Secrets Between Us

by LdyFcknNoir

Adrien and Marinette were inseparable... Until Marinette left for Milan. Now, she's on the run from an abusive husband hellbent on finding her to silence her forever. As she returns to Paris sooner than she planned, what will Adrien do once he's found out what she's done? Can they pick up the pieces of their former friendship in time? Or is all lost? Collab fic with QuantumChickPea

8. His Game

Luka was beyond enraged. Not only had this creepy old man contacted him regarding a cute little fashion designer new to Milan, but he had the nerve to threaten him if she wasn't eliminated in a timely manner. This wasn't the first time someone had made an arrangement of this kind with Luka, but it was the first time someone so important and in a different city had. When he had first contacted him, Luka had gone and used his considerable string-pulling capabilities to find out exactly who this guy was and why the hell he wanted Luka, of all people, to handle her. It turned out this guy was some big shot fashion mogul in Paris, Marinette's hometown. He wasn't sure why such an important dude was so scared of a no-name fashion designer, nevertheless, the amount of cash and drugs he was offering was enough to quell any curiosity Luka had about it. He couldn't pass up those kind of rewards so he would do what he needed to and get the job done.

He had orchestrated the entire evening, doing his research about his intended target. She was an up-and-coming designer at L'autre Maison de Couture and had only been in town for six months. Searches on social media revealed that she had a group of close friends, but none of them were in Milan. So he would need to lure her out in order to complete his task. A little more digging revealed that her best friend was the operator of a well-known blog in Paris, so her contact information was splashed out all over the internet for anyone wanting to contact her. He sent a quick e-mail to her, detailing a hot club with a great band, made to look as just something a lonely young woman would jump at the chance to attend. He made sure to hide his e-mail address to where nothing could be traced back to him, just in case. Then he just had to sit back and wait for her to show up. Being co-owner, he was at the club nearly every night as it was and on the nights that he wasn't, he had associates casing it constantly. It only took a week or so for two of his associates to contact him regarding the girl and he prepared to make his move. Ordering his guys to stall her any way possible, he quickly gathered the materials he needed to get the job done. He planned on playing with her before taking care of her and he was always ready for that particular game. The old man just said he wanted her eliminated, he didn't care what led to it or how it was done. This gave Luka a great deal of artistic license to choose how he wanted to proceed. For him, the most enticing part of these types of jobs were the chase. If he could hook them, finishing it was the easy part.

He looked in his bathroom mirror as he got ready to go meet his prey, critically analyzing himself to make sure he was as relatable as possible. Of course, there was always his…. back up plan, but that required physical contact and a certain level of intimacy that he was usually too disgusted to bother with. He detested weak people who never had to struggle for anything in their life and this girl embodied that. So he decided to take his fun a bit further than he normally would and really make it a night to remember. His gaze ran over his short sleeved shirt, expensive black silk that hugged the muscles of his upper body just right. To make him seem more approachable, he chose black hip skinny jeans that only hinted at designer origins, opting for an eye popping belt. He completed his look with sleek Italian made dress shoes to show that he had the money to play without setting himself above everyone else. Even though that was exactly the case.

He made sure his flat was prepared for the evening's events and slipped a little baggie filled with powder into his pocket to transfer to his car. He grabbed his phone and he sent a quick text notifying his driver that he was ready to leave. With a devilish smirk, he walked over to the minibar just off his living room. Opening the frosted glass cabinet, he pulled down a crystal tray and set it on the counter. The tray contained the recipe for his escape from life and it's bullshit: a small cut-glass decanter filled with the most expensive Grappa di Barolo Italy had to offer complete with a matching glass. He poured himself a shot and downed it as he gazed down at the items. There was a knife engraved with the words non mollare mai. It was his favorite tool to hit meth with, and to keep his feistier prey in line. Next he pulled down a small slab of thick marble. The marble was about a half inch thick, about eight inches long, and was what he used for his cocaine habit. In the middle was a square mirror surface which he used to chop his rocks. Angled on either side were grooves cut into the marble for the lines, left of it were the smaller grooves and right were the longer grooves. 6 holes lined the top and bottom middle of the marble surface, each with a rolled €100 euro note in it. A final long indention alongside the top line of holes housed a thick black credit card, the bottom of which was sharply edged.

He shrugged and decided to take a hit now. That way by the time he got to his destination, he'd be ready. He pulled the bag out of his pocket and shook it, before he took the 8-ball out and pinched the bag open slightly to pour it out. He picked up the black card and cut the cocaine with the sharp edge. He pushed some of it into one of the longer lines, before he put the card back into its place. Luka sighed as he picked up one of the €100 euro notes, leaning over the mirrored surface. He breathed out, plugging one side of his nose and quickly snorting up the line of coke. Luka straightened up and took a deep sniff to make sure the hit stuck. He licked his pinky finger and gathered the powder that was left behind and stuck it in his mouth. He smiled and shook his head, as the hit took over and numbed his nose and senses. He poured himself a shot of the expensive Italian liquor and shot it back, letting it once again warm his throat and chest. Luka made sure to put everything away before pocketing the knife for later. He made his way out of his apartment to his driver who had been patiently waiting at the curb.

He climbed into the black car and made his way to the club. Luka had gotten the text from his two men almost fifteen minutes prior, he needed to get there before they totally lost interested in the two losers stalling them. "Gas it." Luka told the driver and they sped off faster around the streets of Milan. It didn't take him long to get to the club and it had a line that ran around the building like a motherfucker. At least there were benefits to owning the place, one of which was the option of sneaking in through the back entrance. "Pull around back like usual." Luka swirled his finger in the air and snorted again clearing his nose of the traces of coke that were still trapped inside. He grabbed his phone as the car turned, texting the men Marinette's address and giving the order to demolish the place once they left the club.

"Yes, sir." The driver complied and swerved the car around back. Luka smiled at the man and held a €100 euro note out between his index and middle finger. "You're a good man, Alessandro. Wait here." Luka patted him on the shoulder before he got out of the car and headed into the club. Alessandro remained slightly bowed as his employer walked through the doors.

He walked through and greeted each regular customer with a special handshake and a cunning smile that hid nothing but cunning lies behind it. Luka caught a shot that the bartender slid across the bar top at him and slammed it back. "Grazie." Luka winked at the bartender and made his way over to where his men were busy harassing the designer girl and her little journalist friend.

He caught bits and pieces of their conversation and smirked with a dark expression at how uncomfortable the two women seemed to be, they were in a near panic. He could hear their fast paced heartbeats in his ears and it got him off. He fed off of Marinette's pain and her fear. Luka slammed his hands down onto the two men's shoulders, dug his nails harshly into their soft malleable flesh, and gave a sickeningly angelic smile that made most women drop their panties on the spot. "Boys, boys, boys…. Can't you see these two extraordinary women are tired of your shit? Hell, even the post across the room has a better chance of getting laid tonight than you two do. Now, I believe they said to… What was it now..? Oh yes, 'back the fuck off'... So I think it's time for you both to get the fuck out of here. Adesso." He yanked them off balance with a strong forced movement and both of the men staggered, before they walked away with their tail between their legs. Only Luka noticed as they walked, Carlo pulled his phone out and read his text before casually signalling his understanding behind his back. Luka smirked briefly before returning his attention to the girls.

"Marinette, right? I'm Luka." Luka touched her hand and raised it to his lips. He peered at her through his dark two toned hair with a smirk. He wanted to see what faces she would make as his knife slid against her throat; wanted to see her pretty bluebell eyes glaze over as she took her last breath. More than anything else, he wanted his name to be the last one on her poisoned lips. He caught her gaze as she looked over his body from head to toe. 'That's right kitten, take it in. Feel it out. I'm gonna have fun with that little black number later. Just you wait.' Luka got lost in his fantasy of slicing up her dress and filleting it open. How her breasts would spill out of the dress and how he would run his knife down her pretty body. That was his favorite part. Slowly carving a line from a woman's dainty neck to her tight pussy. He only hoped he was able to have the patience to wait this time.

"Yes... My name is Ma-ma-Marinette." Her voice was nervous, cute even, and his cock flexed at the emotion in it. He loved a nervous girl with a tremble in her voice. Made it all the more fun later when he was clutching their throat and holding them down, while he took what was his.

"Well, ma- ma- Marinette, I hope those men didn't give you too much trouble. If you'd like, I could go deal with them and maybe return for a dance?" Luka gave her a tantalizing dark stare hoping to catch her heart on fire. It had never failed to work on the other women before and he had every confidence it would work on this woman too.

"NO. I meant, no… You don't need to take care of them. I- I'm sure they won't bother us again now that you're here. Not that I mean you have to stay with us the rest of the night or anything!" The girl suddenly burst out an answer and then vigorously flailed her arms, clamping her lips together. Luka raised an eyebrow at her sudden outburst and then laughed hysterically at her. He couldn't believe how well this was panning out. How easily he was able to control her. She was too sweet, too innocent, and in the palm of his hand.

"If you insist. But, I insist you let me buy you ladies a drink to make up for their inexcusable behavior. See, my band plays at this club during the week, so I'm something of a… representative of this club, if you will. And I can't allow those creeps to give this place a bad rep. I can tell both of you are intelligent, driven women who aren't afraid to voice their opinions publicly. And I'd like to formally make it up to you both by buying you each a drink. The dance, however… Well, that's strictly for my pleasure only." Luka gave Marinette a heavy lidded gaze, knowing how it would affect her. How it would make her wet and shiver. He knew how much women wanted empowerment, and false praise would only aid him in his task.

Luka watched Marinette suddenly relax and look at him with a hungry expression. "Since I've already had a drink, but I haven't gotten an opportunity to dance yet, how about you and I go have that dance and then you can treat my friend and me to our drinks?" Marinette peered away from him to where her journalist friend was. He knew what she was doing. She hadn't been the only woman to do it in his years of experience.

"I guess that means I'm all yours." She said with a sultry look towards him and pulled him to the dance floor. That was the moment he knew that she wasn't like the rest. She was special and different. He couldn't quite put his finger on exactly how yet, but his magic was reacting to her in a way it had never done before. This only confirmed his suspicions and aroused him further.

While they danced, all he could think about was how pretty that dress would be in pieces on the floor. How she would look beneath his fingertips, bruised, broken, and torn open from his forced entry. What her expression would say as he had her over and over again. He never cared if a woman got off. They were only meer moments in time to him. As long as he came and enjoyed their suffering… that was all that mattered. Luka watched her move against him and saw how she glowed under the lights of his club. Suddenly, the light caught a mark on her shoulder and his eyes sparked at the sight of her faded ladybug tattoo. 'I knew something was different about you, bella. This makes the game so much more interesting. It's a hell of a lot easier to control a girl that doesn't know what they have yet...' Luka smirked and took control over the dance. He leaned in and kissed up to her ear, "Wanna get a drink?" He wanted to get her as drunk as possible before he took her out of there.

As he led her back towards the bar, he revised his plans. He didn't give one shit what that old man in Paris wanted, or what he told him to do. He was gonna get this woman drunk, drug her up, and make her his bitch until he got bored with her. He internally chuckled at the dazed girl beneath his fingers and how she already couldn't speak anymore, only having the ability to nod in response to him. 'Good girl…' Luka seethed into his mind with a small hiss as they reached the bar.

He ordered them drinks, then he watched her drink them one right after the other with a fire in his eyes. It didn't take Marinette long to be drunk. She was a light-weight and he planned that to his advantage. They danced more before he ran his fingers along her flesh like a hot serrated knife slicing a soft peach from its seed. He brushed his lips against her throat and whispered into her ear with a deep voice, "We should take this somewhere else, bella."

He lead her to the valet and they waited for his driver to pull around. Luka smirked and reached over to touch the mark on her shoulder. He used the dark energy from his soul and pushed it into his fingertip, letting it spread over the tattoo from the middle out. He feigned ignorance as he asked in a low voice, "What's this? Does my sweet innocent ma-ma-Marinette have a tattoo?" He watched as her body reacted to his touch and knew he had her hooked.

"Like what you see? Maybe I have more, maybe I don't…" The woman before him gave him a seductive expression that was begging to be carved into her lips. His cock twitched at the thought of making it a permanent feature on her. His expression slipped into a mask of desire at the thought. He pressed his cock against her ass and whispered into her ear, "I'll find out by the end of the night, that's a promise, bella."

His driver pulled up and they got into the car. Luka listened to her question where they were headed and watched the expression of her face yo yo between the fear in her eyes and the want of a woman in need of attention. No magical influence required on his part. Turning away from her amusing struggle, he figured it was time for phase 2 of the evening. He poured her a drink and placed a drug in it that would make her easier to maintain, while providing a temporary amnesia for what was about to happen. He didn't want to deal with her protesting when he took her to marry him. Luka didn't want anyone else to have this special woman. He knew now what the ring was for. And, he finally understood why the old man wanted her dead. It must have something to do with how alluring she was; how much of a spit fire she was.

He watched her take a sip before reaching for her phone. Uh uh uh, sweet bella, you aren't escaping me… He encouraged her to keep drinking as she fiddled with her phone. He didn't need her calling for backup, as she was obviously trying to do by the way she was turning away from him. He watched as the drug took effect and her phone slipped out of her hand. He picked it up and read what was on the screen before shrugging and sending it. Later on he'd send Alya a text letting her know that Marinette was too drunk to come home, and that he had graciously offered to let her sleep it off at his apartment. But for now... 'That's it. Drink it all. I need you nice and limber, kitten. So you won't remember a thing. Let's make this beautiful.' Luka directed his attention back to Alessandro, snapping out instructions to head towards the nearest chapel for a shotgun wedding. He'd pay them off well so they didn't speak a word. They pulled up and he half carried Marinette out of the car. She held her head and he suspected she was finally feeling woozy and out of it. Which was good because he needed her that way. Exactly as planned.

He walked in with her clutching his shoulder and she peered up at him with blushing cheeks. "What are you doing, silly?" She giggled at him and he smirked with darkened teal blue eyes.

"Making you mine, bella. You're too beautiful to let go. Don't you remember me asking?" He grazed beneath her chin with his hand and brought her lips to his in a rough kiss. She softly giggled and pressed her lips together as he pulled away from her with a sickening smirk. Luka walked them up to the front desk and paid the people for a quick ceremony. Short and sweet. That's all he wanted and needed.

Before long they were saying their vows and he was slipping a serpent shaped ring on her finger, filled with the power of his magical bloodline. 'You will do everything I say. Everything I do to you will have a reaction, and you will worship me. I will own you and your power always, unless true love's kiss interrupts this bond. Which I won't let happen. EVER.' Luka slid the ring onto her finger with a warm smile and she eagerly kissed him. He knew that she wasn't all there and that she didn't know what she had gotten herself into, but he didn't care. He had never cared.

"You're mine forever until death do us part, Marinette Couffaine." Luka bent down to steal a kiss from her again and she giggled softly as he lead her back to the car. His moment had finally arrived. Years of waiting and wondering if it was all worth it, finally coming to fruition. The ring would finally serve its true purpose. His magic would make sure of that. She'd never be able to escape his grasp, and that was just how he liked it. Complete submission. He loaded his new wife into the car and directed it back home. Now the work was out of the way, and it was time to play.

Back at his apartment, after struggling to maintain his temper carrying her through the lobby and into the elevator, he kicked open the door and shoved her through. She crumpled into a heap onto the floor, and he cursed her lightweight tendencies. There was no way he could have the kind of fun he had planned with her tonight. While he had wanted her incoherent for the wedding and binding, he wanted her to remember every stroke of his cock in her pussy. And there was no way she'd be able to remember pleasuring him in this state. He dug through her purse until he found her phone, firing off the messages to Alya. Her not having a password on her phone was a nice perk as well. He picked her up and bustled her towards his bedroom, letting her collapse onto his silk sheets while he removed his clothes. Just because she wouldn't remember the sex, didn't mean he couldn't toy with her mind a bit. She'd wake up wondering what they did together, especially if they were both already naked. The thought of the mental manipulation did wonders for his bad mood. He set about stripping her down, sighing as he removed her dress without cutting it up. He got the sense that this dress was important to her somehow, and he was going to enjoy slicing it up in front of her once he got the chance. He rolled her over until he could work her body under the sheets, before slipping in next to her and settling her over his chest. He could wait a little longer for her, she was special after all. He could wait to have his fun until morning.

Luka thoroughly enjoyed toying with Marinette. He loved the look in her eyes as his magic forced her into compliance. That look of fear and desperation before it glazed over into a different kind of desperation. He knew the ends and outs of his magical tattoo very well, so he knew just the right level to push into her that would keep her submissive but aware enough to suffer the whole time. He was surprised to admit she was so good at getting him off, then again he had picked up on that promise in the club. It was part of what helped make the decision to keep her. That and he wanted to test the limits of his magic against hers. He could tell she had no idea how to use her magic or what the tattoos signified and he fully planned on exploiting that ignorance to his benefit. He didn't want her as a sex slave, no, he could have those any time he wanted. What he wanted her for was total dominance. He wanted to use her, abuse her, and still have her beg for more. He wanted to break her down and leave her to pick up the pieces while serving his only interests. That's why he forced the feeling of connection into her at the club while they were dancing and its why he forced the seduction into her once she awakened. He wanted every part of her to long for him.

As she started sucking on him, he couldn't handle holding back anymore. It was time to start retraining her and he was going to obliterate this gentleness he could tell she associated with sex. He gave a low moan as she worked him, before grabbing her hair and forcing her to take him deeper. Getting off on her gagging and choking on his dick. Letting her know that it was him that was in charge, she was just there to please him. He didn't want her to throw up all over him either, so he allowed her head up far enough to erase that possibility, but still be in contact and pleasuring him. He almost instantly pushed back down again, moaning in pleasure when she adapted to his punishment. 'She's an eager little kitten, that's for sure,' he thought to himself before deciding he was bored with how well she was responding. He yanked her off of his cock, ignoring her small squeak of protest as he brought his lips to hers in a bruising kiss. Much to his dismay, she adjusted nearly instantly to straddle his lap as he pulled her closer. He forced his tongue into her mouth, not letting up until she was a whimpering mess before him. Figuring it was time to introduce more pain into her experience, he roughly reached down to fondle her breast. Pinching two fingers together hard, he alternated between rolling her nipple and scratching his fingernail across it. He placed his other hand on her hip, keeping her grinding in check with a grip he hoped would bruise sooner rather than later. 'Let's see how well you handle the main event, kitten, especially with no warning…' he thought to himself wickedly as he pulled his hand down, now gripping both hips. With a delighted smirk at the thought of what was about to come, he pulled her up and slammed her down on his cock. He nearly got off just on the thought of her pain at not being properly stretched before he was inside of her, using his dick to tear her insides apart. She broke away from his kisses with a pathetic whine, trying to bury her face in his shoulder without his permission. Infuriated at the thought of her taking control, he made a disgusted noise before pushing her away. Her confused expression pissed him off even more, and he nearly threw her down beneath him. Pausing to glare at her, letting her know that she had messed up, he then lifted her hips up for maximum effect before slamming back into her. He wanted to see the pain across her face as he bottomed out in her folds again and again, but again she adapted too quickly. Her face fell into a stoic mask, more than likely trying to concentrate on numbing the pain. This wouldn't do at all, he wanted to see her suffer. He lifted her legs to get a deeper angle into her tight pussy, forcing her walls to stretch even further. The moment he had been craving had finally arrived, as she could no longer take his punishment quietly. She screamed out, but he was prepared and cracked his hand across her face. He could see the tears welling in her eyes at the same time he felt the tightening at the base of his spine. He started pumping into her faster, chasing his orgasm. She made a weak attempt to push him off of her, but he pinned her down. He wasn't going to let her ruin his orgasm. He was going to finish this race, and inside her. Knowing that she would just keep struggling if he didn't occupy her mind, he shifted her wrists to just one hand before snaking his other hand down between them. He revelled in the look of confusion on her face as he rubbed almost gentle circles into her clit, making her believe that he cared whether she got off or not. The truth was, he only wanted her orgasm so that she would feel betrayal from her own body. Because even though her mind seemed to be becoming clearer (a hiccup he would need to fix after he washed himself of all traces of her), her body was still being owned by him and his magic. And he wanted her release at the same time as his for maximum effect. She cried out when the coil inside her finally snapped, but his pace didn't relent. Her walls clenched his dick deliciously, but it still wasn't enough. He smirked down at her discomfort as he doubled the pace of his pumps, causing her to release again before she could recover. This time, however, he couldn't hold back as his own coil finally snapped. He wanted the uncertainty of his actions to bother her later, so instead of pulling out to paint her body with his juices, he drove his dick into her as deep as it would go. As he rode out his orgasm, he leaned down to suck his mark into her skin, puncturing it as well for good effect. This would allow his magic to stay in her bloodstream in case something took away his direct influence. He wasn't sure why but it seemed like the duration of his influence on her was weakened quicker than it had been on anyone else. He pondered on whether or not it had something to do with her having her own tattoo, and still wondering even further if it was due the type of tattoo it was. The old man neglected to mention she had her own tattoo, which led him to believe that he didn't know about it. Thinking on these things, he pulled out of her without a glance down, taking the sheets and heading to the shower where the hot water could wash away his disgust and allow his mind to think. For those brief moments, he allowed himself to forget she existed. The room was well secured, so he didn't have to worry about her escaping while he was in the bathroom.

Turning on the shower, he dropped the sheet. Once the water was the right temperature, he stepped in, relishing the feel of the constant pounding of the water on his tense muscles. He could still feel his high, and he had plans for many more rounds with Marinette before letting her go, but first he needed to sort out what he knew. Now that he had met Marinette for herself and was able to judge her power for his own eyes, he was confused as to why the old man thought she was such a threat. She was starved for attention. She was clueless as to the power that ran in her veins. Hell, it only took one night of dancing to lure her into his embrace. All in all not a person Luka considered to be dangerous. His family had spent years researching the ouroboros tattoo that appeared on each male descendent of the bloodline. His own mother had been the one to figure out how to concentrate their abilities into a family heirloom, trying to find an avenue in which the woman of the family could be useful. Sadly, that endeavor ultimately failed, but not without some success. The ring held some of the power of compulsion in it, just not as much as physical contact did. And, it was able to alert the male of the proximity of his female counterpart. For all his mothers tireless research and efforts, it was a glorified tracking device. Sure, once it was on it wouldn't come off unless he compelled it to, but really it served no great purpose. The comforting beating of water drops on his skin turned to knife pricks as he thought back to his mother's demise. Totally distraught that she couldn't tap into the power of the family, she had cut her finger off to remove the ring before grabbing the nearest knife and slitting her throat. That same knife now lay in the pocket of his pants, a constant reminder of what he's lost to this accursed power. His thoughts turned darker still as he recalled his father's total lack of caring at his mother's death, joking that at least she had cut off the ring so it could still be passed on. At that point Luka had carried the knife with him constantly, so it was too easy to grab his father by the throat and plunge it into his heart. Shock wiping that stupid shit eating grin off of his face forever. Luka realized he had yet again started to unconsciously scrub himself while drowning in these thoughts, as his arms ached with the effort of driving the soap into his skin, blood slowly pooling beneath the surface. Turning his thoughts back to Marinette, he started planning. Now that he had her, he was going to take her with him on tour. She could manage his affairs and worship the ground he walks on; while he could continue drinking, doing drugs, partying, and fucking whoever he wanted. He had a good life torturing her all planned out and he was ready to savor every moment of it. Maybe he could string her up and see if he could force her magic to react to his in some way. It was a fun thought worth reserving for later.

His skin now almost wrinkled from how long he had been standing under the spray of the water, he quickly finished cleaning himself up and turned off the shower. Through the rings power he could tell she was still in the room beyond, probably nervously pacing and freaking out. The thought caused a smile to grace Luka's face as he opened the cabinet next to the shower. Pulling out a pair of blue boxers and comfortable black designer pants, he slipped into the clothes. He made the decision to forgo a shirt so he could see her start to piece together what his tattoo was doing to her. He knew she was intelligent, so he wouldn't be surprised if she already had a good grasp on what he had done to her. In the end, though, it didn't really matter if she understood or not. The knowledge would only serve to torture her more, knowing what's the cause of her unhappiness yet unable to do anything about it. With his clothing now on, he set about brushing his teeth and hair. Right as he deemed himself presentable to his 'wife', he heard a scraping noise that had him running out of the bathroom. That bitch! How the fuck did she manage to find the key under all that shit?! Oh, kitten, you are gonna pay for this… His gaze hardened as he yelled out, hoping to startle her enough to drop the key. He was just seconds too late, as he reached the bedroom door only to have it slammed in his face.

Growling in frustration, he whipped around and ran at the chair in the corner, flipping it over and ripping the key tapped to the underside off. Running back to the door, he unlocked it and slammed it open. His gaze zeroed in on the front door that was hanging open, and he charged towards it. She couldn't escape. He had to catch her. There was too much at stake to allow her escape, and that thought powered his muscles down the hallway. His eyes finally fell on her as she opened the door to the staircase.

"Marinette! Don't do this!" He yelled out to no avail, as she had already slammed the door. He pounded down flight after flight behind her trying to catch up. "Marinette…. Marinette…. Bella you're going to regret this day… You'd better keep your head little girl… You won't know where I am… Marinette.." his tolerance for this woman was quickly waning. Barrelling out into the lobby, he continued to chase her. His magic burst around him, compelling everyone in the lobby to stare dully at them as they passed. He would not tolerate any interference in his hunt. He shouted out again as he saw her stumble, "HEY, MARINETTE!" he tried to keep the promise of the pain he had planned for her out of his voice, but he was losing control. She was nearly to the point to where she could disappear from him. He didn't know if she had a set destination in mind, or if she was just running willy nilly hoping someone would notice her. Either way, he couldn't let her slip through his grasp. She was visibly weakening, her body nearly shuddering with the effort it took to run from him. He put on a great burst of speed, the knowledge that his chance to overpower her had come, totally focused on her retreating figure. He was so focused, he barely had time to dodge out of the way as a car came squealing around the corner. His mouth nearly dropped open as the car screeched to a halt next to Marinette. This can't be happening. She flung herself into the seat and reached over to close the door just as his hand wrapped around the handle. His fury lent him strength, and he started to overpower her efforts to shut the car door. Unfortunately, he wasn't paying any attention to the driver, so focused on Marinette and the pain he was going to cause her. His eyes widened in shock as a pair of arms reached across Marinette's lap to grip the car door handle. The journalists face swung into his view, his shock causing him to loosen his hold on the door. This was detrimental to his efforts, as he was suddenly jerked forward. The psycho bitch had hit the gas, causing him to lose his grip and fall flat into the street. He could only watch in utter horror and shock as his prey slipped away from him.

"You can run, you can hide, but you can't escape my love…." Luka sang softly as he watched the car squeal around the corner and disappear. He stood up, noticing with annoyance he would require another shower to get the sweat and blood from skidding along the pavement. Yet, a sinister smile graced his face as he silently sent a Thank you, Mother up in prayer. The ring would finally serve its purpose. Marinette might think that she got away, but she would have a nice surprise waiting for her once she returned to her apartment. For now, it was time to start calling in favors. He had a hunch where she would end up, and he needed to make sure he found her before the old man caught wind of her escape.

Returning to his apartment, he grabbed his phone and made a few calls. After everything was set into motion, he jumped back into the shower. He could feel the pull of the ring, guiding him to where she was. He pushed that thought back, he had done his research well so he knew where she was going. It was the end destination that was going to be hard to determine. Was she going to return to her parent's house? Stay with the journalist? She seemed to be a fairly popular girl, so there were a number of places she could hide out if she wanted to. But, he also knew that she would want to be away from prying eyes while she processed what to do next. It was only logical for her to want privacy until she got a handle on her situation. But where to achieve that…. His pondering continued as he got dressed and packed a luggage bag. Walking over to his minibar, he emptied the contents out into a special travel container. With the duration of his leave still undetermined, it was best to keep all incriminating evidence on his person. Finally ready to go, he once again summoned Alessandro. It was time to start the hunt, and this time his prey wouldn't escape. The time for mistakes was past. His wife wasn't getting away.

"Mi amor… I'm coming for you and I'm making war. I still love the way I hurt you…."

+++++++NOTES:++++++++

Hoping this fixes the spacing issues we've been having, special thank you to MadamScorpio for her suggestions

If anyone is confused about the marble slab, here's what I based it off of:

. /p/Mirror-Surface-Lines-Snuff-Plate-Chopping-Snorting-Rocket-Board-Line-Mate/17004049911

Next chapter: back to Marinette. Will she be reunited with Adrien?

Song lyrics used for this chapter:
Run For Your Life - The Beatles
Escape - Enrique Iglesias
Irresistible - Fall Out Boy