Trapped (Sinners of Boston #5)

12. Delilah

TWELVE

DELILAH

When I got home, I stripped to my underwear and grabbed a robe out of the closet. Then I sat on the black-and-white checkered kitchen floor and drank black Sambuca.

I’d finished half the bottle and still couldn’t get Santino out of my mind. His rough hands haunted every drunken thought, pulling at something reckless inside me.

The Shangri-Las spun on my vinyl record player, the same song on repeat. “I Can Never Go Home Anymore . ” That was the anthem of my life. I blasted it when my father pushed me into an engagement with Dimitri, and it echoed in my head the night I fled Providence.

I pulled my robe around me as I leaned against the cabinets. My thoughts centered on the keys—an offer that felt like a trap. As I swirled the dark liquid in my glass, the herbal scent mingled with the despair pitting my stomach. The keys lay on the table, cutting through the illusion that this was just business.

Why did he give me them?

My heartbeat throttled. He wanted a tighter grip on me. Maybe I should give in. More time with Santino meant more money, not having to pay for anything, and having my physical needs met. Not to mention being able to hang out at his awesome penthouse whenever I wanted. Having access to his stuff. But if I kept showing up at his place, he’d think we were more than a temporary arrangement. He already did.

I felt torn between running from him and longing to give in. I grabbed my phone and unlocked it, scrolling through the contacts list. I hovered over the name Luca . My heart pounded.

My thumb slipped, hitting the call button.

It dialed once, and he picked up.

Slowly, I held the phone to my ear. Nothing greeted me but the crackle of static. I licked my lips, trying not to exhale.

“You shouldn’t be calling me.”

My friend’s smooth voice filtered from the speaker.

“I know.”

Luca sighed. “Are you okay?”

“I’m alive. How are things on your end?”

“Everybody’s looking for you. Dimitri has people searching as far as Seattle. Wherever you are, stay there.”

“Staying put isn’t an option,” I mumbled, swirling my glass. “The man I’m with is crazy. He wants…well, I’m not sure what.”

“You’re with another guy? Who?”

I bit my lip. “Santino Costa.”

“He’s in Boston, right?”

“Yeah. How did you know that?”

Luca was silent for a moment. “What’s he like?”

“He’s nice…scary, sometimes, but he’s got a soft spot for his mom. He likes mixed martial arts fighting. He loves taking me out and buying me stuff.”

Luca made a noncommittal sound. “Have you met his family?”

“We don’t have that kind of relationship. I’m his comare .”

“Isn’t that a girlfriend?”

“No, it means mistress.”

“That makes no difference to him. If you’re in his life, you’re his. Period.”

“I see.”

“You need to be careful, Delilah. Santino Costa isn’t someone to take lightly. Guys like him are in the business of power, not charity.”

My blood froze. “I think he wants more. He gave me keys to his place.”

“That’s good.”

“No! I’m freaking out, Luca. He’s way more intense than I thought he’d be. You should’ve seen what he did to this random drunk guy who hit on me. He beat the piss out of him. It was crazy.”

“That checks out.”

“Also, he keeps not using protection. Why’s he doing that?”

“Either he’s a fucking idiot, or he’s trying to trap you.”

I swallowed hard. “What am I supposed to do?”

He laughed. “Don’t fuck him without a condom.”

Hearing Luca echo my fears made a huge boulder sink in my stomach. Santino dismissed my concerns when I brought them up, but Luca was right.

Santino knew what he was doing. I’d lost count of how many times we had unprotected sex. Every time he agreed to use protection, it felt like him humoring me. I’d never liked how hormonal birth control made me feel, but I needed to look at options and schedule an appointment. Between Santino and planning the boutique, I hadn’t had the time.

“I’ll figure this out,” I whispered. “Thanks for talking to me.”

“Watch your back, Delilah. Don’t let your guard down for a second.”

The line died.

I dropped the phone beside the bottle of Sambuca, the screen going dark. I couldn’t deny the truth anymore. Santino was trying to trap me. I had to protect myself. This was my life. That meant untangling myself from him, no matter how much it’d hurt me.