Treachery

Three years was never enough time. Not to forget Luca, at least. Not that I tried. Keeping tabs on her had been a matter of fulfilling my father’s wishes, and sitting in her room now?

It’s a matter of keeping her alive.

I was nearly to my house when my phone rang after dropping Luca off. My father’s name flashed up from the screen, my voice less than thrilled when I answered.

The asshole started in on me immediately. Very little of the conversation mattered. It was his usual gripe: I’m a failure. I’ll never own his businesses. He’d rather destroy the entire empire than hand anything over to such an unworthy son.

Same shit, different day.

Not that I cared much. Our fathers’ control over us had slipped after we graduated Yale. We have the firm now, our own side endeavors. Every one of us is financially secure without the purse strings of our families.

But we do want one thing.

Revenge.

To bring the assholes down who have controlled us for so long.

To destroy our families only because it’s what we need to be free.

We play along. Continue carrying out the tasks they give us. Continue building a hatred for our fathers that won’t end until they’re six feet under.

Luca is the key to that.

I know it.

My dad knows it.

He just doesn’t know I know it.

The conversation was going along swimmingly until he said the one thing that made me bang on the glass behind the driver’s head and demand he turn around.

Since you can’t seem to control Luca, given the little scene she caused tonight, we’ll have to take care of the problem ourselves...

That is not going to happen, but unfortunately it also meant any time I had left to bat Luca around for fun in this game is now lost. The threat only moved up the gauntlet timeline more.

Luca’s hate-glaring as she stands against a wall in this rundown shithole she calls an apartment won’t save her.

I will make her see reason, even if it means I have to force the issue through less than ideal means.

“Here’s the deal,” I say, my voice pitched low, a soft edge to it that causes her cheeks to tinge red and her arms to cross her body tighter. “You need to move on with your life, and to do so, you need me out of your way.”

Her brow arches, but she says nothing to argue.

“I need the files your father left behind-“

“Why?”

My mouth slams closed, my train of thought coming to an immediate standstill because this is supposed to be about Everly.

“To find Everly,” I lie, remembering just how observant Luca is. I freaking hate people that pay attention, and this woman holds a damn magnifying glass to every situation she finds herself in.

Luca’s eyes narrow. “Why don’t I just tell you where she is and we call this over?”

That won’t work.

Sitting up, I brush the wrinkles from my shirt as if I don’t want to rush across the room and shake her until she gives me what I’m after. Glancing up, I see the stall tactic worked, though. She’s tapping that shoe of hers, impatient as ever.

Slowly pushing to my feet, I cross the room, brace a forearm against the wall near her head and tip my face down to hers, happy to notice the way her muscles pull tight across her shoulders.

“I’m afraid that won’t do. I’ve given you my demand. It’s up to you to make it happen.”

Just take the fucking deal...

She answers me with an equally silent statement. I know you’re up to something. And I’m going to make this process as painful as fucking possible.

We’re at a standstill, and all I can do is drop my gaze down to the razor-edged line of her lips, wanting nothing more than to bite them.

Luca attempts to move away from me, but I brace my other arm, effectively caging her.

“We seem to end up like this a lot.”

Pure rage blazes behind pretty blue eyes, her cheeks like ripe apples, a challenge set in an expression that is pissing me off as much as it’s turning me on.

Voice disturbingly calm and quiet, she says, “Get out of my apartment, Ta

“Don’t make me escalate this.”

She lifts her chin, as stubborn as I remember her.

Slipping my hand in my pocket, I grin and pull out my phone. My secretary, Lacey, is on speed dial, my fingers tapping the screen to call her without having to look.

The phone is ringing as I bring it to my ear, Luca’s brows tugging together in confusion, Lacey’s voice rough from sleep when she answers.

“Mr. Caine?”

I like Lacey. She’s a bit older than most of the women working in my firm, but she’s fastidious and determined. She takes instruction well and never questions me, plus she can put up with my bad moods without blinking an eye. The best part about having her is that she’s nowhere near Jase’s radar, his dick not so much as twitching when she passes.

It’s why I’ve been able to keep her in my employ for so long.

“I need you to schedule a hearing,” I say, my gaze holding Luca’s, mouth twisting into a grin when her lips part, her eyes narrowing as soon as she figures out what I’m doing.

“Mr. Caine, it’s midnight on a Saturday. The courthouse is closed and -“

“Is that supposed to matter?” I snap. “Call the judge’s assistant at home. Just make sure that the Hughes hearing we cancelled over a week ago is back on the books for this Wednesday.”

“You have a mediation on Wednesday-“

“Reschedule it.”

Seriously, why is she arguing? Doesn’t she realize I’m in the middle of proving a point? Not that I give a damn about the hearing. It won’t be happening this early anyway. I just need Luca to think it will.

“Get it done,” I snap again before ending the call and slipping my phone back into my pocket.

Luca’s face beams with anger, her eyes glimmering as if she’s holding back tears. She says nothing, and it only irritates me more.

“Aren’t you going to argue?”

Not a word in response.

“Aren’t you going to beg me to call it off?”

She tilts her chin higher, pure rebellion shimmering in her stare.

Fuck...this woman knows just what to do to turn me on.

I’m practically growling with my next question, both from frustration and the need to drag her to the bed and work her right out of my system.

“What do you think about what I just did? Doesn’t it show you how serious I am?”

She smirks. “I think you’re an asshole who calls his secretary at almost midnight on a Saturday night to bark orders like she’s not a human being who deserves time away from you. And I hate assholes like that.”

Eyes narrowed, another growl crawls up my throat. She truly has no sense of self-preservation. I will destroy her in that courtroom, and all she cares to point out is my less than professional behavior.

Leaning down, I bring my face to hers, the moment reminding me of the first time I kissed her, the rage I’d felt for a girl who had caused so many problems in my life.

How is it possible to want someone so much when you absolutely hate them?

It’s not her fault. I understand that, but that doesn’t mean I can walk away from this.

“I’m about to ruin you. Why won’t you just give me what I want?”

Luca’s breath catches, her lips parting just a touch. I feel the same hitch in my chest, the need to hate-fuck this girl into next week, maybe next month. It’s been a long time coming.