Page 96 of His Kidnapped Queen
“Alfonso told you?”
“Maybe he did.” Nico shrugs. “Fuck if I know. But all I know issomebodyis spilling your secrets, brother.”
I move away from him and Nico relaxes.
“We’re having dinner on Sunday with Father and Cecilia,” I say, and Nico groans. “No excuses. You’ll be there.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”
I leave Nico’s apartment with a purpose, speeding back toward the cottage as fast as the sedan I’m driving will carry me. It can’t be Diego. Nico is just spinning his wheels, hoping it isn’t one of his idiot friends who did it.
I tell myself to think about this, not to react, but the next thing I know I’m inside the cottage. It’s like losing time, like I blacked out.
I kick over Diego’s chair before I know what I’m doing and he lies there, flat on his back, looking up at me with wide eyes.
“What the fuck?”
“You did this,” I seethe, picking him up by gathering his shirt in my fist. He scrambles to his feet, pushing me away.
“Didwhat? Have you been doing coke with your shithead little brother?”
“Don’t talk about my family.” I shake him but he just stares at me incredulously.
“I’myour family, Luca. I always have been. You know that. You know this is Nico’s doing.”
“I don’t know anything anymore,” I mutter, but I let him go. Diego shakes his head, taking a few steps back.
“I’m not doing this anymore.”
“What are you talking about? Diego, look, I’msorry. Nico?—”
“No. I’m done with this, Luca. I’ve been your brother since I was fifteen, but you choose him over me, every single time. I’m the only one who’s been there for you ever since you kidnapped this fucking cop?—”
“Don’t call her that.”
“What should I call her then, Luca? Huh? Your girlfriend?”
I grit my teeth and my hands turn into fists at my sides.
“You gonna hit me?” He bumps his chest against mine. “Try it, Luca. I fucking dare you.”
“I’m not going to hit you,” I plead, coming back to myself. Diego’s right. He’s always been my family. He didn’t do this, and I believed Nico over him without a second thought.
“That’s it. I’m done. You deal with that cop however you want to. Deal with your men however you want to. Wipe Nico’s ass for him until he’s forty, for all I care. I wash my hands of it.”
He storms out of the cottage, revving up his engine as he speeds away, and I curse and kick over the chair again. It’s useless, just like the rest of me.
Everything’s falling apart, and I’m just making it worse.
27
SOPHIA
I rush to the window when I hear Diego’s car start, watching him back the car out of the driveway. There was a commotion in the other room, and now this. What happened?
As I watch, Luca runs out to the driveway, putting his hands on the hood of Diego’s car.
Shouting starts, but I can’t make any of it outt, peeking through the window. After a few moments, the front door slams and my deadbolt clicks open.
