LORENZO
The moment everything settled, I thought she'd be smart enough to keep quiet, maybe sit down and breathe, or at least ask the right questions.
But no. Lucy Parker looked me dead in the eye and said, "It's time for me to leave."
I almost laughed. Leave?
With blood still fresh on my marble floor, glass everywhere, guests crying and pushing their way outside, security dragging bodies like trash – and this woman wanted to leave?
"No," I said simply. "You'll stay here for tonight."
She crossed her arms, her lips pressing into a thin line. "I'm fine going home."
My patience was wearing thin. She had no idea how much effort it took to keep my voice calm right now. "You're not leaving."
Her eyes flashed like I'd insulted her family. "So you forced me to come here… and now you're going to force me to stay? What am I, one of those desperate girls you flash money at in nightclubs?"
I blinked at her, surprised by the sharpness of her tongue. She wasn't even raising her voice, but the sting of her words hit like a slap.
"I'm not some order you can place," she went on, "and I don't need your charity. I have a home."
I clenched my jaw so hard I thought my teeth might break. Every instinct in me wanted to snap back, to remind her exactly who she was speaking to. But I held it in, barely.
"You're not hearing me," I said, quieter now. "Those men weren't here for a show. They were here for me. And now, by accident or design, you're mixed up in it."
She raised a brow. "That's your problem, not mine."
I stepped closer, lowering my voice even more. "It became your problem the second you walked into this house."
She stared at me like I was speaking a foreign language. "You should've just left me alone in the first place."
I almost smiled at that. "Trust me, I've been regretting it all night."
I watched her carefully, searching for any sign of fear in those eyes, but all I saw was stubbornness. Stupid, reckless bravery.
I hated it. And I hated that I respected it.
"You think I don't have a home?" she said again, quieter this time but not softer. "Get one of your precious bodyguards to drive me. You clearly have enough of them."
I shook my head. "That's not the point, Miss Parker."
"That's exactly the point," she snapped. "I don't need your explanation , and I definitely don't need your help."
I wanted to yell, to roar, to break something just to make her listen. But I didn't. Instead, I leaned in close. "If they know your face, you're not safe," I said. "Not out there. Not right now."
For a moment, just a moment, I thought I saw hesitation in her eyes. Somehow, I knew she was weighing the risk, the way lawyers do.
Then she lifted her chin again like a damn soldier ready for battle. "You're funny, and you know that."
I didn't mean to raise my voice, but I did.
"Why the hell are you so stubborn?" I snapped.
She didn't even flinch. That's what got to me the most. The way she just stood there, her chin slightly raised, looking at me like I was the problem here. Like I was the one making life difficult.
Her answer came fast. "Because you're starting to play god over my life, and I don't like it."
I stared at her. And I won't lie, that got me.
"If you hadn't dragged me here, none of this would've happened," she added in an accusing way.
I took a breath, forcing down the boiling frustration clawing its way up my throat. My fists were clenched so hard they felt numb.
I glanced at Marco standing by the door. His eyes met mine. He knew that look. It was the 'calm before the storm'.
"Talk to her," I said lowly. "Make her understand."
Marco shifted forward. "Miss Parker… Mr. Carcaterra's just thinking of your safety. He's not–"
"I'm not staying," she cut him off. "I don't care who's after him or what mess I walked into. I'm not his prisoner."
I gave a short, dry laugh, shaking my head. She didn't get it.
I turned my gaze back to her. "You don't seem to understand how this works, do you?"
"I understand perfectly," she shot back. "You think you can order people around because you have money, power, and a few men with guns. That's not how it works with me."
Wrong again.
I stepped forward, stopping only inches from her face. "No, Parker. It's exactly how it works."
I could see the fight in her eyes, the kind of fight most people didn't carry for long in my world. They either learned quickly… or they didn't live long enough to learn at all.
"The moment you took the job," I said quietly, "the moment you stood in that courtroom defending me, and the moment you walked into my house, you became mine."
Her nostrils flared. "With all due respect, sir, I don't belong to anyone."
I admired the fire in her, even though I hated that it was pointed at me. "You don't have to like it. But that's how it is."
She started to speak again, but I cut her off, stepping even closer, lowering my voice into a growl. "And I don't care if you like it. That's how it's going to be for the rest of your life."
Her eyes flew open, and for the first time she was hesitant to speak.
"You arrogant–" she began, turning to leave.
Before she could take another step, two of my men, Paolo and Rocco, were already standing behind her like statues.
I didn't have to say it twice. "Escort her to the guest room, and make sure it's locked."
Lucy spun around, with anger burning in her eyes. "You can't–"
"I just did," I said coldly.
She looked like she wanted to slap me, scream at m
e, anything – but instead, she clenched her fists, spun back around, and stormed out with Paolo and Rocco.