Arranged love

An hour later, I’m walking out of Kingdom with one of Luca’s baseball caps and a hoodie on. I look like an idiot, considering it’s summer in Nevada, but I don’t want my face being recognized on one of the cameras just in case. I know the Kings are on Luca’s side and that Titan does a damn good job with security. The casino is covered in them-interior and exterior-so I gotta cover all my bases.

Walking down the steps, stretched limos and cabs come and go through the circular valet drive. I shove my hands in the pocket of the hoodie and grip my phone. I have it on silent in case I get a phone call, so they won’t hear it go off. I need to keep it on me at all times.

A hand grips my right upper arm. “Excuse me …?”

“He’s waiting around the corner for you,” the male explains.

My stomach drops. Does he mean the driver or Rossi? I didn’t think he would come himself. I go to look up at the man, but he snaps at me. “Keep your head down.”

I drop it and take in a shaky breath. All I can do is pray that Jasmine has already called Luca, and he’s got Titan checking the surveillance now and they’re tracking the app I installed on my phone for her. I tried to think of every possibility for them to find me before I end up dead.

We walk down the sidewalk and sweat drips down my back from the heat of the sun and nervousness. Rounding the corner, I see a black stretch limo looking out of place at the back of an alley. My sweaty hand grips my phone tighter. I wonder if Luca’s calling me right now. I put it on silent for a reason. I didn’t want to have the urge to answer it once he finds out what I’ve done. He’s going to be so pissed at me. If Rossi doesn’t kill me, he probably will.

We come up to the limo, and the guy opens the back door. I just stand there. “Get in,” he orders.

“I want to see my mother first,” I demand.

He lets out a frustrated growl and shoves me inside.

I slide across the back bench.

“Haven.”

I straighten and turn to see Rossi sitting across from me on the other bench with his back to the partition. He has his arms stretched across the top. A large duffel bag sits at his feet. I pray he doesn’t plan on stuffing it with my body. My mother sits beside him. Her hands are wrapped in duct tape in front of her and another piece is over her mouth. She’s alive, and there’s no blood or bruises. I let out a long breath. “Let her go,” I order.

He just laughs but doesn’t open a door to let her out. My chest tightens at what he plans on doing with her.

My eyes dart around the large space. It’s just the three of us until the guy that had my arm crawls in beside me. I scoot to the far side, pressing my back into the door.

The guy goes to reach for me, but Rossi raises his hand. “Let her be.”

I let out a shaky breath I didn’t know I was holding.

He lifts his right hand and raps his knuckles on the tinted partition. “Drive.”

I swallow. “Where are we going?” If he just wanted to talk to me, we could do that right here. He wouldn’t need to take me anywhere. Maybe he plans on just going around the block.

His dark eyes look me up and down, and I feel my skin crawl. I hate how much I look like him. How my eyes are the same color and shape. I have his lips and cheekbones. I never saw it before. Of course, I never thought he would be my father. But now that I know, I couldn’t deny it even if I wanted to. He told me I looked like my mother, but he was lying. He knows we hold very little resemblance.

“Get undressed.”

I blink. “Excuse me?”

“I said get undressed,” Rossi repeats.

My mother begins mumbling something behind her tape, but he ignores her.

I stare at him. My heart beating wildly as I’m hoping I misunderstood him both times. I look at the guy next to me. He looks to be around Luca’s age, but I don’t recognize him. “I … I don’t understand.”

Rossi leans forward and unzips the duffel bag, pulling out a white dress. “Luca wants a bride. I’m going to give him one.”

My stomach sinks, and tears immediately burn my eyes. I look from my mother to him. “Please …” I cringe at the sound of my own voice. I’ve never heard someone sound so desperate.

“I know how much he loves you,” he says with disgust. “And I also know how much you love him.”

“I don’t-”

“Shut up!” he shouts. “You think I don’t know that the explosion wasn’t an accident? You went to him.”

“I didn’t!”

The guy who sits next to me backhands me across the face. I cry out, and my mother’s muffled scream follows. The force knocks me to the floor of the limo, and my phone falls out of my pocket. I scramble to get it, but Rossi is faster.

He looks down at it and frowns. “I thought you’d be smarter than this.” Reaching over, he cracks the window and throws it out.Original from NôvelDrama.Org.

The first tear runs down my face. That was the only lifeline I had.

“Don’t worry, Haven. He’ll know exactly where you are when I’m ready for him to know.” With that, he looks at the younger guy. “Help her get undressed.”

LUCA

I sit up in my office at Glass when my cell rings. I don’t recognize the number, but hit answer. “Hello?”

“Luca. It’s Jasmine …” she rushes out.

I jump to my feet. “Everything okay?”

“It’s Haven. She went to meet Rossi …”

“What?” I shout, grabbing my jacket and rushing out the door.

“He called her.”

“When?” I run down the stairs outside of the building.

“A little over an hour ago. He had her mom.”

Shit!

“He wanted her to meet him outside of Kingdom. He was sending a driver. I downloaded a locating app on her phone for you to track her.”

I come to a stop. “Wait. Are you saying you two planned for this to happen?” I demand. My chest almost heaving with my breathing.

“I tried to talk her out of it.”

“Jasmine …”

“She wouldn’t even listen to me,” she rushes out. I can hear her panting across the line. Her nervousness giving her away.

Fuck! He’ll kill her. After what I did and said today to the reporters, he’s on to us. He knows. And she’s going to pay for it. “Where the fuck is Nite?” He was supposed to stay with her. He had orders.

“Well …”

“What did you do, Jasmine?” I start my car and throw it in reverse.

“He’s fine. Just asleep.”

I shake my head. “Where the fuck are you?”

“Still at Kingdom. In your suite.”

“Where is he headed with her?” My car turns sideways in the street as I pull into the traffic.

“That’s the problem. It’s stopped. He must have found it and threw it out.”

I hang up on her and call Bones.