since. That's why my bathroom doesn't have one.”
Her mouth falls open. “I'm so sorry.”
“Don't be, wasn't your fault.”
It was mine.
She curls up beside me on the bed. “How did she die?”
I turn around to face her since she's lying down now. “Heroin overdose.”
She winces and closes her eyes. “That's horrible.” Her eyes pop back open and panic flashes across her face. “Oh my god, DeLuca killed her...didn't he?”
I want to ask her how she knows this but I don't have to because she says, “That's his method of killing those he once cared for. It's his way of making them go peacefully without any pain.”
Her words are shredding my insides apart because there's so much wrong with that statement and yet at the same time, it's the fucked up truth of how DeLuca operates.
The man is a fucking psychopath if there ever was one.
“He's only taken two lives via heroin,” she whispers.
It's true— out of all the soul's he's savagely killed, he's only shown an ounce of mercy to two of them.
His childhood dog...and my mother.
That's when it dawns on me—the fact that she knows all this means he really trusts her. She wasn't kidding, she's fully aware of what he's capable of.
And yet she still loves him.
But then again...who the hell am I to judge? Although I don't love him—there's a small part of me that still wants him to love me, wants him to accept me...and I fucking hate myself for that every day.
Especially knowing everything that I know.
Her eyelids become heavy. “Did you know he named his dog meatball?”
I didn't. Christ, what else does she know about him that I don't?
She yawns and stretches her arms above her head. I look out the window and notice that the sun is starting to come up.
“That's how he got the scar on his face,” she says. “Meatball did it. That's why he killed her.” She scrunches her face. “He killed the first bitch he ever loved. Those were his words, not mine.”
I don't doubt it.
She laughs and it's not one of those sweet laughs, it's one of those laughs to keep from crying type of laughs. “I guess I'm hoping the third time's a charm.”
Chills creep up my spine with those words because it's true...she's lucky number three.
At least, I hope she is.
“You'll stand a better chance if we're allies.”
“He's jealous of your relationship with Tyrone and Jackson,” she says. “He didn't come right out and say those exact words but I know it's why he sent me here. He thinks you've gotten too close to them and it upsets him.”
She looks at me. “He knows your loyalty lies with them and not him and he really hates that, Ricardo.”
“I know,” I whisper.
“He's expecting you to take over for him one day.”
“He knows I won't,” I argue.
“Look, do what you want but that's why he sent me here. He wanted me to cause a rift in the friendship between the three of you. I think he was hoping it would push you back to him and you would take over.”
“What were his exact words?”
She looks up at the ceiling, appearing to be lost in thought. “Well, he said he wanted me to seduce them and suck them off—but he warned me that if I had sex with them...he would kill them. He basically said that he wanted you guys ready to tear each other's hearts out while fighting over me.”
She chuckles. “Clearly, my seduction skills aren't up to par because that's definitely not what happened. Jackson can't stand me and Tyrone was only interested in going out for a bite to eat.”
“It all makes sense now,” I say.
“What does?”
“Why he told me I'm supposed to look out for you and protect you. I'm supposed to make sure no one takes advantage of you.”
She blanches. “But he told me to purposely seduce Tyrone and Jackson.”
“He's testing my loyalty,” I tell her. “And he's using them as his lab rats. This whole thing is nothing but a fucking test for me.”
“I don't know, Ricardo. I still feel like I'm missing something.”
I fold my arms behind my head. “You and me both. But it's DeLuca, so who the fucks knows what his end game actually is.”
And that's the thought that causes my stomach to knot up because I don't really have a choice but to play by his rules. Too many i
She studies my face. “What are you thinking?”
“I'm going to give him what he wants. Or I'm going to let him think that's what I'm doing.”
“How?”
“I'm going to act more like the son he wants me to be. I'll take more of an active interest in the business. Make him think he has my loyalty.”
She frowns. “Oh.”
“What?”
She lifts a shoulder in a shrug. “Nothing. It's a good plan...you know, for you.”
I open my mouth to tell her what else I'm thinking but she cuts me off. “It's just—I know it sounds crazy but I really want my freedom for a little longer. I want him to let me stay here.”
The look she gives me is so full of heartache and longing it guts me. Yeah, she's not in love with DeLuca...she just thinks she is.
Dammit, so much for not caring about her.
“Do everything I tell you to and you'll be fine.”
“Could you be any more vague?”
“Just pretend, the same as me.” I look at her. “Especially in front of Luke because he's the one who's going to be reporting to DeLuca about you.”
“Not being any clearer here, Ricardo.”
I groan because I hate the words that are about to come out of my mouth. “Okay here's what's going to happen. I'm going to lead Jackson and Tyrone to believe that you and I are dating...but not serious. I'm going to tell them it's a secret and to keep it on the down-low so no one else knows. And this time, they're going to believe it because you'll be acting like we're involved as well. This way, Tyrone in particular, will stop hitting on you, thus keeping him out of harm's way.”
I draw in a breath. “However, anytime Luke's in the near vicinity and you notice that Jackson and Tyrone are around...that's when you're going to flirt with them.”
I grind my molars. “I'm not saying to whip their dicks out or anything. You just have to flirt and make a few advances at them in front of Luke.”
Her eyes sparkle. “This way when he reports back to DeLuca he'll tell him I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.”
She smiles. “And if Tyrone and Jackson think we're dating they'll never succumb to any of my advances so they'll be protected no matter what happens. Especially if DeLuca thinks you're coming around.”
Her smile grows bigger. “And if he thinks having me here is helping in some kind of fucked up way by bringing you two closer—or that I make a good spy for him...he might just let me stay longer after all.”