Twisted Minds Book 2
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Cassandra Rock
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Chapter 1
LUCA
âLuca Marchesi,â the guard announces, stepping into the cell block. I glance up from the newspaper Iâm engrossed in. A middle-aged man with a bit of a belly is making his way toward me, clipboard in hand.
âYouâre getting out early. Your sentence has been reduced.â
I canât believe it. He knows I was supposed to be here for four years, right? Why on earth would they let me out after only six and a half months?
I rise from the table, an eyebrow raised as the guard nears. âReally?â
âUnfortunately,â he replies, his tone sharp. âBut it seems youâve lucked out.â
A chuckle slips out as I meet his gaze. âIâm always lucky.â
And itâs true, for the most part. Being an Acerbi, Iâve always managed to wriggle out of tight spots.
Even though I use a different name to keep my Mafia ties under wraps, I still enjoy the perks that come with my familyâs reputation.
Once the guard sets me free, Iâm led to fill out paperwork, still puzzled about why they decided to let me go.
Just eight months ago, I was in a packed bar, stabbing a guy in the throat with a broken beer bottle.
He didnât survive, but thatâs usually the goal when you stab someone.
I sign the paperwork, smirking at the unimpressed officers in front of me. âItâs been a pleasure, gentlemen. Iâm sure weâll cross paths again someday.â
As I step outside, everything clicks into place when I spot my father leaning against his black SUV. Of course, heâd fly all the way to Spain to check up on me.
I left Chicago eleven months ago to escape the drama that comes with my family.
My overbearing father, naive sister, and my clingy fiancĂ©e, who I didnât even choose.
My mom is the least annoying of the bunch, but she has her moments.
âMarchesi, huh? Not proud to be an Acerbi anymore?â my father asks as I approach the SUV.
Smug bastard.
âYouâre the boss. Shouldnât you have better things to do than chase your son around the globe? Is this what happens when you get old?â I snap back.
His attempt to assert his dominance irritates me. Thatâs not going to happen. No one dominates me, especially not my father.
I can see the anger in his eyes as he grits out, âGet in the car, Luca. Weâre going back to Chicago. Alessandro is worried about your reliability and I canât say I blame him.
âHis daughter is at home, wondering where her fiancĂ© is, and youâre in Spain, killing people.â
âI wouldnât call one person a killing spree,â I retort, sliding into the SUV and straightening my white t-shirt. They donât have ties in prison, but I prefer the casual clothes anyway.
My father slams the car door and starts the engine. âIâve had enough of your attitude.
âSofia is seventeen. Youâre committing to her within the next year, and if you mess this up, we could all end up dead.â
âI swear youâre hard of hearing. How many times have I told you Iâm not marrying that girl?â
I slam my fist onto the dashboard. âIâm not a one-woman man. I donât want to be tied down or responsible for anyone, especially Sofia Romââ
Before I can finish her name, my fatherâs forearm is pressing against my throat, his face red with rage.
âYou will respect me or youâll be the one with a broken beer bottle in your throat.â
I try to laugh, but his arm is blocking my airway, slowly sapping my strength. But Iâm not scared. The worst he can do is kill me. Itâs bound to happen eventually.
When he finally lets go, he stomps on the gas, making the SUV lurch forward.
Heâs quite a character, my father. Heâs amusing, in a way. He raised me without my motherâs input, and now he doesnât like the monster he created.
Well, tough luck for him. This is all I know.
***
The jet ride back to Chicago is quick, and my first morning âhomeâ is a twisted kind of nostalgia.
This room is filled with memories from my childhood, mostly bad ones. Iâve spent years trying to change it, painting the walls burgundy, getting new furniture.
But the memories of my father choking me or slapping me across the face are still there.
The dark walls make the room dim enough; the drapes are drawn and the room is practically pitch black, just the way I like it.
A knock on my bedroom door interrupts my dark tranquility. The door creaks open before I can even respond. My momâs voice follows. âLuca, honey. Can I come in?â
âIsnât it a bit late to ask?â
She doesnât respond, but when the door swings open fully, I can see the sadness in her eyes. âIâm sorry, I was just excited to see you.â
I sigh softly, sitting up in bed and forcing a small smile for my mom. âNo, Iâm just tired⊠Come in. Letâs catch up.â
She looks relieved, even a bit excited that I invited her in. She steps inside, closing the door behind her and walks over to my bed.
âHow was Spain? Did you get a nice break from everything?â
âUntil dear old dad showed up, of course.â
My momâs gaze lands on my arm, where fresh ink is still healing. I got a new tattoo less than a week ago. âAnother tattoo? Youâre so much like your father, you know?â
âIâd like to think Iâm a lot better looking than him,â I joke, but I really hate it when my mom compares me to him.
Heâs not even half the man I am. He hides behind his men while I face situations head-on.
âYouâre very handsome, Luca. You donât need me to tell you that. But letâs talk about Spain. Your father mentioned you were arrested under a different name.â
âListen, Mom. Iâm trying to be nice here, okay? But I donât answer to you or anyone else, and I donât owe you an explanation. So, letâs end this conversation and mind our own business, okay?â
If thereâs anyone I have patience for, itâs my mom. But I have so much anger inside me that even she canât talk sense into me sometimes.
Thereâs something inside me that makes me lack emotion, especially towards certain people.
The hurt on my momâs face is obvious, but I couldnât care less. Itâs not any worse than what my father has done to her.
She forces a smile and steps back toward my bedroom door. âIâm going to run to the store. Do you need anything?â
I shake my head no without speaking and my mom leaves the room. I wonât let people make me feel guilty for minding my own business.
When I get out of bed, I find my suits still in my closet where I left them, but I choose black jeans and a white t-shirt instead.
As a Mafia family, weâre supposed to be discreet, but thereâs nothing discreet about wearing a suit all the time. If anything, itâs just asking for attention.
I push my door open, and from across the room, I hear my twin sisterâs annoying giggles. Sheâs so immature.
I wonder if she knows Iâm back in town. Sheâd probably be thrilled. The last time I saw my sister, I had her pinned against the wall with a knife to her throat.
She had been pushing my buttons for too long, and once she started telling my father everything she knew about my relationship with Sofia, I had to scare her into silence.
If my dear mother hadnât interrupted, I might have left a little scar as a reminder for her, but she was lucky.
Ariella is a total bitch. The little princess to our parents who can do no wrong. Itâs embarrassing enough to be her brother, let alone her twin. Weâre nothing alike, Iâm sure of it.
I decide not to bother her today, not right now. So, I head down the grand staircase, rolling my eyes when I see Sofia waiting at the bottom.
This is turning into an unwelcome homecoming party. Of course, my father would tell Alessandro and Sofia about my return.
âLuca,â she says, smiling as I reach the bottom step, âmy father said you were back. I had to come see for myself if my missing fiancĂ© had actually returned.
âHow was Spain? I went there to surprise you a few months ago but youâre impossible to track down.â
âYou know, darling. Usually, when someone is hard to find, they donât want to be found.â I stare at her, annoyed by her naivety. âTake a hint and get it through your fucking head thatââ
âLuca,â my father interrupts, walking out of his office. His lips are pressed into a thin line and his eyes say heâs not impressed.
Do I care? Not at all.
As he walks toward us, he smiles at Sofia. âLovely to see you, Sofia. I was talking with your father earlier. He said youâd be stopping by to see Luca.â
âNice to see you, Mr. Acerbi. Iâve missed Luca while he was away and was hoping to catch up.â
âIâm busy,â I tell her before she can get her hopes up.
âYouâll make time for your fiancĂ©e,â my dad tells me, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a piece of paper.
âGo to the new restaurant downtown. The owner owes me a favor. Tell them Valentino Acerbi sent you and enjoy the evening. Luca has been gone for a long time, you two have a lot to talk about.â
This man really knows how to get on my nerves. Trying to control my life is one thing, but heâll never be able to force a woman into my life. Or make me spend time with her.
A smirk tugs at my lips, and I look at my father. âHow about you mind your own damn business and work on your own messed-up relationship? Iâm sure you need it more than Sofia and I.â
If Sofia werenât here, my father would probably have a gun to my head or a knife to my throat. The fire in his eyes clearly says he wants to get his hands on me.
My father and I have had too many fights to count and Iâm sure thatâs not going to change anytime soon.
Iâm pretty sure that if I werenât his only son, my father would have killed me by now.
Luckily for me, Iâm his legacy and he needs me around, whether he likes it or not. The only difference is, when I take his place, a lot of things are going to change.
Starting with where he stands in this business.
