Page 67 of Forsaken Promises
Bile rises in my throat, and I swallow it down, the acid burning. “Why are you doing this, Luca? What did Dom ever do to you to make you hate him so much?”
At my words, Luca abruptly stands up, the chair screeching from the force of his movement. He paces the room, his eyes glinting with a manic energy. A sense of dread settles in the pit of my stomach.
Bad blood between Mob Families is nothing new to me. I can’t even count how many Families would happily piss on my father’s grave if given the opportunity.
But Luca’s resentment toward Dom? This runs deep and bitter. This goes beyond anything I’ve ever seen.
“You want to know why I hate your husband so much?” he asks, coming up close to me. “Why I’ve spent years plotting and scheming, waiting for the perfect moment to strike?”
I recoil away from him but nod, my throat too dry and tight to speak. Luca’s gaze locks with mine, a twisted smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
“Dom and I, we used to be something of friendly rivals. Always trying to one-up each other, always pushing each other to be better, stronger, faster. But then—then his Family cost me everything. Everything I held dear was ripped away.”
I frown, trying to make sense of his cryptic words. What could the Sicuras have done to cause Luca so much pain, so much rage?
And how was Dom responsible, if at all?
But before I can call him out, Luca is speaking again, his voice taking on a sly, conspiratorial tone, “But you hate him too, don’t you, Sofia? I’ve seen the way you look at him, the anger and the hurt that flashes in your eyes every time he’s near. You want to make him pay, just like I do. And together… together, we can give him the punishment he deserves.”
I stare at him. First off, how the fuck has he seen us to know how I look at Dom? Has he camped out outside the Sicura home and watched us? Where the fuck are the guards? How have they allowed him to have free reign of the grounds?
Second, God, can he be any more of a cartoonish villain? That was a speech worthy of a movie or romance novel.
But then his words sink in. Revenge? Punishment? The very thought makes my stomach churn, a sickening wave of nausea washing over me.
Because I don’t hate Dom. I never really did, no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise. The anger, the resentment, the nasty words and cold silences—they were all just a mask to protect myself from my own feelings.
But now, faced with the reality of Luca’s hatred and his fucked up plans, I can’t deny the truth any longer, can’t pretend that the reason I get so angry with Dom, the reason I push him away and lash out at him with such viciousness…
It’s because I love him. I’ve never stopped loving him. He’s always been it for me, the one person who forever has my heart.
And it’s that love that gives him the power to hurt me, to break me in ways that no one ever could. Because Dom doesn’t love me. Not the same way I love him.
I take a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest as I meet Luca’s gaze head-on. “No,” I say firmly. “No, I don’t want to hurt Dom. I don’t want any part of your sick plan, whatever it is.”
Luca’s eyes narrow, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. “Don’t be stupid, Sofia. You know as well as I do that Dominico Sicura deserves to suffer, deserves to pay for all the pain and betrayal he’s caused.”
But I shake my head, a sudden, fierce determination rising up within me. “No. No, he doesn’t. Dom is a good man, and I won’t let you use me as a weapon against him. Whatever he’s done to you, you need to let itgo, Luca. It isn’t healthy to hold on to this much resentment.”
I’m saying this as much for me as I am for Luca. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long—taken me to bekidnapped—to realize how stupid I’ve been, how bitter and nasty I am.
I stand up, my legs shaking but my voice steady and strong. I am Sofia Sicura, and I will not be afraid.
“I may have been angry with him, may have pushed him away and said things I didn’t mean. But I never stopped loving him, Luca. And I never will.”
Luca stares at me, his face a mask of cold, calculating fury. “You’re making a mistake, Sofia. A mistake you’ll regret for the rest of your life. The Sicuras willendyou.”
But I just lift my chin stubbornly, looking at him with cool eyes. “The only mistake I ever made was letting my fear and pride get in the way of the truth. And that’s a mistake I won’t make again.”
Luca’s face twists in a bitter, mocking smile. “We’ll see about that, Sofia. We’ll see.”
And with that, he turns and walks out of the room.
As the door slams behind Luca, I sink back onto the bed, my mind reeling with the implications of his words. What is his issue with Dom? What did Dom do that was so bad to make Luca want revenge?
Taking a deep breath, I square my shoulders as I stand up and begin to pace the room. I may be the daughter of a Mob Boss, but I’m not some delicate flower. I’ve been raised in this world, trained to survive and thrive in the face of adversity.
And if Luca thinks he can use me as a pawn, thinks he can break me with a few bullshit threats and laughable warnings… he’s got another thing coming.
