POV: KATHERINA
I was curious and excited to talk to Chris and woke up early, but with Luca in the house, fear overcame the excitement, and I decided to do it once he was gone.
I gave the maids the day off since I didn’t want anyone in the house while I was talking to Chris. I was preparing pancakes and cookies when Luca came down the stairs.
I didn’t look at him directly as he took his place at the dining table. I could feel his eyes on me, but I turned around.
I filled a plate and gave it to him. He accepted quietly. I placed his black coffee next to it and went back to the kitchen to take out the cookies and start another batch.
“You coming or not?” he asked.
“I’m coming,” I said and continued filling the cookie tray.
I glanced at Luca to see him reading the newspaper, his food untouched. I quickly placed the last tray of cookies in the oven before setting the timer and taking my seat.
He immediately set the newspaper on the side table and picked up the fork as I started serving myself. We ate in silence. I felt him looking at me often, but I kept my eyes on my plate.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Morning,” I mumbled and continued munching on my food.
I heard the fork clank down on his plate, and I quickly looked at him. He looked irritated as he pinned me with his stare.
“What’s the matter, Katherina?” he asked, “Why are you ignoring me?”
“I’m surprised I’ve never ignored you before, considering everything you did to me,” I said without thinking and was shocked just as Luca was.
I don’t know where it came from. It just slipped out of my mouth.
Luca’s jaw tightened, and his eyes turned hard. I was getting ready for whatever he was going to do, recalling the last time he smashed a plate with my head when I downright refused to leave my hometown.
Luca did the unthinkable this time. He pinched his nose, simmered down, and continued eating without trying to make further conversation.
When he was done eating, he quietly walked toward the kitchen, took out the cookies from the oven, and put them on his plate before coming back to his coffee.
I quietly finished my breakfast and left the kitchen, feeling relieved to get away from him, and settled down to watch TV.
I stiffened when I felt him right behind me. His hands rested on the back of the couch as his head came down slowly. I could hear his steady breathing fanning my neck.
He placed a soft kiss on my neck, below my ear, and on my temple before whispering in my ear.
“I’ll be coming home early tonight. Wear something comfortable and be ready by seven. I’m gonna take you out somewhere.”
With a final kiss on my cheek, he left the house. I turned to watch him walk away. I heard his car coming to life and fading away as he went past the gate.
This was so fucking bad. I remembered the way he made his men beat my father, and I remembered how cruel and merciless he was when he hurt my sister and broke Chris’s legs.
Then the abuse, the rough sex right after he ruined Chris’s life. That was the night we had sex for the first time, and that was the only time I wished we hadn’t, but Luca didn’t stop.
I will never forgive him for that, even if I forgive him for everything else.
I was brought back from my thoughts when I heard Luca’s name on the TV.
The news reporter stood in front of a lake in front of a corpse that lay on the shore.
cops and media people had surrounded the area, taking pictures of the corpse while the crowd watched from a distance.
“The police are investigating matters, and the corpse will be taken for a post-mortem. Crime scene investigators have confirmed that the man died a few days ago.
“Crime has increased drastically since the criminal who was declared dead has returned and created chaos everywhere.
“This is Mary at the BBC.”
The corpse’s skin looked slimy and white, and his body was bloated. He was wearing the same clothes I saw him in at Alberto’s party.
Even with his hair covering his face, I knew it was Megan’s man who killed himself. The long slit on his throat was pale and white. His body had partially decomposed with mottled patches of green and red.
All of a sudden, everything clicked. I was able to see everything crystal clear without any confusion and partially understood why Luca said she was lying.
That fucking bitch.
I sprinted to the bedroom and took out the phone from the closet. Switching it on, I saw there was only one number saved in the contact, and I immediately called that number.
“Chris, it’s me,” I said.
“Hey, Kat. Thank God you’re okay and—”
I cut him off abruptly. “Cut the chase and tell me why you are here.”
“Katherina, I want to save you from that monster. What are you talking about?”
“Then what is Megan doing here?”
“Megan?” he asked, genuinely confused.
“I don’t know. I’m here with Sheriff Newman. My mother is doing everything possible to put that bastard in jail while Sheriff Newman and I have teamed up with the Italian police to find you.”
If Chris was with the cops, and they had no idea that she was here, then what is she up to? I pushed aside the thought of Megan for now and spoke to Chris rapidly.
“Chris, I need you to leave the country right away and quit trying to help me.”
“Kather—”
“I can’t let my family get hurt the way… the way you were hurt.”
I heard him take a deep breath, and when he spoke, his voice was low.
“Your parents are in Nassau, Bahamas. The day we come to rescue you is the day your parents will be rescued too.”
I wasn’t prepared for what he said.
“I just want you to trust me and hand on a little longer so that—"
“Two days,” I said in a monotone, “I’ll give you two days to take me away from here, or else I’m throwing away this phone, and you’ll never see me again.”
I cut the line before he could say anything and laid down on the bed.
I trust Christopher, and if he knows where my parents are and with the sheriff and the Italian cops by his side, why should I worry about leaving Luca?
Later in the evening, I was pissed off to see Megan, but I kept my voice down since the two guards near the door might hear me.
“Megan, tell me, why are you here?”
Megan looked at me confused, but I was able to see through her lies. She looked much better than I saw her on the day she was captured.
She wore new, clean clothes, which contrasted with the dirty cell she was kept in.
“What are you talking about, Katherina?”
“You’re lying. You attacked Luca at his hotel, and if your intention was to save me, your men wouldn’t have tried to beat the shit of me.
“At the house, you clearly came for the file since it contained information about Luca’s illegal business. When you talked about Chris, I believed you, but Chris didn’t even know you’re here—”
“You’re in contact with him? How? Since when?” She looked surprised and hopeful.
“You are not in contact with him?” I asked in disbelief. “You told me—”
“I told you that he was fucking out of his stupid mind and left with the cops. I never said we teamed up!” Megan snapped, and I saw the girl who hated me throughout high school.
“If Chris is here with Sheriff Newman to save me, tell me what are you doing here.”
“Beat me, torture me, choke me on your Luca’s dick. My lips are sealed,” she replied.
“Luca will make you choke on more than just his dick, and trust me, by the time he’s done, you’d regret saying those words out loud,” I snapped back, not caring that I sided with Luca.
This bitch is up to something, and since Luca said she’s here because of her father, there has to be something huge behind her intentions.
The whole town of Bridgehills knew that Megan’s father was a cut-throat politician, and he got his hands dirty to win his position.
“You should leave, Katherina,” Megan said and turned away from me, curling herself into a ball.
“I will, but I want you to tell me why you’re here.”
“I will not. You can tell your new lover. I don’t really care if I die,” she replied softly.
Feeling irritated and angry at herself and me, I walked out of the gate. Victor didn’t question why I’d come out before the time was up, and I was glad for that.
Luca was right, she came for him, not for me, but I didn’t see the connection between them.
Even if she wanted the file, how did she find out about Luca, who was dead to the world for two damn years? There was something I wasn’t seeing and a lot I did not know.
What I did know was that this battle was between Luca and Megan’s father. If I wanted to get away from Luca, I had to trust Chris and side with him.
I wasn’t going to tell Luca what Megan had said because even though she hates me, I don’t hate her, and I know very well how cruel Luca could be.
There was no way I would be able to watch her get tortured by him and his men, but there is no way I would help her escape either. I wasn’t getting into this business when my life was on the line.
When Victor dropped me off, I quickly went to check Luca’s office to find anything that might help me understand what was going on, but the door was locked.
Asking Luca would be a bad idea since he’d look me in the eye and make me spit out everything that I’m hiding, which would put Megan and Chris in danger.
Cursing under my breath, I walked away from the office and back to the bedroom to have a shower and get ready before Luca arrived.
The situation I’ve got myself into is crazy. On one side, Chris and the cops are doing everything to save me, and on the other side, Megan has come to destroy Luca.
Though I want to get away from Luca, I also want Megan to stay alive and safe. I’m also afraid that Luca might end up in danger due to Megan and the cops.
His battle would be deadly, making me feel guilty to want to leave him when he had no one by his side.
It was pathetic to even worry about Luca when he’d kidnapped me, threatened me, captured my parents, and hurt Chris.
But lately, over the past months, his attitude and behavior toward me had changed.
I don’t believe a man can change over time, especially a man like Luca. But the thought that initially, he’d only done what he thought he had to to make me his and later showed me his true self was confusing.
When Luca appeared in the doorway, I immediately stiffened and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He smiled at me before walking toward me and wrapping his arms around my waist.
“You look stressed. Are you okay?” he asked softly.
I quickly turned around and wrapped my arms around his neck, making him chuckle. He hugged me back and then placed a kiss on my forehead.
“I wish I could come home every day to such a warm welcome, tesoro,” he murmured, rubbing his nose on mine.
I tried to push away the thoughts for now and just live in this moment with him, but it was hard. So, I stood on my toes and captured his lips for a hard kiss.
Luca moaned at the sudden impact, and his hands tightened on my back as he kissed me back.
“Let’s go, baby,” Luca said, breaking the kiss. “Otherwise, I’ll change my mind.”
Taking my hand in his, he led me to his bike, and I hopped on, wrapping my arms around his torso, not only because he’d drive like a manic if I didn’t hold onto him, but also because I wanted to.
The drive was long, and the sun was dropping by the time we reached our destination. The gate opened, and Luca drove inside to a beautiful mansion with people partying and enjoying themselves.
Parking among the race bikes, Luca got down and was immediately swarmed by men and women, who were screaming and laughing.
I stood aside and looked around at the pool, DJ on the stage with wild youths dancing their hearts out, women in bikinis, and even a racetrack.
I couldn’t come to terms with what this place was, but everything looked fun, something I had never witnessed in Bridgehills.
At Bridgehills, all I did for fun was go trekking with Chris and my best friends, but this is something totally new.
Everywhere Luca had taken me was new and adventurous, at least if I ignored the thought of being forcefully taken by him in the first place.
From five-star hotels to clubs and casinos, Luca had not only shown his wealthy status but also how life was lived by people, even with responsibilities and commitments.
Since I was a kid, all I wanted to do was graduate, help my parents financially, watch Arabelle grow, and get married.
It was a cycle that I wanted to follow, and while trying to make me his prized possession, Luca had broken that cycle and opened my eyes to a different life.
“So, this is the girl, yeah?” One of the girl’s voices snapped me back to Luca and his friends, who were now looking at me.
“She’s Katherina,” Luca said, wrapping his arm around my waist.
“Just a chick,” murmured a blonde guy who had the girl wrapped in his arms.
“Like the one you’re holding?” Luca asked, and everyone chuckled.
The girl scoffed at Luca and rolled her eyes at him. “Yeah, I’m a chick. What about her? You’ll definitely let her go once—”
“She’s my woman,” came his deep voice.
I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding. I definitely didn’t expect that from him. Before anyone could speak, Luca excused himself and walked away from the group.
I looked up at him, and as if I could sense my eyes on him, he quickly looked down and cocked an eyebrow.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he said.
“Like what?” I asked, unable to hold back my smile.
“Like you adore me,” he said, and my smile widened.
More and more people came toward us to greet Luca, and he introduced me to them all. Some were kind, while others were surprised.
He seemed proud to say I was his woman, and a tiny little part of me (all right, every damn part of me) liked it.
The best part was I didn’t hear the psychotic possessiveness he usually displays while saying it. It was more like the happiest and proudest moment of his damned life.
We watched the car race for a while, and I was screaming and enjoying myself since this moment would never happen again.
“You race?” I asked Luca.
“I used to. Edward’s still obsessed with it.”
“Why did you stop?”
“Got bored” He shrugged.
In spite of the massive crowd cheering and howling for their favorite contestant to win, the blasting DJ music carried all the way there.
I watched a green car that looked cooler than the others and wanted that one to win.
“Green is going to win,” I said in Luca’s ear, and he shook his head.
“Red is the winner,” Luca declared, and I shook my head.
Within a few minutes, all four cars were just inches away from each other as they neared the finish line, and in the blink of an eye, the red car crossed the line first.
“No!” I screamed and looked at Luca, who was smirking at me. “How’s that possible? Green was so close!” I complained as we left the crowd and walked away from the race.
“The guy in the red car in Jasper. He’s never lost a race, except once with Edward,” Luca replied.
“Dammit!” I cursed and huffed in annoyance.
The DJ changed the song to “Locked Away.”
“I wanna dance!” I said excitedly and pulled Luca with me before dashing to the dancing crowd.
“I don’t dance!” I heard Luca shout, making sure I heard him through the noise, but I was far from obliging.
Turning my back to him, I moved my hips and closed my eyes, feeling the tension leave my body.
Luca’s hands slowly came to my sides, and I felt him move his hips with me. Who would’ve thought this man would dance?
Luca chuckled and dipped his face into my neck, and even without looking at him, I could say he was embarrassed and maybe even shy.
Moving closer, I ground myself on him, and the song changed again.
I forgot that there were people around us. Luca looked at me, amazed when I danced in the crowd, wild and free.
When the song ended, I slumped on him. He was looking at me with some kind of desire and warmth.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I said.
“Like what?” he asked.
“Like you’ve got eyes only for me,” I said.
His lips landed on mine as soon as the words left my lips. I smiled dreamily and kissed him back. He licked my lower lip, and I opened my mouth for him to slip his tongue in.
It was purely beautiful, and I couldn’t think of anything but him. The kiss was gentle and sweet and made me want more, but he retreated.
“If my friends had seen me dancing like a teenager, they would’ve laughed their asses off,” Luca said and took me out of the crowd.
“Hey, I’m nineteen!” I said, and that’s when a question popped up in my head.
“How old are you?” I asked.
“What do you think?” he asked in return.
“Hm. Thirty-two?” I guessed.
Luca scrunched his eyebrows and shook his head. “I would’ve ended up miserable and broke by that age, but thankfully I found you in a place where I was not even expecting hope.”
“What?” I asked, scrutinizing him. I liked what he said about me but not about my town. “What’s wrong with Bridgehills?”
Luca glanced at my side but remained quiet, but I was not letting it slide.
“No, seriously. What’s wrong with my town?” I pressed.
“Your town is hopeless, Katherina, and that’s all you need to know for now.” He spoke gravely.
I wanted to press the matter but also didn’t want to ruin this night since I’d be leaving his sorry ass in two days.
The rest of the night went pretty well. We played badminton. Luca was pretty good and beat me three times. He played skillfully, which made me look like a potato.
He then took me to try a virtual reality game, which I sucked at. I screamed and ran for my life, and Luca laughed so hard at me.
Even though it was good to see him this carefree and normal, I wanted him to stop laughing. It was embarrassing, and I hid my face in his neck.
“I’m going to buy a VR console at home and watch you play these games,” Luca managed to tell through his unrestrained laughter.
“You should’ve seen yourself. You went all crazy and mad and screaming.” He cracked up laughing all over again.
“I hate you!” I snapped and punched his chest before walking out of the game house.
I heard his footsteps behind me, and before I could react, I was in the air, screaming in surprise as he lifted me up by my waist and threw me over his shoulder.
“Luca, put me down!”
He smacked my ass and placed me on my feet in the bar section, asking me to choose anything that I wanted to try. Everything looked expensive and foreign.
“I don’t know,” I said.
“Tequila?” Luca suggested, pointing it out on the huge shelf.
“Nah,” I shrugged, looking for something else.
“Vodka?”
“Nope”
“Ah! That!” I suddenly pointed out the small colorful cups.
“Jello shots?”
“Yes. I’ve never tried those.”
Luca ordered, and the man placed a huge tray of shots in front of us.
“You got to be kidding. We definitely can’t finish all that,” I said.
“Trust me,” he said and took one of the cups, a red one. He emptied the cup in one go before looking at me expectantly.
“All right.” I took a blue one and looked at Luca.
He encouraged me to go on as he took another one for himself.
I bought the cup closer to my mouth and took a deep breath before gulping it. It tasted like jelly and vodka, and I scrunched my face. Luca chuckled and handed me another one.
“This is crazy!” I took two more shots in my hand and gulped them one by one.
Luca watched me with amusement as I took almost all of them. When I picked up the last cup, Luca took it from my hand and swallowed the contents. I leaned on him, my head resting on his chest.
“Drunk already?” I heard him ask.
I looked at him, shaking my head. He pecked my lips and stood up from his stool, wrapping a steady arm around me.
“Where now?” I asked him as he led the way.
We walked past the people toward a hotel. The area wasn’t as crowded as outside. Luca made me sit on a couch in the corner and ordered a man to watch me.
“I’ll be back,” he said and was about to go, but I held his wrist.
“Don’t leave me, Luca,” I said unsteadily.
His eyes softened as he looked down at me.
“I’ll be back in a minute, baby. Just wait here.” He said.
I let go of his hand, and he didn’t wait a second before disappearing down the hallway.
The room was almost empty with hardly any people around, and the guard who was assigned to look after me stood with his arms folded, looking straight at a wall.
“Hey, baldy?” I called out since he had no hair, not that it looked bad.
In fact, he looked hot. My head was spinning from all the jello shots. I felt like hopping up on the bar and dancing and screaming till I passed out.
“Yo, rock, wassup?” I mimicked a cool rapper, trying to get his attention. “What you sell that hair for?
“Want some o mine? It’s down to my ass. It’s hard to use the washroom. I could cut some of it for ya.”
He remained unfazed
“Are you deaf?” I asked curiously. “Do you speak English?”
I got up from the couch and stood in front of him.
“Do you understand what I am saying?” I asked, pointing at my mouth and making a face. “Tell me.”
“Tell you what, my angel?” Luca’s voice made me turn in his direction.
He was wearing nothing but shorts, exposing his sculpted upper body. There was curiosity in his eyes, but he smiled at me anyway.
My eyes landed on the red cloth that was in his hand.
“What’s that in your hand, and why are you half-naked?” I asked him, “I don’t like making out in public, Luca,” I whined.
“Now that you’ve given me the idea, I can’t help thinking about it,” Luca replied and turned toward Baldy.
“Thank you, Sabastine.”
“No problem, sir.” Baldy’s voice was deep, and he gave a small smile.
“Oh my God, the rock smiled!” I said, looking at him with wide, shocked eyes.
“Don’t mind her, she’s a little drunk, and I’m sorry you got to listen to her ranting,” Luca chuckled.
“Not a problem, sir. I’ll take my leave,” Baldy said before leaving.
Luca took me to one of the rooms and gave me the red cloth.
“Go change,” he said.
I inspected the cloth before giving him a goofy smile.
“Oh, someone’s desperate to see me in a bikini,” I said.
He looked at me with a bored expression. “Go change, woman.”
“Uh-huh,” I said in a high-pitched tone. “Luca wanna see me in a bikini. Wanna check me out?”
He lifted an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.
“I’ve seen better.”
That got me.
I opened the door and closed it with a loud bang before locking it.
“How dare he! How dare he say that to my face!”
“I can hear you shouting at me. You’re not shouting it in your head,” I heard him say.
“I’m glad!” I screamed back and removed my dress angrily before slipping into the bra and bottoms. I folded my clothes and looked at myself in the mirrors around me.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d worn a bikini, and I was self-conscious.
“You dead, woman?” I heard him say before knocking.
“Coming,” I said softly.
Pushing away my insecurities, I opened the door. Luca’s eyes widened and lingered on my breasts before moving down to my thighs.
He stepped closer and traced his fingers traced the skin just above my panties. I shivered and placed my hand on his naked torso.
“I’m never letting you wear a bikini in public, ever again,” he whispered in my ear.
He took my hand and led me out of the hotel and toward the pool, which was less crowded with a few couples romancing each other.
Thick steam rose from the surface of the jacuzzi pool, and right when I was going to step into it, Luca pulled me in a different direction.
“Hell no,” I said when I realized he was taking me to a diving platform with twenty stairs before reaching the top.
I’ve never jumped from a height, even though I’ve always wanted to.
Anna and Isabella simply loved jumping into the water from a height, and they would encourage me to do so, but I just couldn’t. The last time I tried, I almost fainted due to the height.
I started struggling in Luca’s hands while he calmly dragged me.
I was begging, screaming, and blabbering even though a tiny part of me was excited like it always was when I looked at the water from a height.
He turned a deaf ear to my protests and pulled me toward the stairs.
“Climb,” he commanded.
I pouted sadly at him, hoping he would relent. Luca, being Luca, didn’t budge.
“Not working. Climb,” he said.
I moved closer and pecked on his cheek before giving him a cheesy smile. I could see him trying to control his smile.
“Still not working, c’mon, climb.”
He gave me a gentle push, and my hands clutched the railings. He gave another push, and I started climbing up slowly with steady steps.
Apparently, Luca held my weight as I took each step forward because I was pulling the damn railing backward, hoping it would fall back, dragged by our weight.
Anxiety wracked my body, and I was a mess by the time we reached the top.
The diving board started vibrating, and I didn’t dare to look down. Instead, I looked at Luca, shaking my head furiously while he nodded back a yes.
He turned me around and pushed me forward till I was trembling at the edge. That’s when I peeped down to see how high we were.
“Luca—"
That was all I was able to say before letting out a high-pitched scream. My eyes were shut tight, feeling my body falling free, finally landing with a huge splash.
I quickly came to the surface, breathing heavily and pushing the hair out of my face. I felt Luca’s arms wrap around my waist, and he laughed softly.
“Idiot!” I turned around and landed a punch on his chest before moving away.
I looked up at the diving board and couldn’t help the smile that made its way to my lips. I’d finally done it, even though Luca pushed me.
I saw Luca moving toward the edge of the pool and stretching his arms on either side, throwing back his head and closing his eyes.
The water was warm and refreshing, and I could feel myself sobering up a little. I moved to his side and placed my head on his arm, looking up at the night sky.
I could surely say that was the most wonderful day I’d ever had with Luca, and I didn’t want it to end, but my priorities were clear.
As good as it was to see a different side of Luca, I couldn’t be the prize he abducted and forced to live with him.
There were a number of ways this could have worked out. Luca chose his way, and I’d have it my way, whether he liked it or not.
I felt a soft kiss on my bare shoulder, which made me turn my eyes to him.
“Yes?” I asked.
“Nothing. I just wanted to do that,” he replied.
“It’s such a beautiful night. Even the stars seem brighter than usual.”
“Just like you,” he finished.
I blushed red and looked away at the couples in the pool.
We stayed in the pool for a while and then walked back to the hotel and changed into our clothes.
Luca had arranged for a beautiful dinner just for us in private, in the courtyard of the hotel, and it was wonderful.
He spoke briefly about this place and how it was one of the few places where he could be as he is.
It was almost midnight when we left the place, and I couldn’t believe that time had gone so fast. I held onto Luca by his shoulders, feeling the chilly air as he sped through the lonely roads.
When we finally reached home, I was sleepy and didn’t get down from his bike. Luca put down the kickstand and got down.
I stretched my arms to him. He gladly wrapped his arms around me and lifted me up. My legs wrapped around his waist, and he carried me inside with little effort.
He had a beautiful smile on his face, and when I asked him what he was smiling about, he stopped dead in his tracks and looked at me.
“I…,” Luca started hesitantly. “You’re mine, Katherina,” he ended up saying.
I looked at him, confused, but didn’t question.
He walked up toward our bedroom and placed me gently on the bed. When he was about to get up, I pulled him onto me, not letting him move.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said.
I loosened my grip, and he got up. He removed my shoes and put them on the floor before coming for my jeans and pulling them down.
“Better now.” I yawned and stretched my arms and legs, feeling relieved.
Luca removed his jeans and top before laying down beside me. He inched closer and pulled my leg onto his waist. I snuggled closer to his warmth and placed my head on his bicep.
“You look tired,” I mumbled.
“Did you have fun?” he asked.
“Of course I did,” I said, smiling widely at him.
“I’m glad,” he said, pulling the sheets over us and placing a soft kiss on my forehead.