“Yes, but he will never be the boss.” Elle’s big blue eyes drilled into her. “And if Lucca has a son …”
Chloe swallowed the huge lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. She couldn’t believe she had never thought of that. Oh, shi—
Lake came storming through the door, slamming Nero’s door shut behind her.
“What’s wrong?” Elle asked as their attention went to the tall, furious brunette.
Lake fell onto the couch, crossing her arms. “I’ve told Vincent a million freaking times to make Lucca find him somewhere else to work. He says he has, but I think he’s lying to me.” She threw a pillow at a laughing Elle. “I don’t know why you think it’s so funny. Nero’s working down there, too!”
Having dodged the pillow, Elle tried to sound confident when she said, “Nero promises he doesn’t watch the women.”
Women?
Lake rolled her eyes. “They aren’t blind!”
“I don’t think he’s lying,” Elle said as she shook her head, but her confidence seemed to be leaving.
“Trust me; they are.”
“Maybe it’s important they watch the women,” Chloe said. Lucca had told her they were like bouncers protecting the workers.
Lake huffed. “Yeah, it’s real important that Nero, Vincent, and Amo watch the women with skimpy outfits give lap dances.”
What? “I thought it was an underground casino?”
“It is. One where the dealers are all women in slutty outfits.”
That’s why Amo loves it down there. Wait …
“H-How do you know so much about it?” Chloe asked, confused.
Elle busted out in laughter.
Lake paused then dodged the question. “That’s beside the point. The point is that Nero and Vincent are down there right now, in a sea of practically naked women!”
Elle’s laughter quickly died, which made Chloe burst out in her own.
“You shouldn’t be laughing. Lucca practically runs it,” Elle snapped at her.
Her laughter started to die. “H-He does?”
“Yep.” Elle stuck her tongue out. “Lucca isn’t so perfect, now, is he? Bet his greenhouse ain’t so freaking grea—”
“I trust him,” she said without a doubt. “He said he hasn’t been with a girl since he met me nine months ago. I don’t have a reason not to trust him.”
Elle and Lake stared at her, blinking.
It was Lake who spoke first, practically fanning herself. “I’m sorry, Elle. I can’t pretend anymore that I’m not team Lucca. Are you sure the greenhouse isn’t a sex dungeon?”
“Team Lucca—What? No!” Chloe stared at the girls, who appeared a little warm.
“Oh my God,” Lake whispered, her eyes getting a weird look to them as she looked over at Chloe, and then to Elle. The two of them looked like they knew what each other was thinking.
Elle scooted closer to her. “I’ve changed my mind. Lucca is good for you.”
I don’t like where …
Lake scooted closer to her, too. “He will do anything for you, right?”
Leaving Nero’s place, she was beginning to think being so close to Elle might not be such a good thing.
When one of the guards by the elevator door shifted his feet, it had Chloe turning.
Amo’s dejected expression remained lowered, not looking her way, showing her he knew she was in the hall.
Biting her lip, she tried to decide if she should talk to him. Then, taking a deep breath, she walked down the hall toward him, stopping a few feet away and not getting close enough for him to touch her.
“Amo, may I talk to you?”
He kept his head straight forward, not looking at her. “I’m working.”
“I-I thought you worked downstairs …”
She could tell by the look that flashed across his face that he hadn’t realized she knew what that meant.
“I have been moved up here.”
“Oh.” She figured Lucca had taken the job he loved away to punish him.
Seeing how much Amo was hurting, it hurt her to know she had done that to him. Regardless, there was nothing she could do. Her saying something about it to Lucca would probably only hurt him more, since Lucca was still very upset with him.
Seeing the cast on his hand, her heart broke a little more. “I-I’m sorry about your hand.”
Amo’s jaw flexed, the heartbreak and damage she had caused him so evident in his eyes.
Realizing how much of a bad idea this was, she nervously turned to walk away, wanting to cry for what felt like the loss of a great friendship.
She was halfway down the hall when she heard his yell.
“Chloe!”
Once upon a time, she would have kept running, but now she stopped, turning around to watch him walk up to her.
“I’m sorry.” Amo raked his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry for so many fucking things that I wish I could take back. I was the one who led the Lucianos to you. I was the one to call you a freak and not once take up for you in high school—”
“Please, stop punishing yourself, Amo.” She had to stop him, unable to bear his regret. “I don’t blame you for any of that.”
Amo looked at her, letting her see the pain in his eyes. “I have to. That’s the only way I can live with you choosing to be with him after he fucking kidnapped you. If he hadn’t, we would have been more than friends. You know that deep down.”
“I left, Amo.” Her eyes started to water. She hated the way he always made her break his heart even more, but it was the only way she could ever get him to understand. “I was leaving you behind.”
“I would have come for you.” Amo took a step toward her. “I was coming for you. I did come for you!”
She had to look away from him. “I know, but it was too late.”
“No, it’s not. It’s not too late, Chloe …” He took another step toward her, the hope in his eyes growing. He prayed she would change her mind and choose him.
“It wouldn’t have been real between us. You changed around me, and I never changed around you.” She took a step back from him, looking him straight in the eyes. “We were just never meant to be. I know that, because I feel it in my bones. I’m meant to be with him. I am meant to be with Lucca.”
Amo’s eyes became glossy, his vision going toward the ground.
“I will always care about you, Amo, but as a friend … The same way I feel about Elle.”
His fists began to curl at hearing the word ‘friend.’ “I fucking hate him for taking you from me.”
Chloe shook her head. “Don’t blame him. Blame me. It’s not Lucca’s fault I’m not in love you.”
Amo didn’t see the silent elevator doors sliding open, but Chloe did. Her eyes pleaded with the man getting off. Please don’t!
When Lucca didn’t move, she looked back at Amo. “Do you like gardening?”
“What?” Amo gave a frown of distaste, wondering why she had said that. “No.”
Chloe gave a shaky laugh. “I do. I didn’t know I did, but I do now. Lucca taught me how.”
Lucca’s harsh face relaxed while he remained silent by the elevator.