Page 42 of Tangled Deceit
“It’s time to move,” he announces, rising from his kneeling position and grabbing my towel.
“Move?” I question, my heart rate increasing for all new reasons. “Like ‘go get Tori’ move?”
Luca holds the white, fluffy cotton material out for me. “Hopefully. We’ll be setting the plan into motion. If the opportunity presents itself, we’ll grab Tori at the same time.”
“Is she okay?” I ask with panic in my voice as I stand from the water, stepping into the waiting towel. “What’s the rush?”
Not that I don’t want her back, but something feels wrong about this. Not only his hurry, but the tone of his voice and the crease between his eyes that seems to deepen with my hesitation.
“Everything is fine,” he insists. “We’ve been waiting for a window, and now we have it. Be ready in three minutes or I’ll need to leave without you.”
Before he’s even finished speaking, I move my ass into gear, thankful that I didn’t wash my hair yet. All I need to do is dry off and get new clothes on. I do the former on my way to the closet and grab underwear first, then a pair of black pants, then my socks and boots, followed by a light grey tank top since it’s warmer outside and I don’t feel the need to hide my fading bruises any longer.
With one minute to spare, I step out of the closet and head toward the living room to find Luca already at the front door, open and waiting. “Let’s go.”
My heart rate starts to pick up, and my palms go sweaty. I can’t actually believe he’s letting me come with him. Whatever this “chaos plan” is, I assume it’s not dangerous. Or maybe he’s now firm in the thought that separating us during shitstorms like this is worse than bringing me along.
Either way, I’m anxious to get Tori back safe and sound, but I don’t like not knowing what’s going to happen between now and then.
“What’s the plan?” I ask once we’re in the elevator, headed down toward the garage.
Luca’s typing speedily on his phone, but still manages to answer me without missing a beat. “We’re going to make a bomb go off.”
My head whips back toward him so hard that my neck pops. “A what now?”
“An explosion, Raven,” he drones. “A bomb that goes boom and freaks everyone the fuck out.”
“Why in the hell would you do that?” I ask, panic clawing its way up my throat as my deranged mind conjures an image of Tori’s mangled body having to be uncovered from beneath rubble. Yeah, super fucking helpful.
He doesn’t answer me right away. Instead, his focus is back on his phone and I lose my patience when the elevator doors open to the garage. Before he can step out, I grip the front of his black shirt and force him to look at me.
“Why, Luca?” I demand.
His gaze moves toward where I’m grabbing him, something else he’s probably not used to people attempting with him, but I can’t give a single damn right now.
“It will be small and controlled,” he answers. “Just enough to hurt Bryson, putting him in the hospital where we’ll be able to get to him. If Titan let him go once, he should again.”
I blink several times, trying to process the fact that Luca seems to think he cancontrolevery little thing and is about to put lives at risk.
“You can’t do this,” I say, but he begins walking forward, uncaring that I still have a hold on him. My hold breaks as soon as he gets two steps away.
“I can and I will,” he replies. “If you don’t want to be part of this, then I suggest you go back upstairs.” He pauses and turns back to me when we’re halfway to the waiting SUV. “I’d rather have you with me, but if you can’t handle this, then stay and keep the door locked.”
Dark eyes plead with me, a look I feel confident is one he doesn’t show very many people. Hell, possibly nobody else.
Luca asked before if I trusted him. When I said I did, I meant it. Reminding myself of that, I take a deep breath, force my nerves down, and shake my head. “I’m coming with you.”
“Good.” He grabs my hand and leads me forward, opening the door to the back seat of the waiting vehicle. “Now, get in. I’ll be right back.”
A little begrudgingly, I do so, but when the door slams closed behind me, I flip him off just to make myself feel better.
I’m sure Luca has done this before. Explosions or whatever. He did say “small and controlled.” Maybe it will be more like firecrackers or something. My hands cover my face as I groan. “Fat fucking chance of that.”
Luca returns at the same time that Markus slides into the driver’s seat and Jaxon into the front passenger. I glance behind us, but nobody is moving to get in the rear. “It’s just the four of us?”
That doesn’t make me feel any better.
Luca shakes his head. “Damon is driving another SUV with a few others that will follow behind us, and there are two other crews waiting just a block away in case anything goes wrong.”