Chapter 19 - The Missing Piece
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The gala ended just past midnight. We returned to the penthouse, exhausted but happy. I checked on Emma, who was fast asleep in her room, before walking into the master suite.
Luca was standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out at the city lights. He had discarded his tuxedo jacket and unbuttoned his collar, but the relaxed posture he had maintained all night was completely gone.
His shoulders were tense, locked into rigid lines of coiled steel.
“Luca?” I asked softly, walking up behind him and wrapping my arms around his waist. “What’s wrong? The gala was perfect.”
He let out a long, heavy sigh, placing his large hands over mine.
“It was,” he agreed, though his voice sounded distant and troubled. “But while we were dancing, Vincenzo brought me an update from our intelligence network in Chicago.”
My stomach tightened. Vincenzo was one of Luca’s top lieutenants. “About what?”
Luca turned around, his dark eyes shadowed with a grim, dangerous reality.
“Jake Martinez was a fool,” Luca explained quietly. “But he wasn't smart enough to steal three million dollars in bearer bonds on his own. We knew he had Russian backing in Seattle, but we underestimated who those Russians were answering to.”
“Who are they answering to?” I asked, fear creeping back into my chest.
“The Volkov Syndicate in Chicago,” Luca said, his jaw clenching. “The men we killed at the shipping yards were just scouts. Victor Volkov, the head of the Chicago mob, bankrolled Jake’s theft to test the strength of the Castellano family. He wanted to see if I was weak.”
“And you showed him you weren't,” I reasoned, trying to stay calm. “You stopped them.”
“I killed his men, Ava,” Luca corrected grimly. “In the mafia world, that is not a victory. That is a declaration of war. Volkov is furious that he lost the bonds, his scouts, and his leverage.”
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I stared at him, the beautiful illusion of our new life cracking slightly around the edges. “So… it’s not over.”
“In this life, it is never truly over,” Luca whispered, reaching out to gently cup my face. “I promised to protect you, Ava. And I will. But the shadows are getting longer.”
