Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Should I buy a Cybertruck?”

Lucanis frowned and glanced across at Illario who was watching him with a shark-like grin, apparently perfectly serious.

“Why?” He drawled and rolled his shoulders, easing some of the tension in his neck. “Is the Maserati not getting the attention it used to?”

A stupid question, really. His cousin's love of fast cars was second only to his love of attention, particularly from the female sex. Not that a Cybertruck was especially fast from what Lucanis understood - he thought it a cumbersome and ugly vehicle - but it would get attention. And Illario was always happiest when he could draw a crowd. 

Illario's grin widened and he leaned closer as though sharing a secret. “Because it will annoy Caterina!”

Lucanis snorted and his lips twitched as he almost smiled. “I don't think she cares what car you drive, cousin. So long as you do your job.”

Illario frowned as someone scoffed derisively, and both of them glanced over at the beautiful dark haired woman who sat nearby, her fingers moving in a blur on the keys of the laptop she had open. She was slim and pale, and her long dark hair fell in cascading waves down her back. Her fingers ended in varnished red nails that were absurdly long, almost talon-like, and she turned lovely eyes in their direction. 

Zara Renata was not someone who Lucanis had expected his grandmother to welcome into their home, but she was Viago de Riva's second in command at De Riva Pharmaceuticals, and Viago had brought her along to this meeting. He shivered and looked away. There was something too-perfect about Zara's features - something uncanny and alien. Her face was line-free and smooth, her lips were plump and pouty, and her eyes were fringed with long dark lashes that were too thick and dark. 

But she looked too perfect.

“Whatever car you drive you'll still be an asshole,” she purred at Illario, and despite her haughty expression Lucanis heard the undercurrent of bitterness.

Evidently Zara still hadn't forgiven his cousin for dumping her for his current girlfriend. 

Illario caught his gaze and rolled his eyes, and Lucanis grinned back at him. Neither of them liked Zara, but there was no sense in fighting with her when his grandmother was currently trying to wheedle a favour out of Viago.

Lucanis pulled himself from his thoughts as he felt the faint vibrations in the floor as someone approached the door they were guarding. He straightened, one hand edging automatically to the gun in his shoulder holster. The door swung open without warning and Viago stormed out, his face flushed from whatever had passed between himself and Caterina. Teia followed close behind, her expression more guarded, though she flashed Lucanis and Illario a sultry smile.

He didn't return it. 

Of all the men and women who had risen in the ranks in their organisation, Teia was perhaps the most dangerous. She hid it well, but he had witnessed her smiling and flirting with a target right up until the moment she had her garrotte around their neck. These days she handled their organisation's money laundering operation through her casino - the Cantori Diamond - but he didn't doubt that given the chance, Teia would easily slip back into her old life of seducing and eliminating their competition.

Her eyes darted back to Viago, and Lucanis revised his opinion as she took the taller man's arm and murmured something to him. Viago had changed her considerably, no one would argue otherwise. It was possible that her interest in climbing their organisation's hierarchy had changed now that she had turned her attention to the only member of their organisation to be allowed to step away from the family business. 

Viago de Riva, the owner and CEO of De Riva Pharmaceuticals had, at one point, been one of their most trusted members who specialised in poisons. Gifted, Caterina had called him, and indeed Lucanis had worked with him many times in their younger years, and had looked up to him. Hell, he had idolised the man and followed him around as a teenager.

But things had changed. 

Viago had stepped away from their organisation around the time that his young wife died - not long after giving birth to their daughter. No one had expected him to keep the child, but he had. And as the years passed he built up the capital to start his own business and worked hard to make a success of it. 

Lucanis had only seen Viago on the odd occasion since then. Teia he was more familiar with, and he knew from listening to Illario gossip that Viago and Teia had been on-again off-again for years now. His daughter, Brooklyn de Riva, he had never met - Viago had taken great pains to keep his daughter away from the Dellamorte family, and he guarded her privacy zealously.

They stormed down the corridor, Zara scrambling to close her laptop and follow - her razor sharp stilettos doing her no favours as Viago increased his pace and she tottered after them.

“Lucanis! Illario!” Caterina's voice rang out, and Illario once again rolled his eyes at his cousin, gesturing for him to precede him into her office. 

“Caterina?” Lucanis greeted her, turning her name into a question as he spied a neat package of files, photos and documents on her desk, most of which appeared to be members of the Antaam family who were causing them so much grief. “How did the meeting go?”

“Poorly,” she snapped and leaned back in the leather bound office chair that always reminded him of a throne. “Viago is too worried about violating military contracts to recognise an opportunity when he sees one.”

Lucanis nodded but said nothing, though he instantly knew why Caterina had so urgently wanted to speak to Viago. A news report had come out today alleging that De Riva Pharmaceuticals had partnered with the military in a secret government backed contract to develop a truth serum, one which was undetectable, worked almost instantly, and was impossible to resist. It was no wonder Caterina was interested, the value of getting her hands on such a drug before it hit the market would be beyond measure. 

It was also clear to him that despite the history between the Dellamorte family and De Riva Pharmaceuticals, Viago had not given her what she wanted. 

Caterina looked sour as she glared out the window. “I reminded him what he owed me and the Dellamorte family, but he claimed the test batches and formula are being held under military guard with a high level of security. Even he is unable to get anything out, and he's too worried about any leaks being traced back to de Riva Pharmaceuticals to try, especially since someone talked to the media.”

Lucanis wasn't entirely shocked by this, but it was stupid of Viago to refuse Caterina his help. Legitimate or not, his business existed because she allowed it, and she would not allow him to simply wash his hands of his past and walk away. No one really left their organisation. 

Except in a body bag. 

"I'm surprised," Lucanis said honestly as Illario lazily dropped into the recently vacated seat. “He knows this serum will hit the black market eventually. It's in his best interest to make sure it reaches us before the Antaam get their hands on it. They're no friends of his, and surely he knows they'll come after him to get their hands on it?”

"He's too focused on protecting what he's built," Caterina snapped, her brown eyes zipping between the two of them, missing nothing. "I thought he might see reason, for old times sake if nothing else, but the fool says he won't risk doing anything that might be traced back to him or his company and cost him the contract.”

Illario laughed. "He actually said no to you? He's got cojones, I'll give him that."

“Viago is going to give us that serum whether he wants to or not," Caterina muttered and she scowled as she looked back out the nearby window. "He forgets that he is still part of this family, and if he will not help us willingly, then he will be persuaded." 

Lucanis said nothing and he exchanged a glance with Illario who shrugged. Viago would expect nothing less, and would undoubtedly be making plans to protect himself against any move Caterina made against him or his company. 

"What would you like us to do?" he asked, watching as she shuffled papers around on her desk, looking for a particular file. "I can pay him a visit, and-"

"That won't be necessary. He has a daughter," Caterina smiled coldly as she pulled out a picture of an attractive young woman. "Viago has worked hard to keep her separate from our organisation, but she is his weakness. We'll use her." 

Illario brightened. "Ah! Brooklyn de Riva! I've seen her at the Diamond. I can-"

"No," she cut him off and put the photo back in the folder, pushing it towards Lucanis. "I want Lucanis on this. No seduction. Nothing that would upset Viago too much. For now just run surveillance and learn what you can about the girl. When the time comes, I want you to grab her and take her to your safe house, Lucanis. I know you still have that property in the mountains. It's remote. It will do perfectly. Once he realises we have his precious daughter he'll cooperate."

"And Teia?" Lucanis asked smoothly as he took the file, ignoring Illario's baleful glare, as though he had just snatched an especially tasty meal he had been looking forward to devouring. "I doubt she is going to stand by and do nothing while we meddle with Viago."

"Teia will do as I tell her to do," Caterina frowned as though the question was insulting. "She will work on persuading Viago to go along with our plan."

Lucanis nodded, and worked to keep his face neutral. He wasn't sure he agreed with Caterina on this particular point. Teia cared for Viago and his family, he couldn't imagine her going along with any plan which might include the girl being kidnapped as leverage. Beside him, Illario crossed his arms over his chest as he shot a dazzling smile at their grandmother.

"Nona," he wheeled. "Let me handle this. Lucanis is good at violence and persuasion, I'm far more suited to handling this girl."

"He's right." Lucanis agreed readily enough. The last thing he wanted was to be saddled with a whining spoiled brat. "This is his kind of a job-"

Caterina slammed a fist on the table, and both of them jumped. "I want Viago scared, and you will scare him, Lucanis. You are the Demon of Vyrantium! If he thinks there is a chance his daughter will be harmed by you, he'lll go along with whatever I say."

The two of them relented, and Illario shrugged. "Fine. But this might backfire. When Viago finds out that we have his daughter he might well decide to poison you." 

She laughed. "Not if he wants his daughter returned in one piece. Anyway, the point is that I want his daughter scared, not seduced." 

Lucanis nodded. "I'll start surveillance and have my safe house prepared. Viago is a paranoid man and he'll likely anticipate this and heighten security around himself and his family, but he cannot protect her forever."

Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone has a weakness. Everyone slips up eventually. 

"I trust you'll find a way," Caterina told him, the gleam in her eye communicating that she expected him to succeed as he always had. "Now go. I have some calls to make."

The two men inclined their heads and sauntered from the room at her dismissal. Lucanis glanced at Illario, who still looked surly at being denied a job he wanted. The two of them frequently worked these kinds of jobs together - Illario acting as their front man who dealt with people using charm and persuasion, while Lucanis was the muscle who handled the physical side of problems. Together they had amassed a fearsome reputation. 

There were few who would willingly stand against the Dellamorte brothers. 

Not that they were true brothers, but they were cousins who had been raised together by Caterina after a rival organisation murdered their family when they were kids. A gang feud. One of many. But they were, for all intents and purposes, as close as brothers.

"You get all the good jobs," Illario complained once the door closed behind them. "Have you even met Viago's daughter?"

Lucanis shook his head. "No. But I don't tend to spend my time at the Diamond if I can help it."

His cousin snorted. "That's because you're always at the gym, Lucanis. Or working! So boring! You should get out more. If you did, you would know that Broolyn de Riva is smoking hot.”

Which was probably the reason why Caterina didn't want Illario on this job. He had a weakness for pretty girls, and had caused a lot of trouble over the years with his womanising ways. Viago especially would not be happy if he discovered his only daughter had been seduced by a scoundrel.

"Isn't she just a kid?" He frowned, trying to work out how old she would be now. "She must be, what, sixteen…?”

"No," Ilario laughed at his expression. "She had her twenty-first birthday party a few months ago at the Diamond. I invited you, but you went out on a job instead.”

His cousin sounded disapproving, as though he couldn't imagine anything worse than working when he could be partying.

"How do you know so much about her?" Lucanis gave him a suspicious look, but his cousin waved his concerns away. 

"Because unlike you, dear brother, I visit Teia's casino for reasons other than business, and I've seen her there with Teia a few times. Trust me, you're lucky." 

Given that he might well be kidnapping the girl only to hurt or scare her, he wasn't sure he agreed with his cousin, but he shrugged it away. Likely, Viago would capitulate to Caterina's demands once the girl was in their hands. Despite what his grandmother thought, Viago was no fool and he wouldn't want his daughter hurt.

"If you want any help with surveillance, let me know. I'd be happy to keep an eye on her," Illario offered with a lecherous grin.

Lucanis rolled his eyes. "Don't you think of anything other than sex?"

"Money?" Illario suggested and he grinned. "Cocaine? What else is there?"

He snorted and opened the folder, absently perusing the information on Viago de Riva, his estate, and his daughter Brooklyn. Her picture gave him a moment's pause, and Lucanis grudgingly admitted to himself that she was very pretty. The photographer had captured her out at lunch with her friends, and the first thing he noticed was how happy she looked. 

Innocent and carefree. Not at all how he had pictured the daughter of Viago de Riva, notorious poisoner and assassin. Her long auburn hair fell loose about her shoulders, and her sparkling blue eyes were the same piercing shade as her fathers. Her features were delicate, beautiful, and her smile was genuine. 

Fuck. This was the woman he was supposed to kidnap and scare?

He almost swore out loud at the thought of seeing her eyes turn cold with mistrust and terror. At seeing that lovely smile turn to a scream. At making her tremble with fear instead of tremble with need-

Illario glanced over his shoulder and hummed appreciatively. “See? She's hot, right?”

Lucanis cleared his throat, embarrassed that Illario had caught him looking at the picture and stuffed it back into the file. 

What was wrong with him?!

“One spoiled rich brat looks a lot like the next,” he muttered and slammed the folder shut. “How she looks is beside the point.”

His cousin made a face and peeled off towards the kitchen, calling out over his shoulder as they went their separate ways. “I worry about you, Lucanis. Sometimes I think you're not even human.”

Lucanis gave Illario's retreating figure the finger and his cousin laughed and returned the gesture. He waited until he was out of sight before he retrieved the picture and studied it again, his eyes moving slowly over the woman in the photo. Normally one rich brat did look a lot like the next, but Illario was right. 

Brooklyn de Riva was stunning.

Chapter Text

She was late. 

Lucanis glanced at his phone in irritation, watching as the clock in the corner of the screen clicked over to 5.04pm. He glowed at the mobile as though it were somehow responsible for Brooklyn finishing work late, and with an annoyed sigh he shoved it back in his pocket and leaned casually against the motorbike he was using to tail Brooklyn de Riva today - a black Ducati. He had no idea who the bike belonged to, but he paid a small fortune for access to a range of vehicles any time he needed them.

Where was she?

He took a long drag from the cigarette he was smoking and kept his brown eyes trained on the building ahead of him, trying to ignore the tetchy feeling in his gut as he waited for her to walk out the main door. It was only just after the time that she normally finished work, and although he had been here a while, there was always the possibility that she had gone home early for some reason. Fuck, he hoped not. It was impossible to get anywhere near her when she was at her father's estate where she lived. 

Viago had, predictably, increased his security after his meeting with Caterina. 

The door opened and Lucanis straightened as Brooklyn appeared outside of the small De Riva Pharmaceuticals research clinic where she was completing her internship. She was still here. He tossed the remnant of his cigarette to the ground, crushing it under his heel as he watched her stretch and yawn. She reached up to pull her hair clip free and shook her long locks out - her auburn hair falling around her face like she was in a hair commercial, bouncing happily in the sunlight. 

Lucanis swallowed hard and looked away, hating the effect she had on him. It was ridiculous. There had been targets over the years who had been objectively attractive, but no one had ever managed to get under his skin quite like Brooklyn. Worse still, the more he learned about her, the deeper the attraction went.

Attraction. It was an almost alien concept. An emotion which he had felt so rarely in his life that Lucanis had almost convinced himself he was above it. After all, it was easy to manipulate someone if they were attracted to you - just look at all the stupid decisions Illario had made over the years after falling head over heels for whatever good looking man or woman caught his attention.

Zara Renata for instance. 

But he wasn't a robot after all - his fascination with Brooklyn had proven that beyond a doubt. She had wriggled under his skin, invaded his dreams, and consumed his every waking moment. The desire to see her was like an itch that wouldn't go away, and Lucanis dreaded to think what might happen when he finally had to take her.

The thought alone was enough to make his heart pound.

Illario would laugh his head off if he knew.

Half the family would.

Lucanis Dellamorte, the Demon of Vyrantium and notorious cold-blooded hitman, swooning after a girl and half-addicted to watching her like some kind of stalker. It was pathetic. Worse still, he feared it was unhealthy, but he couldn't bring himself to ask Caterina to put Illario on the job. What if his cousin hurt her? What if he fell under her spell too and something happened between? Anxiety bloomed in his chest and Lucanis crushed it down, unwilling to let his mind wander down this dangerous path.

Brooklyn de Riva was a target. A job. And sooner or later this spell she had over him would be broken and she would think him a monster.

He absently reached for another cigarette and stopped himself with a small shake. There was no point lighting up now - after she finished her work, she invariably went for a coffee with friends at her favourite coffee shop. After that she would work out for an hour at her gym, except for Tuesday and Thursdays when she went swimming instead.

Brooklyn de Rive was, like her father, a creature of habit. It made following her easy at least, because she was fairly predictable. With a few exceptions. She had a bad habit of dropping anything when a friend was in trouble, and several times she had abruptly changed plans to comfort a friend or pick up a buddy stuck without a lift. But for the most part, she had been easy to track and oblivious enough that she hadn't picked up on him.

Viago was another story, and Lucanis was wary of going too close to their house. Not only would her father recognise him instantly, but the man had a security entourage which Lucanis had no wish to tangle with. Was he curious about Rook and what went on in her home? Maybe, but that was understandable when he had been following her for just over a month and had a good idea about what kind of a person she was.

He had learned several important things about her in the few weeks he had been watching her. Firstly, she went by the name Rook and pulled an adorable face whenever people called her by her full name. Secondly, she was following in her fathers footsteps and was studying a Pharmaceutical Chemistry degree - and by all accounts she was highly intelligent with a bright career ahead of her. Thirdly, and most interesting, although Rook played the good girl during the day, things changed at night when she and friends more often than not ended up at clubs.

Her usual hang outs were Teia's private club at The Diamond - a fact that Lucanis was fairly sure that Viago was ignorant of - or the local hangout of the rich and elite known as Club Pietra. Both were places which Lucanis was familiar with from his work, but not places he would willingly choose to spend his nights. The Diamond had far too many politicians frequenting its hall for him to want to spend any time there, and Club Pietra made his skin crawl with the obscene amount of wealth which was flashed around by its young and often insipid clientele.

He understood why Rook enjoyed it. He had followed her into Club Pietra a handful of times to see what drew her in - intel gathering, he told himself - and quickly discovered that Rook enjoyed socialising and dancing. She wasn't blind to the attention of the other young people, and usually had fun flirting and dancing with both women and men, but at the end of the night she went home alone. It was as though she was searching for something - some kind of connection.

Lucanis dragged his attention back to the present as Rook walked to her car. She looked sinfully sexy in a grey pencil skirt that hugged her curves, and a lilac blouse that tastefully emphasised the gentle thrust of her breasts. The stiletto heels she wore made her legs look a mile long, and he absently wondered what kind of underwear she had on. Something sexy but tasteful, no doubt. Black lace perhaps? 

His body reacted at the mental image of Brooklyn arranged on a bed - his bed - in a black lace bra and thong. Maybe with high stockings and garters to hold them up. In his fantasy she still wore those sinfully high stiletto heels, and she stretched out playfully, her lovely blue eyes focused on him as she motioned him closer…

Joder! What was wrong with him?!

Lucanis scowled, angry at himself, as Rook's casual gaze swept the street, hesitating briefly on a small fluffy dog barking incessantly at a large tabby cat sunning itself on a wall. She liked animals, and he wasn't surprised when she deviated from her route to speak to the elderly owner of the dog, a friendly looking old man who laughed at whatever she said to him. Lucanis realised he was smiling as he watched her, and he scowled at himself, annoyed at how often he found himself smiling as he watched her.

His phone buzzed and he flipped it from his pocket, opening the lockscreen and feeling his shoulders tense at the message from Caterina. It was time. He would grab the girl tonight. Lucanis tucked his phone away, then reached for another cigarette and lit it up, taking a long drag and rubbing his eyes as he mentally ran through everything he needed to do. There wasn't much. He had been ready for days now and had planned out everything. All he needed was the perfect opportunity, and if Rook stuck to her usual party girl ways he would have no problem getting close to her tonight at the club.

Tonight then. 

Tonight he would finally make contact with Rook de Riva. He would lie to her. Seduce her. Trick her into following him out into the night for a smoke, then he would force her into his car and when the time came, he would confess who and what he was, she would know him for the monster he really was.

The thought of what was about to happen filled him with equal parts dread and anticipation.

He had never struggled to stay focused on a job before. He had never been tempted by a target before. Hell, he had never especially been tempted by anyone before, full stop. It was something which he had long ago accepted about himself. Some men were ruled by their heads, some by their hearts, and some by their cocks. 

He liked cold hard logic. Facts. The feeling of fulfillment he got from completing a contract and the rush he got from taking out a target had always been enough for him. But as Rook crouched to pat the dog before heading to her car, Lucanis had to acknowledge that he wanted more this time. 

He wanted her, and it scared the hell out of him.

Rook glared at her father, their postures identical as they stood with their arms crossed stubbornly across their chests and their chins raised defiantly as they stared each other down. Viago de Riva, her father, had always been paranoid, but forcing a bodyguard on her was unheard of. She shook her head slowly, but he just smiled, his cold blue eyes staring steadily into hers as he gestured to the tall figure beside him.

"Brooklyn, this is your new bodyguard - Davrin."

She threw her father a disbelieving look as he ushered the tall and very imposing looking man into the room, and her mouth twisted in annoyance. The large mountain of a man lumbered through the doorway and rumbled to a stop in front of her. His shoulders were almost twice her width, and he stood roughly a full foot taller. Her father stepped up beside him, his expression serious though his eyes softened at her obvious unhappiness.

Rook sighed and shook his hand. It wasn't Davrin's fault that he was being forced on her against her will. And she didn't want to come across as a spoiled brat or ungrateful that this man would be keeping her safe.

She just wished she knew what she was being kept safe from.

Davrin flashed her a reassuring smile that was just a little too polished, as though he had practised in the mirror until he had just the right expression to put people at ease. Maybe he had. A bodyguard with a polished exterior would have appealed to her paranoid father and his obsession over keeping her safe, she thought grumpily.

"Nice to meet you," she returned his smile and then turned to face her father as she pulled her hand from the security guard's large mit. "Dad, is this really necessary? I'm an adult. I can look after myself."

"It is. I know you think I'm being overprotective," her father explained, his tone tense. "But my latest drug has made me the target of all sorts of crazies since it made the news. I've had threats, Brooklyn. Serious threats. And I'm worried you might be a target too. Humour me?"

Rook sighed and nodded, the anger draining away as she took in his genuine concern.  "Fine, but there are limits to what I'll allow. I don't need someone following me around-"

"No. Anytime you leave the house, Davrin will be with you." He insisted as Teia stepped into view.

Rook turned imploring eyes on the woman who had long ago taken on the role of stepmother, despite her relationship with her father being tumultuous at best. As a child, she had resented Teia's presence in their life and had viewed her as a rival for her workaholic father's affection. But as she had grown older, Rook had come to realise that Teia cared for them both deeply, and Teia had become a confidant and friend.

"Teia!" she complained, appealing to the woman who usually balanced out her father's paranoia. "Can't you talk some sense into him?"

Teia flashed her an understanding look, but shook her head. Her long dark curls bounced around her angular face even as her dark eyes flashed with sympathy. "This time I'm on your father's side. I've seen the threats and this is serious, Rook. You need protection. Trust me."

She actually looked worried, and Rook gave her a probing look which the other woman returned without flinching. She liked Teia, she did. But she sided with her father more often than not. Why her father and Teia didn't just get married was beyond her, they had been together for as long as she could remember, but the two of them were both fiery tempered and their arguments were often explosive and long lasting. Still, it would have been nice to have been able to call Teia her mother.

She loved her father, but he could be distant.

"Fine," she grumbled and waved the man away. "Any time I walk out the door, I'll bring him, okay?"

"Good." Her father shot her a stern look and led the way out of her room,Teia throwing her a slightly more sympathetic smile as they led Davrin away to meet the other security personnel.

Rook waited until they were gone, then she closed and locked the door with a sigh. It was ridiculous that even as an adult she couldn't get the freedom she desired. She could move out, she acknowledged with a sigh, but her father was only supporting her through her studies while she stayed under his roof. It was frustrating, but it was his rules, and she wasn't stupid enough to think she could just waltz out the doors, find a high paying job, and support herself without his help.

Her phone buzzed on her desk and she picked it up, glancing at the caller before she answered it. 

"Hey Bell."

The sound of her best friend's voice filled the line, bubbly and brimming with enthusiasm. "Hey. Okay, so I talked to the rest of the girls and they're in if you still want to hit the club tonight."

"Club Pietra?" Rook leaned against her desk, glancing out the window at the security van which sat in the middle of her father's circular driveway like a cancerous blight. She scowled at it. "Yeah, I'm still in. But I have to ditch the new security my dad hired for me."

Bellara laughed, and she could imagine the incredulous look on her friend's face. "Your dad is so weird. Although…" she giggled. "Is the new bodyguard cute? It would be worth it if he's at least cute."

She made a non-committal sound. "Not my type, but I definitely do not him following me around the club and reporting my every move back to my dad."

"You think that's what this is? Your dad being overprotective again? He's such a control freak."

"Maybe," Rook scowled at the van again. "He says there are threats against us and Teia agrees, so I don't know."

Bellara laughed again. "Your dad is so paranoid, Rook. Anyway, you think you can ditch security and I'll pick you up at ten?"

"Definitely!" She narrowed her eyes at the van and smirked. "I only promised dad that I'd take him with me when I walked out the front door. I didn't say anything about the window."

Chapter Text

Club Pietra was packed to the brim with gyrating bodies, thrumming base, and the familiar smell of stale beer, smoke machines, and cigarettes. Rook moved easily amongst the crowd, enjoying the sense of being invisible and of losing herself among so many people. The sensation was freeing. Here, in this mess of noise and people, she felt relaxed. Safe. Cocooned by warmth and admiring looks.

Bellara nudged her and nodded towards the bar where their friends had gathered around a tall good looking man who was clearly in his element. Their shrieks of laughter as they drank and ogled the stranger were lost amongst the noise, but she could see they were dazzled by his attention. 

They headed in their direction, maneuvering around the dance floor as best they could. Someone jostled her, and Rook stumbled slightly, bumping hard into the person who was attempting to move around her. She put a hand out to balance herself and collided with the glass of beer that the stranger was holding, almost knocking it out of his hand and tipping most of the contents over the floor and her new shoes. She swore loudly and colourfully as Bellara continued without her, oblivious, and she turned to apologise to the stranger.

"Shit! I'm so... sorry..." 

Rook's apology died on her lips as she stared into a pair of gorgeous brown eyes. Eyes which were set in one of the most handsome faces she had ever seen. And the face sat upon a body which most men, and women, would have died for. The man looked genuinely started for a moment as he looked back at her, his gaze finding hers and holding it for a long moment before he blinked and the spell was broken.

She was certain that she was staring, but the man didn't seem to have noticed. He flashed her a reassuring and slightly embarrassed grin as he set his now mostly-empty beer down on a nearby bar table and flicked foam from his fingers. 

Rook took in his broad shoulders and muscular physique which filled out a very expensive looking shirt. His hands and wrists, she noted, were covered in tattoos visible even in the low lighting.

"No harm done," he told her over the noise, and his voice was every bit as delightful as his face and body. His accent was familiar - Spanish, like her father's - and she returned his smile dazedly as he shot her an appreciative glance. "Can I buy you a drink?"

Rook started to decline, but she caught sight of Bellara gesturing frantically over his shoulder for her to accept. She mouthed the words "He's hot!" and gave her an encouraging thumbs up before she turned away and joined their friends at the bar with their handsome stranger.

"I'd like that." Rook wondered if he thought she had bumped into him deliberately to get his attention as he led her to the bar. She leaned close and got a whiff of his cologne, something expensive and spicy. "I'm Rook."

He grinned and nodded, then moved his hand to the small of her back - his touch polite and careful as he steered her through the thronging crowds and somehow procured a stool for her to perch on at the crowded bar. Her friends were nearby but were oblivious as the man with them leaned close to Bellara and kissed her hand flamboyantly. Clearly her friends weren't going to miss her presence tonight - and if she was honest, she was glad they were distracted. She wanted this guy all to herself. Rook moved her gaze back to the man buying her a drink, trying not to openly stare at him. 

"The name’s Luc," the stranger told her smoothly once she was seated, and he gestured at the bartender for two more beers. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and grinned. "Rook is an unusual name. Like the bird?"

She laughed. "It's short for Brooklyn. What about you? Is Luc short for anything exciting?"

"Nothing quite as exotic as Brooklyn," he murmured, his voice almost lost amongst the noise of the club. “But I-”

His words were lost as a drunk guy wearing a hoodie and jeans stumbled up to the bar and tried to squeeze his way in between them. He stank of sweat and stale beer, and she pulled back as he turned bleary eyes in her direction and leered. There was no mistaking his intention as he stumbled against her deliberately, his hand snaking around to squeeze her ass.

She saw red. 

“Get off me!” she snapped and tried to shove him away. 

The man laughed and leaned close. “Don't be like that, baby. Lemme buy you a drink, and-”

“The lady said no.” Luc spoke from behind him, but the drunk guy only scoffed, his expression arrogant. “Now get your hands off her before I ruin your night.”

The drunk laughed and turned away from Luc, dismissing him completely. “Your little boyfriend needs to learn to shut his mouth, sweetheart-”

Brooklyn wasn't sure what happened next, but Luc stepped smoothly around him, caught hold of his arm and spun him away from her in a motion that looked like something from a martial arts movie. The drunk guy's arm bent at an unnatural angle and his eyes bulged out of his face in pain as he shrieked. Luc released him and the man cradled his arm and lurched away, his face grey as he vanished into the crowd. 

“My hero,” she told Luc as he stepped back to her side. “Maybe I should be the one buying you a drink?”

He grinned at her and inclined his head. “I'm used up dealing with scumbags, but you can certainly get the next round.”

The bartender came over with their drinks and Rook took a sip and sighed happily. It was her favourite brand of beer. Luc watched her as he sipped his own, and leaned against the bar, his position protecting her from the worst of the jostling crowd. She had never been good at small talk, and she studied him for a moment, taking in the expensive silk shirt he wore under his jacket, the gold signet ring on his finger, and his almost artistically ruffled hairstyle and facial hair: he had money.

"Do you come here often?" he asked, his eyes pinned her with their intensity. 

Rook shrugged. "Sometimes. One place is just as good as another, but at least this club plays good music even if it has the occasional drunk asshole."

Luc's lips twitched and his eyes moved over the crowd quickly. "I suppose," he agreed. "At least it's music you can dance to."

"Exactly!" She turned to face him properly. He didn't strike her as the kind of person who enjoyed dancing, but she could be wrong. "So what do you do for a living? Other than crash into girls at clubs and lose half your beer. You said you deal with scum bags, right? Are you a cop?"

He laughed so hard he almost choked on his beer and had to set it down. "Not quite,” he told her eventually, his wonderful eyes dancing with amusement. “I work in enforcement and security in the private sector." 

She compared him to the hulking Davrin that she had left at home when she absconded. Luc was shorter and, though she couldn't see much of his body, he looked lithely muscled. Something about him seemed dangerous, and despite the size difference between him and her bodyguard, she couldn't help but think that Luc would come out on top in a fight. He looked fast and tough, and he had handled that drunk guy like a pro.

"So private security like bodyguard stuff? Or guarding buildings?" Rook queried, her tone even. 

Maybe she could convince her father to hire Luc. She'd happily have him around her.

Luc grinned and shook his head, his eyes still dancing with amusement. "My work is complex. I deal with all kinds of situations in my line of work. Buildings, items, people." His answer seemed deliberately vague and she frowned, but before she could ask anything he straightened and held out a hand. "Say, why don't we dance?"

She hesitated for a heartbeat before she slid her hand into his, sparks leaping between them as he gently pulled her off her seat and let her amongst the writhing crowd. Rook bit her lip and looked down as he pulled her onto the dance floor. There was something about his touch against her skin that sent prickles all over her. She felt horribly aware of her own body, almost clumsy as she stumbled after him as though she were intoxicated by his mere touch. 

His arms slid round her waist, respectfully not dipping any lower as Rook pressed close to him in the crowd, and she wound her arms around his neck. It was the kind of dancing which she often did with the men she was toying with, enjoying lapping up their attention, but it felt different with Luc. He wasn't tall and stood only an inch or so taller than her, but he was broad and firmly muscled, enough that she knew the body under his shirt would be impressive. He smelled of expensive cologne and tobacco, and she closed her eyes as they moved together.

Neither of them spoke, and when Rook opened her eyes a crack she could see her friends were still flirting with their stranger at the bar, giggling amongst themselves. She was relieved. Her friends knew her well enough to know when she was smitten - and they wouldn't leave her alone if they saw that sappy look in her eyes. Plus, they knew her dating history, and knew she was still bruised and battered emotionally from her last ill-fated relationship.

She should have known better than to date a professor at the university she attended, especially one so much older than her, but Professor Volkarin had been handsome, romantic, and very suave. Rook had thought he was the one until he confessed that he wasn't looking for anything long term and walked away from her. Emmrich had been suave and exciting, and though in retrospect she hadn't been in love with him, she had been halfway there, and her ego still smarted from being dumped.

Thank god she had taken precautions and hidden her relationship from her father. If he had guessed she was seeing a man who was even older than him, let alone one of her professors, he would have lost his temper and done something stupid. But her friends knew. They knew only too well that she had been seeing him, and that she had been devastated when he dumped her. The fact that she was now dancing so closely, and so obviously smitten with a man she had just met,  would keep them gossiping for days if they found out.

"You never told me what Luc was short for," Rook murmured over the music as she pulled away and looked up into his face. 

She felt dazed and drunk on how handsome he was. It was dangerous to feel so much, so quickly, she knew this logically, but to have someone so perfect interested in her did wonders for her self esteem.

Luc smiled and shook his head, clearly intending to keep his name to himself.

"Oh, come on!" She pouted. "Tell me. I won't laugh."

He grinned at her crookedly, pulled her close and moved his mouth to her ear. "Lucanis."

The word had a kind of music to it, and Rook shivered as his low pitched voice, rough and gravelly, sent a delightful shiver down her spine. She swallowed hard and pulled back to look into his face. He looked at her expectantly for a moment, although he expected her to know his name - to recognise it - but she didn't, and after a moment the look faded and she felt him relax as he eased her further into the crowd. Her friends vanished from view, and the world narrowed down to the feeling of his body against hers as other dancers moved around them.

The slow dance they had been moving to faded into a faster song, and he wasn't quick enough to hide his disappointed look. Rook bit her lip to keep from grinning. Luc was cute. His obvious disappointment that the slow dance was over and he would have to let her go was something she empathised with. The feeling of not wanting to step away from him was very mutual.

She tightened her arms around his shoulders and went up on her tiptoes so she could speak into his ear.

"Can we keep dancing like this?" she asked over the louder pulsing music. "It's been a while since I slow danced and it's nice."

Luc blinked, clearly surprised, but he nodded happily enough, and his hands flexed on her waist. Disappointingly he didn't move them any lower, but he did pull her more firmly against him, shielding her as the people dancing around gyrated wildly to the new upbeat song. They continued to move slowly, together, their bodies pressed close as Rook nestled against him, soaking in the strength and warmth emanating from his body.

It had been so long since she had felt this kind of pull towards someone.

The feel was addictive and wonderful, and she didn't want it to end. Here, in this moment on the dance floor, they could have been anyone, but they were together and the sense of connection was perfect. He ducked his head to hers, his lips grazing against the side of her head as he moved his mouth back to her ear.

"I don't do this very often," he admitted, and his wonderful voice sounded hesitant, almost shy. "I'm not really a club person, but my brother encouraged me to come out tonight."

Rook nodded and moved her face back so she could look into his eyes. "I go out a lot," she confessed, "but it's not every night I bump into someone that I click with."

She couldn't stop the stupid grin that crossed her face, and for the briefest moment he looked startled, and she read genuine surprise in his eyes before he blinked and looked away, scanning the room. His arms flexed around her as though he were reassuring her, and he nodded.

"You probably say that to all the guys you dance with. A girl like you."

"A girl like me?" Rook didn't hide the amusement in her voice. "What kind of a girl am I?"

She knew she was flirting, that she should put the brakes on slightly and not be so forward and obvious, but she couldn't help it. There was something about the way Luc was watching her, the way his arms felt around her that was just what she needed. It felt safe. Comforting. Deliciously forbidden because they were strangers, but she felt oddly connected.

"Gorgeous," he breathed, and his cheeks flushed slightly. "You're gorgeous. I think you know that."

Rook laughed softly. "Right back at you."

Luc grinned, looking slightly embarrassed. "I hate to do this, but I smoke. Do you mind if we step outside for a moment while I light up? I wouldn't ask but..." One of his hands slid down her arm and he took her hand. "I'd like to keep talking."

Her breath caught in her throat and she nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

He smiled, and there was something so sweet in his eyes that Rook knew she probably would have followed him into the fires of hell if he'd asked her. Anything to keep this wonderful warm sense of connection going. Something in the way he watched her and the way his hands tightened around hers made her feel special, like she was the only one in the room he cared about, and stupid though it was, she didn't want to let go of the feeling.

Maybe, she thought as his fingers meshed with hers and he led her from the floor, she had finally met the one.

Guilt was not an emotion that Lucanis was used to feeling. He had shot people in cold blood, tortured men until they begged and pleaded for him to stop, and had done terrible things to people who may not have deserved it, all without batting an eyelid. But as Rook looked up so trustingly into his eyes he felt guilty.

She liked him.

She genuinely liked him.

Worse still, he liked her, and the unfamiliar fuzzy feeling of warmth in his chest as he looked down into her bright blue eyes was enough to make him feel sick with guilt. Rook was looking at him with a slightly dazed expression, as though she couldn't believe her good luck to meet someone like him. Someone who was focused solely on her, and who was telling her everything she wanted to hear.

But fuck, he meant it.

She was gorgeous, and as he slid his hand down to take her hand, getting a thrill out of the way her lips parted ever so slightly at his touch, he couldn't help but wish this was real. That he wasn't about to lead her out into the night, out into the darkness and crush that happy bubbly feeling that he knew they were both feeling. He had never understood why it was that Illario was so fixated on women, but as he led Rook from the club, he understood perfectly.

The yearning, the anticipation, the feeling of knowing you were with someone who felt just as you did, was intoxicating.

Lucanis swallowed hard as she squeezed his hand and followed him so trustingly, her expression open and honest as she kept up a constant stream of chatter, explaining that she had come out of a bad relationship a few months ago and going out dancing was a good way to forget her troubles and have fun. A way to clear her mind and, she admitted with an embarrassed laugh, maybe find someone new.

The horrible sense of guilt deepened, and he crushed it down firmly, refusing to allow the sickening feeling to take hold. This was who he was. This was his job. He had no room in his life for need or emotion. No room for dreams or softness.

But god, he wanted so badly to defy Caterina. To give up everything he was for one night with this girl. To be the person she wanted him to be - Luc - instead of the monster he really was. Lucanis Dellamorte, the man who had somehow walked out unscathed from the Vyrantium restaurant massacre, leaving a veritable pile of bodies in his wake. 

The police had footage, not enough to identify him, but enough that he had earned himself a nickname, The Demon of Vyrantium. The assassin of the Dellamorte family. Few knew who he truly was, but there were rumours, and enough people in the underworld knew his identity that there were not many willing to cross him.

He was a monster, the kind of man who destroyed lives, just as he was about to destroy Rook's life. 

"So, you smoke, huh?" she pulled her hand from his as soon as they stepped outside of the club and followed when he walked a short distance away from the entrance, enough that they were out of view of the security cameras, and close to the car park.

"I do."

He could already see that she didn't approve. Her nose wrinkled adorably and she pointedly looked away as he lit up. Annoyingly, it bothered him, and he wondered how difficult it would be to quit. Illario had switched from smoking to vaping a few years back, claiming that women thought he smelled better. He didn't really even notice the smell anymore himself, but judging from the way Rook was pulling away from him, she wasn't enjoying it. 

"I started when I was a teenager,' Lucanis explained in the silence that was forming. He didn't like the silence. It reminded him of the silence that often came from Caterina when he didn't meet her standards. An awkward disapproving silence. "I've tried quitting once or twice, but it's hard when my job is so stressful."

It wasn't a lie. He had tried quitting a few times over the years, inevitably something always pushed him back into smoking again. Usually the stress of working with Illario. 

Rook brightened and nodded. "My dad owns a pharmaceutical company and has been working on something to ease withdrawals. I could ask him about it if you want?"

"That would be nice," Lucanis aimed a smile at her as he dropped the cigarette to the ground and crushed it under the heel of his boot. "I've been meaning to quit."

Rook brightened further at that, and flashed him another dazzling smile that made things in his stomach flutter. He reached for the pack of gum he always carried and popped in a piece, sternly telling himself that he wasn't doing this for her. He definitely wasn't doing this just in case one thing led to another and he had the chance to kiss her.

Definitely not.

"Shall we-"

"Those guys keep staring at us," Rook interrupted him quietly and nervously flicked her eyes towards a group of men who were loitering near the entrance of the club. "They were inside at the bar, and they've followed us out. I mean, I know it's silly, but they keep looking at me, and it's freaking me out."

Lucanis glanced at them casually and instantly clocked them as Antaam. He couldn't believe how amateurish they were. One of them had his phone out and was studying the screen and then openly peering across at Rook. No wonder she was unsettled. Possibly her father had warned her that this might happen; that someone might try to hurt her to get to him. 

The Antaam were dangerous. They were currently trying to muscle into territory that had been Dellamorte turf since the 1920s, and their clashes had been violent and bloody. Their leader, the Butcher, had made a name himself by mutilating his enemies. Lucanis didn't think these men had made him yet, they were too focused on Rook, but the thought of them getting their hands on her made his adrenaline surge. 

The Antaam tortured their kidnap victims, and it was usual for their hostages to be released missing fingers or ears. The thought of that happening to Rook sent a burst of anger through him. 

"I see them," he murmured and turned to face her, placing himself between Rook and the men protectively. His skin crawled to have armed men at his back, but none of them were paying him much attention. Yet. "Do you know them?"

She shook her head. "No, but my dad is an important man and there have been threats against us. I was supposed to bring security with me when I went out, but I didn't." Rook chewed on her lower lip nervously. "What if they're the people that want to hurt us?"

Lucanis cupped her cheek and held her gaze. "I can keep you safe. Do you trust me?"

He already knew the answer. 

She gazed up at him with her frightened blue eyes and nodded. "Yes."

The lamb trusting the wolf. 

"Pretend to be drunk and hang onto me," he whispered and pulled her close, dropping his mouth to her ear. "Are they coming towards us?"

She stumbled against him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as though she was struggling to stay upright. "Yes."

Lucanis nodded and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into the nearby carpark where he had parked. Rook stumbled along convincingly, one arm clutching his waist. They wove between the cars, and Lucanis used the mirrored surfaces to keep an eye on the Antaam as they followed. So long as the men thought he was just a random club goer, a helpless rich boy who was trying to hook up with a hot chick, they wouldn't see him coming.

They reached his car and he pushed Rook against it gently, resting one arm on the car and blocking them from view as he leaned in. She was watching him with wide eyes, and her breath was coming in quick pants. 

"Shouldn't we go back inside the club?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Call for help?"

Lucanis shook his head and reached between them for his gun in his shoulder holster, his hand closing about the familiar weapon. Instantly he felt better. Stronger. This gun, Spite, had got him out of more messy situations then he could count. 

"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe. Just play along, and when I draw my gun - keep down."

"Your gun?!" Her eyes widened further, but before she could say anything Lucanis bent his head and kissed her.

It was wonderful.

He pressed his mouth to hers, savouring the warmth and softness of her lips against his as he pulled his gun and let his arm fall to his side, the movement hidden by their bodies. The Antaam were close now, and Lucanis broke the kiss as the first of the men stepped between two cars close by, his expressions cocky and sure of himself.

Lucanis gazed down at Rook for a moment longer, drinking in the dazed expression in his blue eyes and wishing he could prolong this moment, then he pushed her the ground and brought his gun up. The Antaam walking at the front of the group looked comically surprised and stumbled to a stop as Lucanis opened fire and all hell broke loose…

Chapter Text

Brooklyn screamed and curled up with her hands over her head as an explosion of gunfire sounded around her. The noise wasn't just deafening, it shook her to the core, driving out all logical thought as she cowered. Bullet casings fell around her, and the car at her back shuddered as projectiles slammed into it. 

She waited for the pain of a gunshot, for one of the bullets to slam into her, but the only thing that touched her was a warm pair of hands as Lucanis dragged her up and slung an arm around her shoulders. Automatically she followed his lead, more terrified than she could ever remember being in her life as he opened the car door and pushed her inside. 

“Get in, quick!”

His eyes were fierce, intense, and Rook didn't question his directions as he clipped her seatbelt in around her and then slammed the door, closing her in. The silence inside the car screamed. Her ears rang in a high pitched squeal as she gazed dazedly at the men lying on the ground nearby - horribly still and surrounded by rapidly spreading pools of black. 

Blood, she realised. Lucanis had shot them and they were bleeding.

Dazedly, she blinked as Lucanis got into the drivers side and started the car. His expression was grim, and he pulled out of the parking lot and into the road, driving so fast that Rook was forced back into her seat. Her chest felt tight, and she scabbled at her throat, desperately trying to loosen the thing around her neck constricting her breath. But there was nothing. Nothing. It was just her. Just panic.

“I can't…breathe!” she gasped, her eyes blurring with tears.

"Head down," Lucanis directed, and his hand pressed on the back of her neck as they drove, "head between your knees and breathe, Rook. Deep slow breaths. You did good and you're going to be fine.”

His voice was soothing, calming, and she did what he said, closing her eyes and trying to breathe through the panic constricting her chest. The ringing in her ears faded to a distant piercing tone, and slowly her breath came more easily. Her brain kicked into gear and she sorted through what had just happened: men had tried to grab her, Lucanis had defended her and shot them, and they had left the scene of the incident.

God. Those men had been bleeding, maybe even dying. They couldn't just leave them! No matter who they were, they couldn't let them die!

"We...we need to go back," Rook croaked as she sat up, her eyes wild and her heart hammering as she looked across at him "Did you hear me?" She tried again. "You shot those people. We have to go back and call the police and an ambulance. I'll make sure they know that it was self defense."

Lucanis said nothing, he just changed gears and accelerated, his expression grim as he stared ahead.

"Luc?" A horrible sinking feeling started in her tummy, and she glanced around the car, slowly taking in her surroundings. They weren't on any main street and the buildings around them were some kind of industrial estate. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe," he said eventually, but something in his tone sounded … wrong. Cold. Focused. He spoke with none of the concern with which he had used earlier. 

Brooklyn stared at his face, shadowed and impassive against the darkness outside the car window, and she shrank back against the door, the memory of how easily he had shot those men playing through her mind. 

"Oh God!" The words escaped her in a whisper as she took in his distant expression and the reality of the situation crashed down on her.

This was wrong. 

This was very very wrong.

Gone was the warm smiling man from the club who had danced and charmed her so easily, in his place was a stranger whose eyes were hard and focused, and who was driving with a purposeful and calculated expression. He didn't react to her whisper, just slowed the car as he turned into a side street which looked mostly abandoned, the windows of the warehouses were boarded up and smeared with filth. She needed to get out of here now. Now now now. The scream to escape beat inside of her head in time to her pulse.

Rook reached for the door handle, trying to be slow and careful, but she saw his eyes flick in her direction as he slowed the car further and pulled into an underground car park. The scream in her head increased in volume. A danger sense which had kicked in too late to save her. 

"It's locked," he told her casually, and his voice was every bit as cold as his eyes. "Just stay calm, Rook. You're going to be fine."

Stay calm?! He had just shot people and fled the scene of the crime and he was telling her to stay calm?!

Her eyes widened and she reached for the door handle anyway, but it rattled uselessly as she tried to open the locked door. Suddenly she was a kid again, trying to get out of the car when her father had left the child lock on and she was forced to wait until he came around to let her out. Rook sucked in a breath and tried not to panic. Maybe she could break a window? Or put the handbrake on and force him to stop - surely someone would hear her screaming even from inside of the car?

"Who are you?" Rook didn't even try to disguise the fear in her voice as her heart hammered. Her stomach churned sickeningly as she realised how naive she had been to ignore her father's warnings. How stupid. How trusting. How predictable. This man had taken her in so easily that she wanted to cringe in embarrassment, and worse still - he had shot people to get her. "Are you going to hurt me?"

He frowned slightly, a brief flicker of emotion before his face cleared again. "That's up to your father."

Her father. Oh Jesus. This was all about her father and his contract with the government, the one he wouldn't even talk to her about.

He pulled up beside another car in the underground lot and turned the engine off. Silence filled the car. A horrible purposeful silence as he turned to face her. 

"Who-"

Rook didn't get time to finish her sentence before he stuck, pinning her easily to the seat as he jabbed her in the arm with a small needle. The move was practised and quick, so smooth that she barely felt the sting of the injection. Panic gripped her, and she screamed and struggled as best she could - kicking and striking out at him as she fought the initial waves of lethargy which passed over her. 

Fighting was useless. The drugs were already kicking in, and her head spun and limbs grew heavy as a warm soft heaviness filled her and she slumped back against the seat. With a whimper her head fell back and she tried to focus on Lucanis with eyes that felt leaded.

"Sorry about this," he murmured as she blinked at him sleepily. "If it's any consolation, you're safer with me than the Butcher's men."

Butcher's men? Were they the men he had shot outside of the club?

She couldn't work out what he was talking about, and although she tried to speak, Rook only managed a low moan before she slumped to the side and the warm darkness swamped her completely.

Lucanis watched Rook fall back against her seat with a small sound of fear, the unfamiliar sensation of guilt twisting in his guts, then he squashed it down and forced himself to move. He unclipped his seatbelt and slipped out of the car: time was of the essence, and Rook wouldn't be out for long. The dose he had given her had been carefully measured to incapacitate briefly, but nothing more. 

This underground car park was unmonitored and often used by himself and Illario for changing vehicles, but he never left things to chance. Dallying was never a smart move. There was always the possibility of someone coming along and seeing them or of Rook waking up before he was ready.

He moved to the other car, unlocked it, and opened the rear door, then moved back around to Rook's side of the car. Lucanis moved methodically, not letting himself think. If he thought too much that horrible sick feeling in his stomach would come back - and he didn't want that. 

He opened her door, then the glove box in front of her and took out zip ties and hood, slipping the hood over her face and zip tying her hands at the wrists, and feet together at the ankle. When he was finished he hefted her easily into his arms and carried her across to the other car, lying her down across the back seat and briefly patting her over as he checked for a phone. There was no sign of it, and he assumed it was in the sparkly bag she had dropped once the bullets started flying.

The whole thing took less than a minute, then he wiped the car down and texted his usual guy to pick up and scrap the car he was abandoning. Lucanis took a moment to change his jacket, then slipped behind the wheel of the unassuming sedan, started it, and leisurely drove out. 

The police scanner in the car let him keep track of the cops, and he heard them dispatching officers to the shooting at the club. Slower than he had expected considering how many men he had gunned down. How long would it take her friends to realise that Rook was missing and try to get footage from the club?

He frowned. Hopefully Illario hadn't become too distracted by the women and had already downloaded and destroyed the security footage. It was doubtful that he would be visible or recognisable in such dark footage anyway, it was better to be safe than sorry. The last thing he wanted to do was be recognised and to have the police come looking for him - not when they were still sniffing around over the Vyrantium incident.

The drive to his safe house was long, and Lucanis drove slowly and carefully so as not to attract attention. His usual playlist was cranked up high as he headed out of the city and into the mountains, but he knew the moment Rook started to rouse. Through the music he heard the slither of fabric as she shifted on the backseat, her movements clumsy and slow, then she went still and began to cry. 

Lucanis turned his music up to drown out the sound. 

By the time they reached his safehouse the crying had stopped, and Rook was silent - though Lucanis could tell she was still awake. He glanced back at her while he waited for his electronic gate to open, noting a rigidity in her posture which suggested she was listening hard, possibly trying to figure out where she was. Good luck to her. His property was remote and the mountainous landscape was mostly thick forest - great for hiking and hunting, but would yield very few clues as to the location. 

For better or worse, they were stuck here together until her father came through with the goods. 

He parked outside of his house, the wide circular drive and the grounds giving him a good view as he drove up. The house was off the grid and for the most part he was self contained when he came here, though he had done a considerable amount of preparing for Rook's stay. Illario had thought him mad for going through so much trouble for a woman who was most likely going to be locked in her room for her entire stay, but as Lucanis had reminded him - he would be locked here with her, and there was no reason why he needed to be miserable while he kept a watch over her.

Lucanis opened the door and slid out, the leather seat creaking slightly under his weight. He slid his keys into his pocket and went around to open the back door, carefully hefting Rook into his arms. Her breath hitched, and for a moment he wondered if she was going to struggle - did she think she could escape while hooded and with her wrists and ankles zip tied? - but she stayed still, and Lucanis carried her princess style towards his house, becoming uncomfortably aware that one hand was perilously close to her breast, and the other hand was wrapped around one slim thigh.

He could smell her perfume, something vanillary and sweet. Enticing. Feminine. Soft…

Stop it! Lucanis told himself fiercely. Stop it stop it stop it!

He adjusted her slightly when they got to the front porch, and keyed in the code to unlock his door and entered, securing it behind him. The house was large, two stories, and had been in his family on his mother's side for years. Without pausing he carried Rook through to the sitting room and dropped her into a chair, swiftly removing the hood and stuffing it in a back pocket as she blinked up at him in the sudden light.

Her makeup was smeared and her eyes were puffy from crying, and the sight froze him for half a heartbeat, before he gave himself a mental shake and pulled out a knife to cut her free. Rook's lovely eyes dropped to the knife and she jerked, pulling back in fear.

Lucanis sighed. "It's to cut you free. I'm not going to hurt you so long as you stay calm and do as I say."

She didn't reply and he shrugged as he pulled out his phone, snapped her photo, and texted the picture to Caterina along with a message that they had arrived. His grandmother was meeting with Viago tonight, and would video call once everything was ready so that he could see that they had his daughter, and would be holding her until he supplied them with his serum or a recipe to make their own. 

Recipe? Was that even the right word? Viago had always been the one to handle poisons and toxins when they were younger. He had always been the one in charge of the messier side of things - guns, knives and the like.

"You didn't need to drug me," Rook finally said, and the fear in her voice hit him like a kick to the stomach. "Or use the hood. I was already scared. I would just come with you."

If that was true then she was stupider then he had given her credit for. Only a fool would allow themselves to be taken without a fight. Especially by a strange man they knew nothing about. 

He sighed and sat down opposite her, tapping the blade of his knife in his palm. "You may be here for some time, Brooklyn. I could not afford for you to see where we were going." 

Lucanis saw her stiffen and her eyes darted around the room quickly. Whatever she had been expecting was clearly not the spacious living room which he had set her down in. Perhaps she had been expecting something more clinical and cold? A cell? A dungeon? Perhaps a dilapidated and run down grimey room in the outskirts of the city.

"What are you going to do to me?" Her voice was a little bit stronger, but he could still hear the undercurrent of fear. Could almost taste it on the air like a perfume. Normally he savoured the taste, enjoyed it, but not with Rook. He didn't want her scared. He wanted her…

Lucanis didn't let himself finish that thought. Instead he leaned back and nodded towards the phone. "Hopefully nothing. This is what is going to happen - someone is going to call soon and they're going to let you speak to your father. After that we are going to wait."

"How long for?"

Lucanis shrugged again. "That depends on your father. If you're lucky it might be hours and then I can let you go. Or it might be days."

Or weeks, he thought, but didn't say this out loud.

Everything depended how easily her father could get hold of the serum. Given he had developed it with the government, Lucanis thought it likely that security would be tight and it might take some time. He sighed as the second ticked by and an uncomfortable silence grew. Rook was glaring at him, her wide angry eyes reminding him of a tiny feral kitten caught in a trap.

“If I cut you loose, will you behave yourself?” he asked, aiming what he hoped was a charming smile in her direction to put her at ease. 

She swallowed hard and nodded. 

Lucanis stood up and crossed the room. Rook gingerly raised her hands and he used his knife to slice through the zip tie at her wrists, careful to avoid cutting her. She said nothing and absently rubbed her wrists as he knelt down and did the same for the zip tie on her ankles. She had lost her shoes in the car, and her stockings had runs in them, but despite this she still looked beautiful, and he hesitated for a fraction of a second. 

Rook, predictably, did not behave. 

In the instant he hesitated, she lashed out, kicking him square in the chest and sending him sprawling as she took off running. Lucanis cursed and rolled to his feet, chasing after her as she clumsily ran from the during room towards the kitchen. She almost slipped on the tile floor, her eyes wide as she saw him in pursuit and Brooklyn shrieked and grabbed the doorframe to steady herself and hurried into the kitchen. 

Lucanis followed in time to see Brooklyn dodge around the kitchen island, moving faster than he had expected, and clumsily seize a kitchen knife which was one of many attached to a magnetic strip on the wall. She kept the large slab of hardwood and marble between them and raised the knife defensively, her hands trembling as she backed away. Lucanis flashed her a relaxed smile and raised his hands.

"Look, Princesa," he tried to sound reasonable as he watched her fingers tighten about the hilt of his favourite knife. "This isn't how I wanted things to go. It was going to be very civilised. I was going to cook you dinner while we waited for the call with your father-"

“Dinner!?” She looked at him like he was mad. “You thought I would sit here and eat dinner with you after you kidnapped me? You're psychotic!”

Was he? Possibly, Lucanis conceded, especially as his experience in not scaring someone was limited. But having dinner with Rook seemed a nicer way to pass the time than sitting silently in a room with his gun trained on her. 

"I'm not going to let you threaten my dad!" Rook spoke fiercely, her voice strong and determined. "I trusted you! I thought you were helping me!"

Her voice broke a little and her expression crumbled. The look in her eyes was one of betrayal and pain, and Lucanis almost flinched under the weight of it. Which was ridiculous. He had hurt people in far greater ways more often than he could count, but apparently the fact that he had broken Brooklyn's trust was enough to draw remorse out of him.

Lucanis shrugged and firmly squashed the unfamiliar sensation of guilt. "I did help you. The Butcher's men would have sent your father a finger instead of the photo I took. You should be grateful-"

"Grateful?" She glowered at him. "You drugged and kidnapped me! You're a monster!"

"Si," he acknowledged with a smile and took a step closer, trying to keep his body language non-threatening. "As your father well knows. Now, I do not want to hurt you, Rook, but I will if I have to. So you're going to give me the knife and then we're going to sit down and wait for the phone call with your father-"

"I will not!" she drew herself up again and held the knife at him as though it was a gun. "I have the knife, and you are going to let me go ... or ...or I'll scream my head off and someone will call the police!”

Lucanis laughed. He couldn't help it - the thought of anyone hearing her and calling the police was absurd. Rook backed towards the door, her expression somewhere between determined and terrified, clearly intending to try and run. He felt a little sorry for her, but not sorry enough to get her wandering around with his favourite, and most expensive, folded steel kitchen knife. 

Knowing his luck, she would chip the blade and he would have to order a new one and wait for it to be made to his specifications.

"It's locked," he pointed out helpfully as her hand found the handle and it rattled uselessly, much as it had in the car. "Now put the knife down. I don't want to hurt you, Princesa-"

"Stop calling that!" Brooklyn hissed. "Unlock the door and let me go or I'll cut you! I mean it!"

Lucanis shook his head and sighed as he slipped his hand into his jacket and closed his fingers around the familiar warmth of his gun. "I apologise for this, I didn't want to use violence."

He drew the gun in a practised movement, flicking the safety on as he kept it leveled at her. Brooklyn's eyes widened and she made a squeaking sound as she instantly dropped the knife with a clatter and squeezed her eyes shut. Terror rolled off her in waves, and Lucanis moved forward and gently scooted his knife to the side as he caught one of her arms and spun her to face the door she had just been trying to open. He caught sight of her terrified face reflected in the glass of the door and sighed as he holstered his weapon.

He really was a bastard.

"Mierda, this was supposed to go differently," he muttered, more to himself than to Brooklyn as he zip tied her hands behind her back once again. "I didn't want to scare you."

She let out a muffled sob and offered no resistance as he led her from the kitchen and back to the living room. Lucanis pushed her down gently into the comfortable armchair, though she sat rigidly, her eyes both angry and frightened as she watched him. He could see himself in her eyes - a gun wielding maniac who had killed people and was holding her hostage in a remote location. 

A monster. 

Frustration crawled through him - this was not how he had planned the evening. Damn Caterina for delaying the phone call with Viago. Damn them both for putting him in this position. Damn Brooklyn for making him feel this way.

"I'm sorry about the gun," Lucanis muttered as he sat down opposite her and poured himself a whiskey from the decanter on the coffee table. "Just wait patiently. This will all be over soon and you can go home."

Brooklyn turned her face away, her eyes glistening as she stared at the photos arranged on a side table. "I actually liked you," she bit out, her voice thick with emotion. "I thought you were a really great guy and it was my lucky night. I'm a terrific judge of character, aren't I?"

He swallowed his whiskey in one gulp and didn't respond. What could he say? That he liked her too? That he wished they had met as strangers and this thing between them had been real? Telling her that would achieve nothing. He was who he was, and there was no going back from what Caterina had started.

"Your father will call soon," he muttered and poured himself another whiskey. "Just wait until then and don't do anything else stupid. We're in the middle of nowhere, and there is no one to help you, and no one to hear you. My security system will alert me if you try to run away, so just...don't. Don't make me hurt you."

Brooklyn curled up on the chair, a beautiful picture of misery as she huddled in on herself and a single tear escaped her eye and slowly trailed down her cheek. When she spoke, her voice was soft, but Lucanis could hear her clearly from across the room.

"I hate you." 

He didn't blame her in the least. 

Chapter Text

Lucanis sat in silence with Brooklyn while he waited for Caterina's call, his eyes slowly moving over her face. After so many weeks of watching Rook it felt strange, almost surreal, to be in the same room as her. He had been close to her before - many times in fact - it had given Lucanis a twisted thrill to pull up beside her at tragic lights, or to see how close he could get to get to Rook in a crowded mall or at a bar without her noticing. 

But that had been a game. 

This was real. 

He leaned forward to set his glass down and she jumped, eyes snapping to him as though she expected him to pull his gun again. Lucanis grinned and stretched, rolling his shoulders to ease some of the tension as he let his gaze wander down her body. Her clubbing dress glittered obscenely, the sequins catching the light, and his eyes dropped lower, following the line of her legs before he moved gaze to her face again.

Her body was lovely, but it was her face which captivated him: lovely angular cheekbones, full pouty lips, and eyes like a pale spring sky. Seeing Rook up close felt like studying a work of art. He could appreciate all the little details that made her so captivating from the distance he had tried to maintain. 

Rook frowned at his attention and tucked her legs under her, her eyes darting around the room, back to him, and then around the room again as though hoping for a way out. 

His phone buzzed, startling both of them, and he accepted the video call from Caterina.

“Lucanis,” she greeted him, and he saw Rook look back at him at the use of his real name. “Would you be so kind as to put young Brooklyn on the phone? I have her father here-”

“Lucanis!?” Viago's horror was unhidden in his voice. “Why is my daughter with that psychopath? You said she was safe! Your demon of a grandson is not safe!”

There was a note of panic in his voice, as though Lucanis was the last person in the world he wanted near his daughter. And maybe he was. Viago knew Lucanis’ reputation better than most since he had trained him. He probably even knew he was the Demon of Vyrantium - the man who the Antaam had tried their best to kill, but who had still walked out of Club Vyrantium alive - leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. 

Caterina chuckled nastily, and turned her phone to face Viago so he could see the screen. “Lucanis will take excellent care of your daughter, Viago. Now, you said you wanted to speak to her, so go ahead. Your Brooklyn is listening.”

Lucanis ignored Viago and instead he held the phone up so that Rook could see her father. 

She burst into tears and leaned towards the phone. “Dad! I'm so sorry-”

The other man's voice broke with emotion. “Brooklyn, are you okay? Has he hurt you?”

She looked from the phone to Lucanis nervously. “I'm fine, but he has a gun and he shot some men. I'm scared!”

Lucanis raised an eyebrow, noting that she had left out the part about her pulling a knife on him. 

“Everything will be okay, I promise.” Viago drew in a steadying breath. “Brooklyn, I'm going to get you out of there, but until that happens you have to do what the man who has your says-”

Rook's eyes flashed unhappily. “But-”

“Do not argue!” Viago rapped out the order so harshly that his daughter shrank back, but his tone was not one of anger, it was fear - Viago was terrified for her. “This is important. Do not try to escape or do anything to upset him, do you understand? He is dangerous and he will hurt you.”

Brooklyn looked nervously at Lucanis. “Yes.”

He smirked and she flushed and looked back at her father. 

“Good. I love you, Rook, and I promise to get you home soon. You will be fine.”

She nodded and her lower lip trembled as she fought off tears. “I love you too, Dad.”

Lucanis turned the phone back to face him, not surprised to find Viago glaring at him. His pale blue eyes were so cold and angry that Lucanis almost felt afraid. Almost. 

“Lucanis!” Viago spat his name like poison, and Lucanis smiled pleasantly in response. 

“Viago?”

“If you hurt her, if you so much as touch her, I'll kill you. I swear it.” The other man meant it. He could see in his face that Viago would sacrifice everything he had built - his company and even his own life - to make Lucanis pay if he hurt Brooklyn.

Lucanis didn't flinch under the look, he simply shrugged. “I have no intention of hurting your daughter so long as she doesn't try to run away again.”

“Again?” Viago froze and blood drained from his face. 

“Si,” Lucanis grinned as Rook shifted uncomfortably on the couch, "She took one of my knives and threatened to stab me.”

Viago closed his eyes and swore fluently in Spanish. “She doesn't know who you are or what you do for a living, Lucanis. She doesn't know about your family or what could happen. Don't hurt her, please.” His eyes opened and he could see how much it cost Viago to beg him. “She's all I care about in the world. Don't hurt her. I'll get Caterina the serum - you have my word.”

Lucanis nodded. “And you have my word that I won't hurt her so long as you do what Caterina asks.” He sucked in a breath and turned away from Brooklyn, dropping his voice so she wouldn't hear as he switched the call to audio only and moved the phone to his ear. “You should know that the Antaam were after her at the club. There was some…unpleasantness. They're dead, but they were definitely after her. You need to watch your back. Teia too.”

“The Butcher's men?” Viago let out a slow breath in a hiss. There was a pause and when he spoke again his voice was more controlled, less angry. “Thank you for the warning.” He paused and then continued slowly, his voice carefully neutral. “Lucanis, Brooklyn knows nothing of my old life. She knows nothing of the family business or the things I've done, and I do not want her to learn about it this way. She doesn't know that her mother died because I-”

“Do not worry,” Lucanis interrupted, already knowing where this was going. “I won't say a word.”

His eyes moved back to the photos sitting on the side table near Rook. Nestled amongst the photos was one with a young Viago standing with himself and Illario as kids. Had she noticed it earlier? He didn't think so, and made a mental note to move it before she did. 

Viago sighed, and Lucanis could picture him rubbing his eyes, stressed and angry but unable to lash out for fear of him taking it out on his daughter. “I meant what I said earlier, Lucanis. I don't care what happens to me, but if you hurt my daughter it will be the end of you.”

Lucanis chuckled and couldn't resist egging on his old mentor just a little as he raised his voice loud enough for Rook to hear. “Relax, Vi. Focus on getting what Caterina wants, and I'll focus on making sure Brooklyn enjoys her stay. You be a good boy for Caterina, and I'll be a good boy with your Rook.”

“You bastard-”

He heard the sound of a scuffle and distanly Teia's voice telling Viago to calm down. The phone changed hands and he heard Caterina's voice as she came back on the line. She sounded pleased. “Take good care of your guest Lucanis. I'll be in touch.”

“Si, Nonna.” Lucanis ended the call and slipped his phone back in his pocket. 

Rook was staring at him when he turned back around. “Nonna?” She repeated the word slowly. “Your grandmother is blackmailing my dad? Who are you people?”

He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. “It's better if you don't know-”

“Screw that!” She glared at him petulantly. “You shot people! You kidnapped me! The least you can do is tell me who you are and why you're doing this! Especially since it's clear that my dad knows you!”

Lucanis scrubbed the back of his neck with one hand. He shouldn't tell her anything. He knew, logically, that it was a mistake to tell her, but Viago already knew who they were. Was there any real harm in telling her part of the truth? He wouldn't have to tell her anything about her father's history. 

“Dellamorte,” he said after a moment, and her eyes found his and widened in recognition. “My name is Lucanis Dellamorte-”

“Dellamorte! As in that crime family who is always mentioned in the news.”

He scowled. “We are not always on the news.”

“Yes,” Rook pointed out doggedly, “you are.” She took a slow breath and looked a little rattled. “And you're using me to blackmail my dad?”

Lucanis nodded. 

“And if he doesn't give your family what you want?” Her voice was suddenly small, worried, and she bit her lip. “What happens to me?”

Lucanis fought off the urge to comfort her. To reach out and touch that pouty lower lip. To stroke his thumb along its full warm length. “He will.” 

“But if he doesn't?” Rook pushed, refusing to let him sidestep the question. 

“Then I will… encourage him.”

He didn't elaborate. He didn't have to. Rook paled and her blue eyes widened as the gravity of her situation seemed to sink home.

She drew in a breath. “Can you tell me one thing? Why is my dad scared of you?”

Lucanis almost laughed. 

“Viago? Scared of me?” He didn't try to hide his amusement at the idea. “Your father isn't scared of me. He's scared for you.”

There was silence for a heartbeat as she stewed over that idea, then she met his eyes again. “Are you that horrible?”

He nodded and leaned close, pleased to see that she didn't pull away from him. “I'm worse.”

Brooklyn swallowed and nodded. After a long moment she piped up again. “Who are the Antaam and the Butcher?”

He narrowed his eyes and shrugged. “A rival gang. One who is not so friendly-”

“Friendly!” She half-rose from the chair before she seemed to remember her situation and sunk back down. 

Lucanis narrowed his eyes. “Si, friendly.” he repeated. “The Butcher's calling card is to send family members pieces of the people he kidnaps. Usually an ear or a finger-” Brooklyn looked horrified, and he quickly flashed her a smile. “Now you understand why I killed them. I wasn't going to let them take you and cut you. Not when you're-” 

You're mine. 

It almost spilled out and Lucanis bit the sentence off, hastily changing his words and hoping she didn't notice. 

“Not when you're so valuable to us. Besides,” he crossed his arms, letting his gun show just a little, “I'm a professional. I won't allow harm to come to you while you're in my care. Scouts honour.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Something tells me you were never a scout.”

Lucanis laughed at her droll tone before he could stop himself, and going on instinct he stood up and moved over to her chair, gesturing for her to lean forward. She did and he swiftly reached down and cut her free from the zip ties again. He didn't like keeping her tied up, and he was certain that after her fathers warning she would behave herself.

Brooklyn fidgeted, rubbing blood back into her hands, and bit her lower lip, her nerves showing in that one little adorable gesture. It was all Lucanis could do to tear his eyes away from her lips. She was too tempting this close. Too sweet. Too adorably innocent. 

The things he would do to that mouth given half a chance…

“Can I ask one more thing?”

Lucanis tilted his head as he looked down at Rook, surprised to see her cheeks were pink. Had she noticed his attention slip to her lips? Did she suspect that his act at the club hadn't really been an act?

He nodded and gestured for her to speak.

“Why did you kiss me?” Her cheeks turned a brighter shade of pink. “Outside the club?”

Lucanis raised one eyebrow and smirked. “It seemed a good way to ensure they thought I was distracted. Made them over confident.”

“And you couldn't think of another way to do it?” She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. 

“Why?” he drawled, apparently unable to stop himself from flirting even though she clearly loathed him. “Do you want me to admit that I couldn't help myself? That after the way you were dancing with me in the club I was tempted to see if you tasted as sweet as you looked-”

“You pig!” Rook shot to her feet, furious, eyes spitting fire, but she froze as Lucanis let his jacket fall open so Spite would show.

He kept his eyes locked with hers as he inched forward into her personal space. “Sorry Princesa, I'm afraid that kiss was just a distraction, and since you're not interested in dinner I think it's best that I show you to your room.”

“Fine!” she snapped and followed him without further comment as he led the way upstairs. 

Lucanis could feel her eyes boring into him as he walked. A chilly blue blast which reminded him intensely of the way her father had often glared at him. The similarity was uncanny, amusingly so, but he forced himself to stay focused as he reminded her of the situation. 

“Don't bother trying to run away. For one thing, we're in the middle of nowhere and I have a very good security system. I'll know if you step outside your room, and I have the only phone and the car keys. If you're stupid enough to ignore your father's warnings and do try to run away on foot, i will find you-”

“I'm not stupid.” Rook sounded rebellious. 

Lucanis silently agreed, but he stayed silent for a moment as they reached her room and opened the door. “Sometimes smart people make stupid decisions.” 

Like pulling a knife on an armed and dangerous criminal. 

She silently walked into the room and turned to face him. “Are you locking me in? Or can I at least move about the house?”

He chuckled and leaned against his doorframe. Fuck, she was adorable. Even now she was thinking about sneaking away, he could see it in her face. 

“Yes, I'll be locking your door at night. Just to be safe. I'm sure you understand.” She pulled a face and he continued pleasantly. “I'll be locking my room too, just in case you decide to visit the kitchen and play with my knives again,” Lucanis drawled the final word and watched as she blushed. 

He straightened and took a few steps into her room, almost grinning when he saw her swallow visibly and pull away from him. He made her nervous. Lucanis moved closer still, fascinated in the way he could see her pulse jumping in her throat. 

“I take your point.” Brooklyn seemed to gather herself and she raised her chin, though her voice wobbled. “You can leave. I'm just going to wash up and go to bed. Maybe this will be over in the morning.”

“Maybe.” Lucanis didn't think so though, and he didn't try to hide it in his tone. “The ensuite in your room should have everything you need. There are clothes in the wardrobe which should fit.” He stepped back and winked at her. “Thanks for a fun evening, Rook.”

Brooklyn resisted the urge to slam the door in Lucanis’ handsome smug face as his eyes swept her body again in an infuriatingly possessive way. It made her skin tingle and her heart pound, and instantly she remembered the way it had felt when he kissed her. His lips so strong and warm against hers, the scent of his cologne, the heart of his body…

Stop it! She told herself angrily, and shook the memory off. He's a bad guy and it was just a kiss!

“How can I trust that you're not going to sneak into my room at night and hurt me? How can I trust anything you say?” Rook hated the tremble in her voice.

Lucanis raised an eyebrow and his lips twitched as though he were trying not to smile. “I'm a man of my word, and while I'm a bastard, I'm not a complete fucking monster.” He gave her a dazzling smile and inclined his head. “Sweet dreams, Rook.”

He closed the door with a chuckle and Brooklyn instantly crossed the room tested the handle - it was locked. She glowered at the door as she heard his chuckle become a full throated laugh at the sound of the handle rattling. Damn him! And damn her father too! There was no way on earth that she was going to placidly stay in this place and be the person to ruin his life and his company's reputation.

One way or another, she was getting out of here.

She went to the ensuite and washed her face, cleaning off the mess that her makeup had become as best as she could. Then she explored the room, going through the cupboards in the bathroom, and curiously exploring the wardrobe. To her surprise it had a small collection of women's clothing and shoes - all of which were roughly in her size. Brooklyn stared at them uneasily. Did Lucanis have a girlfriend who was her size? Was this just pure coincidence or had he bought these clothes for her?

A strange dizzy feeling swept through her at the thought of him watching her, following her, and Brooklyn moved to the bed and sat down. Some part of her found the thought exciting, she acknowledged. The same part which kept replaying his kiss in the car park over and over again. 

She took a few deep breaths, clearing her mind of the madness possessing her, and only got up again once her heart had slowed and the dizzy spell had passed. Brooklyn stripped off her club dress and pulled on a pair of sweat pants, a long sleeved shirt and sneakers. Her heart was pounding as she moved to the window and checked it over. It was locked and there didn't seem to be a way to open it. No matter, she would just have to break the glass.

Her father's warning echoed in her mind - not to make Lucanis angry and to do as he said. 

Stubbornly, she shook his voice from her mind and crept back to the door and listened. Silence. There was no sign that Lucanis was hanging around. Hopefully he was downstairs drinking again, or maybe he had retreated to his own room for the night. She crossed her fingers, hoping that luck was on her side 

Brooklyn bit her lip and went into the bathroom. She got a towel and wrapped it around her hand like she had been people do in the movies and went back to the window, eyeing it carefully. From what she understood, the towel would muffle the sound of broken glass - or so action movies led her to believe. Though something told her that Lucanis and his hightech security system would know what she was up to the moment she broke it. 

She would have to be fast.

Really fast.

Broolyn took a deep breath and, before she could chicken out, she punched the glass. It shattered - loudly - and glass fell in shards and chunks onto the floor. There was no wailing alarm or flashing lights, but she heard a shouted curse from deeper in the house, and with a small squeak of fear she ditched the towel and used the bedside lamp to knock out the rest of the glass. Someone - Lucanis - slammed into her door and she heard the scratch of a key in the lock. 

Brooklyn dropped the lamp and scrambled out the window, balancing precariously on the ledge for a moment. The door swung open and she had a glimpse of Lucanis’ shocked face - his expression almost comical - then she turned, looked at the drop beneath her … and jumped. The cold night air rushed around her and she fell - further than she realised - and hit the concrete driveway beneath the window hard.

Her ankle buckled painfully as it snapped violently sideways. Agony shot up her leg. Brooklyn gasped in pain and whimpered as she tried to put weight on it and the pain bolted up her leg even worse - sharp and immediate. She fell, scrabbling backwards across the concrete drive and over the broken glass as the kitchen door shot open and Lucanis thundered out.

He was fast. God, he was fast. Even if she hadn't botched the landing it was immediately clear that he would have caught her. 

“Brooklyn!” he roared her name and she froze, terrified, as he closed the distance between them with his gun in his hand. 

The glass crunched under his boots and she closed her eyes and cowered. This was it. She had made him angry and now he was going to make her pay…