Signed To The Mafia King - Chapter 20: Chapter 20

ALINA
I was still a little breathless from dancing. I didn’t know what to say for a moment.
I shook my head, wanting to step out of his arms. “I won’t need those services.”
"You’re really certain?" he asked, tilting his head.
"I have Luca."
Ethan’s lips twisted. "And will he obey without question like I will?"
Something in his tone made me stop and think.
"Or," he continued, “will he fight you every step of the way? Will he remind you that he is in control, that you belong to him?"
The words sent an uncomfortable chill down my spine.
I thought of Luca, the way he had looked at me earlier, the way he had walked away with Victoria like it was nothing, like I was nothing.
And I thought of his words, the ones he had thrown at me before we left for the ceremony.
I own you.
Maybe he would fight me. Maybe he’d refuse to listen.
I lifted my chin. "What exactly are you offering?"
Ethan leaned in slightly, his breath hot against my ear. I wished he would back away. “I handle problems. Dirty business, the kind you don’t want traced back to you."
My stomach turned. For a second, I couldn’t breathe.
Did he just offer to kill someone for me? At my wedding?
The music slowed.
A strong hand wrapped around my arm.
I turned and met Luca’s eyes again.
My pulse hammered. I was almost glad to see him back.
He wasn’t smirking, wasn’t smiling, wasn’t anything but furious.
Ethan, completely unbothered, took my hand and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. "Think about it. I'll be waiting.”
Luca’s voice was dangerous. He would have stabbed Ethan with it if he could. "Get lost before you lose your hands."
Ethan only chuckled. "Relax, Luca. The party’s still going, isn’t it? Or does the bride need your permission to enjoy herself?"
Luca turned his dark eyes on Ethan. "The party is open. You aren’t needed anymore."
Someone nearby let out a laugh, catching the tension between us. Ethan grinned, shot me one last amused look, and disappeared into the crowd.
Luca didn’t give me a second to react. His fingers clenched around my wrist, and he pulled me away behind him.
"What the hell was that?" he bit out.
I yanked my arm free. "I could ask you the same thing, but I didn’t."
His jaw flexed. "I was getting rid of Victoria."
"And I was dancing."
"With him?"
"I danced with everyone, Luca. You were too busy with your whore to see that.”
"He had his hands on your waist.”
I rolled my eyes. "That’s what dancing is. Do I need to teach you?"
Luca stopped so fast I nearly crashed into him. Before I could step back, he caught my wrist again, pulling me close. His other hand tilted my chin up, forcing me to look at him.
My breath caught.
Up close, I could see the way his chest moved, just a little too fast. His fingers weren’t rough, but they were tense, like he was barely holding back.
He barked at me. "You think this is a game?"
My heart pounded.
Maybe now he’d understand what it felt like.
What it felt like to stand there, humiliated, while he walked away with his mistress.
I held his eyes, refusing to be the first to look away.
Neither did he.
And he wouldn't let go.
I could feel the heat of his skin against mine, how tense his shoulders were, the burn of all the emotions in his eyes.
Anger. Possessiveness.
"You’re upset," I said finally. I knew he was, I just didn’t care.
Luca’s thumb brushed against my wrist, almost absentmindedly. "Am I?"
"You tell me."
"You don’t get to play this game, Alina," he said. “You don't get to play games with me.”
"Neither do you," I shot back. "But that didn’t stop you from walking away with her."
My heart pounded in my ears.
I didn’t know what I expected him to do. Maybe argue, let me go, walk away again, but I wasn’t expecting him to move closer.
But he did.
Slowly, deliberately taking my space away.
I sucked in a breath.
"Luca," I warned.
He didn’t stop.
His hand slid up my arm, fingers curling around my elbow, his other hand settling lightly at my waist. Not holding me. Not yet.
I should pull back. I really should. Right now.
But I didn’t. I couldn't move.
Because Luca wasn’t just angry. He wasn’t just frustrated.
He wanted something.
I could almost feel his lips on mine. Could almost feel the burn as he'd kiss my lips till they became swollen.
And I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stop him from doing it.
Not yet.
Not when he was looking at me like that.
Not when his fingers were brushing against my dress like he was seconds away from pulling me closer, from devouring me.
Not when the air between us felt like a live wire, sparking with something neither of us had meant to start.
I swallowed hard. "Luca," I whispered.
He leaned in. With how tense we were, if he kissed me, I knew we would both go wild. I felt needy for it.
Luca tilted his head, as if waiting for me to stop him. I didn’t.
His hand curled around the back of my neck, and my pulse jumped. This was wrong. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this, not with everything between us still unsettled.
But when he leaned in, I found myself leaning too, my heart pounding.
The footsteps broke the tense silence between us.
We both jerked away from each other, my face heating.
The footsteps were quiet, as though whoever it was didn’t want to be found. The steps stopped and someone started speaking, with another man whispering his answer.
I tensed immediately. I knew those voices.
My uncles.
My stomach twisted, the heat between us disappearing in an instant.
Neither of my uncles had come to the wedding. So why were they here now, whispering in the hallway like they had something to hide?
Luca’s fingers loosened on my neck, and he pulled back slightly, watching my face. I barely moved, only tilting my head slightly as if asking him to listen.
His brows jumped, but he didn’t speak.
"The Alvarado family," Roberto was saying. "I met with them earlier.”
A pause.
“How long will it take?” Alberto’s voice this time.
“Three weeks.”
My stomach dropped. I wasn’t even sure why, but something about the way they spoke made me sweat.
Luca pulled away from me completely. I looked at him to find that look on his face.
The blank, monstrous one that told me he was about to lose his cool.
Then, just as quickly, he exhaled, rolling his shoulders back as if shaking off whatever thought had brought that look onto his face.
He turned to me. “We pretend we didn’t hear anything.”
Before I could respond, he took my hand, and turned the corner. His face loosened, an easy smile spreading across his face as if he was truly pleased by what he saw.
“Oh, I’m so glad you two decided to show up for the wedding.”
Roberto’s eyes went wide with fear while Alberto backed away from us like he had seen a ghost.
For a second, no one spoke.
Then Roberto’s lips parted slightly, like he wanted to say something, but no words came out.
Neither of them spoke.
My heart pounded.
I had no idea what was about to happen next. Would they try to leave now? And why was Luca so angry?