Fran's POV

I slid out of bed bare and unashamed of my state of undress. That was because I was alone in the room.

If Luca was there, I probably would have grabbed the sheets and wrapped them around my body to cover myself now that clarity had returned. 

After last night I don't know if I would be able to bare myself to Luca again, especially after everything we did last night. 

Damn! How did I let myself go? 

I knew that a man like him was dangerous and corrupted, but I never guessed how deep his corruption ran - or maybe I did and willfully ignored it until he seared it into my flesh too. I still felt the ache he left behind, my inner walls remembered what intrusion of his thickly veined member felt like. When I sat on him and rode him I feared he would break through my wall. He was that large. 

My lower belly clenched. 

My eyes drifted to the bed where the corruption of my body had all taken place. When did he leave the bed? After the last time, I had been so exhausted I couldn't even keep my eyes open. 

Did I fall asleep on him? 

Damn! How did I go from barely knowing this man to not only bending over for him but also having his scent, his essence imprinted on my senses? My body? 

Keith would not be happy to know what I had done. Who could I even tell of the things I let Luca Castello do to me? 

Along with shudders at the memory of what his mouth and body did to me, I also burned with shame and as soon as I thought about Keith, more shame replaced the flow of phantom shivers in my veins. Fear and worry about my sister Faith completely dispelled what was left from last night. 

How could I have forgotten? 

Anxious to be out of Luca's bedroom as fast as possible, I snatched my underwear and gingerly put them on. They were a bit uncomfortable because now that I had Luca's fluids mixed with mine my body felt sticky. The lace material chaffed my tender clit. I pulled the seat of my panties down for comfort, then found my gown. It jingled loudly in the cold silence of the room. 

I was just pulling the soft material over my head when the door opened again and Luca walked in. 

I froze but only for a second before pulling the gown over my bare breasts and hips. I looked over at him, at the shocked anger veiled behind the swirl of desire in his dark eyes, and smiled. 

Damn it, but he looks so good in just his pants! How was a woman supposed to cope when he stood there tall and all male with the length of his cock outlined through his pants even when flaccid? 

This was the devil that tempted me last night and oh how far I've fallen. 

**

READER'S POV

Luca had not expected to come upstairs to meet her already dressing to leave. He had expected that she would be asleep for at least another 3 hours but, alas, it seemed he had once again underestimated the woman. 

She smiled softly at him. It twisted something in his insides. 

He let his gaze drop from her inviting lips to her dress before he did something stupid like walk up to her to kiss her senseless and beg her to take off her dress one last time. 

"Going somewhere?" He tried to sound neutral, but even he heard the tight anger in his voice. Women didn't leave him! He decided when he had had his fill of them. He should be the one showing her the door, not her carving her own door behind his back, damn it! 

"I have to get back home," She told him. Still smiling oh so sweetly, she turned to pick her shoes off the floor. 

"Why?" He heard himself ask. He still hadn't left the door. Was he going to stop her from leaving? He wasn't sure of the answer himself. 

Downstairs he was sure that whatever happened between them during the night was nothing more than an exchange. He helped her, and she paid her dues on his bed. He had convinced himself in his head that that was what it was. There was nothing she could offer him that he didn't already have. In fact, he had women. He could count them all off the top of his head. Actresses, dancers, Yogi instructors he could call and who would come running to climb into his bed. 

Yet he wanted Fran to stay. He wanted to tie her hands and feet so that she would stay until he had his fill of her. Just like the others. 

"It's not like your sister will be waiting for you," he continued to talk. 

He wished he could kick himself in the ass as soon as those words left his lips. Her pretty face fell. Her long, dark lashes fluttered low to hide her beautiful brown eyes and whatever brightness he had seen when he first walked in dimmed. 

"You're right," Fran said, raising her eyes from her shoes briefly to meet his. "But I gotta have hope, right?" She smiled again, but it was not the same as her bright smile. "Besides," She shrugged. "I really need to sleep. After that, I have to practice for tonight's performance. I think I'm a bit stiff after last night," She laughed shyly. 

If she was several shades lighter, he would have seen the color in her neck and cheeks. So even after last night she still maintained her curious innocence. 

It was all Luca could do to keep her from leaving. 

He watched her sit briefly to buckle her shoes. When she rose again, she grabbed her purse. 

"I'll just have to grab my coat from downstairs, and then I'll be on my way," She announced. Not that he needed to know, but Fran felt the heat of his gaze, and it made her uncomfortable, especially because she could feel the anger in his eyes. 

She made her way to the door where he stood watch, but he didn't step aside. His gaze remained on her face, scorching her skin until she feared she was going to become a sweaty messy stain on the black linoleum tiles. 

Finally, he spoke. "I'll send word to you when I get a report from my man."

She was very disappointed that he did not ask for her number or say he would find her to tell her the news himself but that he would send word. 

So that was it then? 

"Thank you very much, Luca." And then, because she couldn't help herself, she asked, "Will you be coming to the club again? I can perform a better performance than last night," Her gaze cut to the chair she had performed with with a slight raise to the corner of her mouth. 

Luca steeled himself. What was her game? 

Finally, he stepped aside. "You should go home."

Fran's heart fell. She was being silly, she knew that. She should be glad that it was all over and not disappointed that he wasn't asking her to stay. Besides, she had better things to do than serve him on her hands and knees or bend over for him to choose which holes he wanted to fuck. 

She stepped toward the door under his gaze and just before opening the door she turned to him. 

"Thank you for the tips... At the club."

Against his wish Luca had to smile. She was smarter than he gave her credit for. She was interesting. 

"You knew?"

Her smile widened and with a one-shoulder shrug she said, "Well, I know now."

His response was a barely visible nod, but that was enough for her. They were parting on friendly terms. The price was paid, Faith would be found and when she was found Fran would ship her recalcitrant sister off to boarding school to complete her secondary education. If she had to scrap on her hands and knees to afford it, she would do that. 

The housekeeper was waiting downstairs as if she was expecting her and from the look on the woman's face Fran could tell that the older woman thought that Luca had discarded her like he did his other women.

Which, Fran guessed, must be something that often happened. 

That gave her a pause. How often did he bring women over for the night? 

She hadn't realized that the thought distracted her until the housekeeper mumbled, "Your coat, Miss."

"Thanks," Fran accepted it, ignoring the look on the woman's face. 

She walked to the elevator and took the ride downstairs.

Outside the lobby in the brightening day, she paused on the curb to swallow some morning air, but just as she was about to open her eyes to begin the long walk to the nearest bus station, a large shadow fell on her. 

She stepped back, eyes going wide at the sight of the tall giant with the large scar cutting from one side of his neck to the other, standing before her. His hands were buried in his coat pockets but the thought of how large they would be and how easy it would be for him to stifle her scream if he gripped her neck flashed through her mind. 

He must have read her mind or maybe her expression gave her away, but he raised his hands up and grinned. 

"Name's Bobby, Miss. Mr. Castello has ordered me to drive you home."

"Oh," Fran thought foolishly. "A-are you his driver?" She could not recall him being the same driver who drove them last night. 

"I can be anything he wants me to be. He walked to the car she hadn't noticed parked in front of the building and opened it. " Are you leaving now?"

Fran craned her neck to look up at the building. The penthouse was obscured by the thick fog that was characteristic of cool near-winter mornings in Los Angeles. She could barely see past the wispy white fog but for some reason she knew that Luca had to be in front of the window overlooking the city. He had such a powerful presence. 

Was he watching this exchange? 

"Miss?"

Fran's eyes met Bobby's, and she was shocked at how friendly they looked, yet his scar told a different story. 

"Yes, thank you."

She climbed into the comfort of the car and when Bobby shut the door, her eyes went once again to the penthouse where Luca indeed stood watching, now dressed in his robe - not that she saw it. 

Luca watched the car drive off. He stepped back from the window to reach for the intercom on the wall without looking. He pressed it and his housekeeper came running. 

"Bring more, Rosie."

"Another bottle before breakfast?" She questioned, the disapproval evident in her voice. 

Luca tore his gaze from the window, dark brows furrowed over equally dark eyes. Rosemary returned his stare defiantly. She had been in his service for as long as he stayed in the penthouse. She was aware of the darker details of his life and work, yet she was as fearless and protective as a mother hen defending her children from preying hawks.

Usually she stayed out of the way, interfering only when absolutely necessary, especially if the few cops not on Luca's payroll came sniffing. Luca appreciated her interference, but not today. 

Today he was in no mood to be questioned by a woman. Women came and went, an endless stream of them. Nothing more. 

"I didn't stutter," He replied her darkly. 

She looked like she was going to argue with him when her lips parted, but soon she snapped her mouth shut, her eyes sparking with unexpressed anger. 

"A bottle of whiskey and some breakfast." 

She turned on her heels and worked away before he would contest her stubbornness. 

He was tempted to laugh. 

I guess I'm lucky she's not my mother, he thought to himself. The last thing he wanted was a mother hovering over him now as an adult when he never had one as a child. 

His childhood in Italy had been quite normal until his father's lawlessness had gotten their mother killed. And then Luca had gone ahead to make the same mistake. 

Giovanni was not the only one with blood on his hands. 

Luca's were just as tainted, tainted with the blood of someone who was family to him. 

Jaws clenched so tight the joints nearly snapped, Luca turned away from the window and yelled to Rosemary, "Where the hell is that damn whiskey?!"

FRAN'S POV

I thought I wouldn't be able to sleep when I returned home, but it turns out when you're trying to avoid the consequences of your actions and forget how foolish you've been, you can do just anything - sleeping being one of them. 

In the midst of the sounds of the waking city, I closed my eyes to sleep, forcing thoughts about Luca Castello out of my mind. I even had to push thoughts of my sister to an unexplorable corner of my mind, not because I didn't love my sister but because thoughts of Luca kept poking through my concern for my sister. After all, she was the reason I had gone to him in the first place. 

When I finally woke up from the most uneventful sleep of my life, I dragged myself out of bed and went to stand before the mirror in the bathroom. 

Who was the stranger looking back at me? 

I didn't recognize her. Would my mother or father recognize the woman I have become? Would they understand the things I've had to do to survive without them? Were they disappointed in my inability to protect my sister? 

The urge to cry was strong, but my tears were dried up. So many years have passed, so many tears shed. Now was not the time to be weak. I had to stand strong for my sister. Whatever trouble she's gotten herself into, she's still my little sister. Whatever I do, I do for her. She's my only family. 

I sucked in a breath and released it slowly. I would have to face the day and doing so meant that I could not escape Keith and the questions he would ask. I wasn't prepared, but I was ready to let him know that his judgments, whatever they were, were insignificant. If I had to sell my soul to the devil to keep my sister safe and alive, I would. 

I moved into LA as a naive girl of 15. I avoided the girls who lined the streets at all hours of the day and ignored the DMs of predators who promised better living conditions if I joined what they called their "modeling agencies".

I know you're not as naive as I was, so you know as well as I do that they didn't belong to no modeling agencies. They were escorts. Girls who served wealthy men with every hole and inch of their bodies in exchange for a lavish lifestyle. I'm not one to judge anymore, but I'm not stupid either. I understand that greed plays a big role in the choices we make, but I'm also very much aware that choices are limited when your means of survival is threatened. 

My sister is my life, my only surviving family. If I would be judged for trying to save her, then so be it. 

I heaved a sigh at my reflection in the mirror, the action caused my breasts to swell above the heart-shaped neckline of my night chemise, bringing the darker brown spot on my right breast to view. I touched it, instantly taken back to Luca's hard sucking on it when he woke me up again in the early hours of the morning. 

My heart beat quickened beneath my fingers. 

"No," I chuckled bitterly to myself, shaking my head as I took my eyes off my reflection in the mirror. "You're not going to think about that. Last night was a necessity. You've paid the price, now is the time to move on and hope for the best."

I ended up washing my face in the kitchen. Here the only reminder of what happened last night was the dull ache between my legs, but even that was ignored when I made coffee, drank the first cup and made myself another before turning toward my tiny fridge for some eggs for breakfast. 

I had just placed the eggs on the cracked slab when my phone began to ring. Crossing the small hallway between the kitchen and the living room, I retrieved my phone from my purse and swallowed a groan when I saw who it was calling. 

A video call at 9 in the morning. 

"Hmm, if you are up this early then you didn't do it then?" Were Daniela's first words. 

I started to reply when she looked up from whatever she was doing, looked at my face and squealed. 

"My God, you look like hell! What did Luca do to you?" She laughed. 

"Nothing," I bit out through my teeth. 

"Don't tell me nothing. Your eyes are swollen baby, you look like you've barely gotten any sleep today. And is that a hickey I see on your neck?"

I fought the urge to pull the strap of my chemise to my neck. Not that it was any good. It wouldn't hide anything, but it would confirm that there was indeed a hickey on my neck. Guess I'll have to put a spoon in the fridge later. 

"Why are you calling so early, Danny. Shouldn't you be sleeping? I know you worked late last night."

"Yeah, well, I called you over and over, but you weren't answering. I had to make sure my best friend was safe, you know. Now tell me, what happened?"

Nothing that I wanted to tell her, that's for sure. And it wasn't because she thought I was uptight or virtuous, but I just didn't want to talk about it because I didn't want to be delusional.

What happened last night was a business transaction. Sure, it awakened things I thought were long dead and dry, but that's it. It cannot repeat itself. The last thing I wanted was my mind making up scenarios of what might be when Luca could be in bed with another helpless woman fucking every hole in her until she cried his name and her voice turned hoarse. 

Limerence is what they call it. 

Nope, I will not go down that path. 

"Come on," My best friend pouted, "Don't keep the juicy details to yourself."

"Stop it!" I snapped, my voice harder than I intended for it to be. "Last night with Mr. Castello was not a ride in the park, Daniela, you know why I had to do it. This is not about me. My sister is missing!"

I felt a twinge of regret for being so snappy with her, but she needed the reminder just as much as I did about why I had gone to Castello in the first place. 

Daniela was a little contrite, she sucked air through her teeth. 

"You're right. You're right."

I sighed. For now, she won't ask, but the wicked glint in her eyes indicated that the topic wasn't over yet. I suppressed a smile, rubbing a hand over my face to relax my facial muscles. 

Just then, there was a knock on my door. Hard and forceful. 

I held my breath. I wasn't expecting anyone. I barely had any visitors since I didn't have time for a social life and Faith knew better than to invite her friends here. It wasn't just that I wouldn't approve of them, I didn't want them turning my house into some kind of den. 

So, as I stood there looking at the door, I breathed slowly to slow my heart beat. 

"Who's it?" Daniela whispered, leaning close to her phone as if she could see past the borders of our call to my door. 

"I don't know," I whispered back. "Let me go see." For safety's sake, I grabbed my new cup of coffee. It was still hot. 

"Be careful," Daniela called. 

I stopped a few feet away from the door and called out, "Who is there?"

"Fran open the door. It's me!"

"Keith?"

"Yeah."

Dropping the mug carefully on the floor, I made my way to the door and opened it. He breezed in even before I could open it wide enough for him to come through, his eyes darting around my apartment like he was looking for something. 

I stood with my hands on my waist and waited until his gaze returned to me. 

"Well, good morning to you too," I muttered sassily. 

Frowning, his eyes narrowed on my face and then very predictably drifted down to the sheer material of my chemise, his brown eyes darkening with desire until he saw the hard raise of my brow. 

He cleared his throat, his eyes now at the hickey on my neck. He looked like he was going to spurt some angry words and I dared him with my eyes to go ahead.

Clearing his throat again he eventually settled for, "You look like hell."

"I already said good morning, you don't have to repeat it," I said crisply, moving away from the closed door to walk past him. 

At least he had the grace to look remorseful. "I'm sorry. Good morning. You look like... You didn't sleep." His jaw tightened. "You went to him, didn't you? You went with Luca Castello."

"I already told you I would," I shot back at him, angry that he was taking such a tone on me. 

"To talk, to beg for his help. You don't go to a man's house overnight to talk unless you're on your knees. And you know damn well you weren't on your knees to beg him!"

I slapped him. Hard across the face that my palm stung. 

"Don't you dare, Keith. You're like family to me and that's the reason I'm not throwing you out on your ass right now but, I will not tolerate insults from you. Faith's been missing for two weeks. You've done nothing to help me find her. Now don't stand there and judge me."

The slap barely moved him even though he held his face in his hand. He dropped his hand, his voice softer now. "You don't know what you're doing, Fran."

"I know what I'm doing!"

"No you don't! The powers at play are more than you think they are! I talked to a friend last night and he..."

My eyes flew to the table where my phone sat. "Excuse me."

I walked over to grab the phone, hitting the cup of coffee on the way. The mug landed with a sharp sound on the floor, spilling black coffee that burned my foot when I stepped in it. Wincing, I hopped over and grabbed my phone. 

"Hey, are you alright?" Daniela asked. 

"Yes it was just Keith. Listen, let me call you later."

"Daniela?" Keith called out, hoping over the spilled coffee. "Did you know she was going to sleep with Castello? Did you tell her to do that?"

I shot Keith a dark look. Daniela made a face. 

"What's his problem?"

I sighed. "Look, I'll call you back, okay?"

"Yeah sure."

I cut the call and threw my phone on the couch. "Keith enough."

"Fran, you need someone to talk to you. Daniela is not that person. I know her. I see the way she eyes the patrons at the club."

"She's employed to entice them, to tempt them to stay and keep drinking, that's her job. She had nothing to do with my decisions or actions last night!"

"So you're saying you came up with the idea yourself? I don't believe you. That's not the Francesca I know."

"Maybe you didn't know me at all."

"You're different, Fran."

I rubbed the space between my brows because I could feel a headache coming on. I didn't want to talk. I didn't want to be questioned by anyone, least of all Keith. The last thing I wanted was someone questioning my actions when they were doing nothing to find my sister. 

"Why are you here Keith? You said you talked to someone."

He took a step toward me, his hands reaching out for me. 

"You're my responsibility, Fran. I promised Jay I would look after you. I can't let anyone take advantage of you."

His hands went around me. It wasn't uncomfortable, but I didn't want to encourage him either. I've seen how he looks at me, how he looked at me even when Jay was still here. Men are simple. A pretty face, a sweet smile and a supple body were all they needed. Give them a chance and they will think they owned you. 

I stepped out of Keith's embrace. "Jay's dead," I said flatly. Sadness covered his eyes but I didn't care. Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I added, "You said you talked to someone."

He sighed but he too stepped back. "I did."

"And? Did you find something?"

"It's not good news."