Chapter 10 - The Bait
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The penthouse felt like a war room over the next three hours. Heavily armed men moved in and out, checking weapons and reviewing blueprints of the Seattle shipping yards. Luca stood at the center of it all, a dark general orchestrating the destruction of the man who had ruined my life.
I sat quietly on the sofa, watching the lethal precision of his syndicate.
“We set the perimeter here and here,” Luca pointed to a digital map on a tablet. “Jake is desperate, which means he won't come alone. The Russians will provide him with backup. We need snipers on the crane towers to cover the blind spots.”
“Boss,” Dante interrupted, glancing nervously at me. “If Jake doesn't see Ava at the drop point, he won't expose himself. He’s a coward. He’ll stay hidden in the vehicles while the Russians scout the area. We won't get a clean shot at him.”
The room went dead silent. The capos looked at Luca, waiting for his reaction.
Luca’s jaw clenched so hard I thought his teeth would shatter. “She is not going anywhere near those docks, Dante. Find another way to draw him out.”
“Luca,” I spoke up, my voice remarkably steady.
Every man in the room turned to look at the waitress sitting on the sofa with a sprained ankle.
“Dante is right,” I said, grabbing my crutches and awkwardly pulling myself up to a standing position. “Jake is a rat. He’ll only come out if he thinks he has the upper hand. He has to see me.”
“Absolutely not,” Luca snapped, crossing the room to stand in front of me, his physical presence overwhelming. “I am not putting you in the crossfire.”
“I’ll wear a bulletproof vest. I’ll stand exactly where you tell me to stand,” I argued, looking directly into his furious dark eyes. “If he doesn't show his face, this war continues. He’ll keep coming after Emma. He’ll keep threatening my friends. I can't live like that, Luca. I need this to end tonight.”
Luca stared at me, the conflict raging visibly across his face. The protective instinct was warring with his tactical genius. He knew I was right, but the thought of putting me in danger was tearing him apart.
He slowly reached up, his hand cupping my cheek. His thumb brushed over my cheekbone.
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“If a single bullet comes within ten feet of you, Ava,” Luca whispered, his voice thick with emotion, “I will burn the entire Seattle waterfront to ashes.”
“I trust you,” I whispered back. And God help me, I meant it.
