“Where are we going?” I manage to ask.
He barrels the truck around the corner and toward the front. Two men are waiting near the other vehicles, but they hesitate. They probably don’t realize what’s going on. It’s not until we’re speeding past that they finally take some shots.
I keep my head down. I’m stubborn, not stupid.
But Luca’s a good driver. He stays calm, and we end up peeling out as he hits a hard turn. Once we’re on the main road, he guns it again, and soon the sound of shooting is only a distant crack and pop, then nothing at all.
I sit there, heart racing. Sweat pours down my back. I pat my jeans and curse softly under my breath. I must’ve left my phone back in the garage, which means I have no way of reaching out to anyone.
Luca’s staring straight ahead, grim and determined.
“Hey, asshole,” I say, leaning forward against the seatbelt. “Seriously, where are you taking me?”
“Back to my place,” he says. “Now just sit back and quit making my life hard. For a girl that was just nearly killed, you’re not very grateful.”
“I’m supposed to thank you for abducting me?”
“You could maybe show some gratitude for the whole ‘saving your life’ thing.”
“You broke my knee.”
“And saved your fucking skull from getting blown off.”
“Where are we going exactly? Does my father know about any of this? Where’s my brother and what about his guys? The shift was supposed to start soon. Were any of them warned?”
But Luca just ignores me, eyes on the road. His jaw works, and when it’s clear he’s not talking anymore, I sit back and try to get my racing heart under control.
Chapter 2
Fiorella
Luca parks outside of a large trucking depot out on the edge of Philadelphia. It’s in one of those bland office parks set back away from a main road near where the city blends into the suburbs. A sign out front readsCross Country Shipping, which is basically the most generic name I’ve ever seen.
“Come on,” he says, climbing out onto the parking lot.
I reluctantly follow, limping as I go. A part of me is tempted to stay in the truck, but I really hate confined spaces. I catch up with him as he strides toward the blue building, struggling to keep pace on my injured knee.
“Where are we right now?”
“I told you, it’s my place.”
“You live here?”
He snorts and shakes his head. “I work here.”
“Does my brother know where I am right now? Why don’t we just go straight to him?”
“Because I don’t know if anyone followed us, and I’d rather not have a gunfight in the city if I can avoid it.” He glances at me with a deep frown. “You ask too many questions.”
“And you’re not telling me anything useful.” I grab his arm before he can walk through a side entrance. His eyes flare as he meets my gaze, and I’m shocked at the thick slab of muscle under my fingers. “Can you just hold on a second?”
He takes a deep breath, steadying himself. Luca might’ve saved my life back there, but I still don’t know him, and I have no clue what’s going on.
He suddenly turns and takes me by the hips. I yelp in pure shock as his fingers dig into my skin. He turns me, pushes me back against the wall of the building, and drops down to one knee.
My guts do figure eights as the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen looks up into my eyes.
“Let me look at your injury.”
