The convoy moved in silence. Three black vehicles cut through the narrow road, their headlights slicing through the darkness as they sped toward the coast. No one spoke.
Inside the lead car, Luca sat still, his gaze fixed ahead. The softness he carried in the villa was gone, stripped away completely. What remained was something colder. Sharper. Built for nights like this.
Beside him, Marco leaned back, one arm resting lazily against the door, though his eyes were anything but relaxed. They flickered occasionally toward Luca, studying him.
The cars slowed as the scent of salt filled the air.
The sea stretched endlessly ahead, dark and restless beneath the night sky. Nestled not too far from the shoreline stood the hideout. A low, isolated cabin surrounded by sparse vegetation and silence.
The vehicles came to a stop. The doors opened almost in unison.
The men stepped out, armed to the teeth, their movements precise and alert.
Luca was the last to exit the lead car. The moment his boots touched the ground, he studied the atmosphere. His gaze swept the area once.
And immediately he knew something was wrong.
The air felt… charged.
He started forward without a word, the others falling into formation behind him.
As they approached the cabin, the signs became clearer. There were broken glass everywhere, disturbed earth, the faint metallic scent of blood hanging in the air.
There had been a struggle here, no, a shootout.
Luca's expression hardened further. He lifted a hand slightly, signaling.
"Two entrances," he said quietly. "Split."
The men moved instantly, dividing into two groups.
"Stay sharp," Luca added.
The men raised their guns, safety clicks echoed softly.
Marco smirked faintly as he adjusted his weapon.
"Well," he muttered under his breath, "this just got interesting."
He followed the second group. Luca led the first.
They reached the entrance.
Then, stepped inside, the scene was chaos.
Bodies lay scattered across the floor. Some slumped against walls, others sprawled across broken furniture. Blood stained the wooden floorboards in dark patches.
Luca's jaw tightened.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath in Italian.
This wasn't a deal anymore, it looked like a setup.
"Search everything," he ordered sharply. "No one leaves anything unchecked."
The men moved immediately, spreading out across the cabin.
They opened drawers, flung doors wide, their footsteps echoed.
Meanwhile, Marco stood off to the side, watching.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. Amused.
But as the search grew more thorough, more intense, something in his expression changed, the smile faded. His posture stiffened slightly.
His eyes darted around quick, almost unnoticeable.
But Luca noticed.
Without a word, Luca moved deeper into the cabin.
Opening door after door, checking room after room. Until he reached one near the back. Close to what looked like an engine house.
He was about to step in when he looked up and Marco was already there. Standing.
"This side is mine," Marco said smoothly. "I'll handle it."
Luca didn't respond immediately. He just looked at him. Studied him.
Something in Marco's stance screams too controlled. Too deliberate.
"I'll take it," Luca said instead, flat and final.
For a split second, something dark flashed across Marco's face, something raw and unfiltered.
But just as quickly, it disappeared. He stepped aside.
"Be my guest."
Luca didn't waste another second. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. The smell hit him immediately. Engine oil and Gasoline was thick in the air.
The space was dim, cluttered with machinery and tools.
He moved forward slowly, every sense alert.
Then he heard a faint sound. Something like a shuffle.
Luca froze.
He listened. There it was again. He turned slightly, following the direction. Step by step. He walked carefully and controlled.
His hand tightened around his gun.
Carefully, carefully... then he found it.
A hidden door. Barely noticeable against the wall.
His eyes narrowed and without hesitation, he flung it open. Almost immediately a gunshot rang out instantly.
Luca dropped to the ground in a swift motion, the bullet grazing past where his head had been a second before.
Two masked men burst forward in that instant, fast and desperate. One clutched a briefcase tightly to his chest.
They ran out.
Luca rolled, pushing himself up immediately.
"Stop!" he barked, but they were already gone.
He cursed under his breath, scanning quickly. Nothing, no clear sight of them.
Then he caught a glimpse of a movement outside.
He looked out into the darkness and saw the one with the briefcase running toward the cars.
Luca didn't hesitate, he took off after him.
The distance between them closed quickly. The man stumbled slightly and just then, Luca raised his gun, aimed and fired.
The shot rang through the night. The man dropped with a groan, hitting the ground hard. The briefcase slipped from his grip. Luca reached him within seconds.
Grabbed him, dragged him slightly before driving a hard punch into his face.
The man cried out, collapsing flat on his back.
"Who sent you?" Luca demanded, his voice cold as steel.
The man said nothing.
Just breathed heavily, pain twisting his features.
Luca crouched slightly, his eyes narrowing.
"Last chance."
Silence, the man kept mute.
Without hesitation, Luca pulled the trigger. The shot echoed and the man went still immediately.
No emotion crossed Luca's face. He picked up the briefcase, turned and walked back toward the cabin.
Inside, voices were already rising, tension building.
The moment Luca stepped back into the cabin, the rising noise died instantly. All eyes turned to him, then to the briefcase in his hand.
To the cold, unreadable expression on his face.
"Listen carefully," he said, his voice cutting clean through the room. "Someone was bold enough to interfere with our operation tonight."
A pause.
His gaze moved across each of them, slow and deliberate.
"They didn't just interfere," he continued. "They butchered Morello's men."
The weight of that settled heavily. A few men exchanged tense glances.
"This wasn't random," Luca added quietly. "And I will find out who thought they could do this."
Just then, one of the men burst in, breathing hard.
"Boss" he said, trying to steady himself. "I chased the other one… he, he jumped into the sea."
Silence followed.
Marco, who had been watching from the side, stiffened slightly at the report.
Then just as quickly, something in his expression eased. A faint smirk returned.
Just then, Luca turned slightly, pulling out his phone, he placed it on his ear and spoke.
"Get a message across to Don Dante Morello," he instructed, his tone calm but firm. "Tell him what happened here. His men are dead. Killed by unknown parties."
A brief pause.
"And tell him," Luca added, his voice dropping just enough to carry weight, "that I will find whoever is responsible… and make them pay."
Then he slide his phone back into his pocket.
"Move," he said.
Within seconds, the room emptied. Boots against wood. Weapons secured.
They matched back to the cars and before long, engines were roaring to life. They zoomed off, leaving the cabin behind.
—
By the time they reached the villa, the night had deepened. It was well past midnight.
The estate was quiet again.
The cars rolled to a stop, and the men stepped out, their energy still sharp despite the hour.
Luca exited last. He looked dangerously focused.
He turned to one of his men and spoke low enough that only he could hear.
"Take it," he said, handing over the briefcase.
The man nodded immediately and walked off without question.
Luca didn't watch him go. He had already turned toward the villa.
Marco lingered behind for a moment, his gaze locking onto Luca's retreating back.
There was no attempt to hide the hatred in his eyes this time.
Then he scoffed under his breath and turned sharply, heading in the opposite direction.
Two men followed him into his suite.
—
Inside, Luca stepped into the sitting room of his chamber.
He stilled as he noticed the lights in the bedroom were still on. His gaze flickered toward the partially open door. A thought crossed his mind.
She's awake.
He moved quietly. Carefully. When he reached the doorway, he stopped. Chiara was there.
Asleep.
Curled slightly in the chair, a book resting loosely in her lap, her head tilted at an uncomfortable angle against her shoulder.
She must have been waiting.
For him.
Something in his chest tightened. He stood there for a few seconds, just watching her. Then he stepped inside.
Gently, he bent down and lifted her into his arms.
She stirred slightly but didn't wake, her body instinctively relaxing against him.
Careful not to wake her, he carried her to the bed and laid her down. He pulled the covers over her.
Chiara shifted again, snuggling deeper into the sheets with a soft exhale. Unaware, at peace.
A faint smile touched Luca's lips.
For a moment, he just looked at her.
Then, before he could stop himself, he leaned down and pressed a light kiss to her forehead.
It lingered for just a second. Then he straightened and stepped away.
—
The bathroom filled with the sound of running water.
Luca stood under the shower, letting the cold stream hit him, run down his face, his shoulders, his chest.
He didn't move much, just stood there, thinking.
Replaying everything that happened at the cabin.
The bodies. The masked men. Marco.
The smirk he had seen on his face when he heard that the other masked man had escaped.
His jaw tightened slightly. Something didn't add up.
And Luca didn't believe in coincidences.
Not in his world.
After a long while, he turned the water off, dried himself and got dressed for bed.
—
The room was quiet when he returned. Chiara hadn't moved much. She was still asleep. Still peaceful.
Luca slid into bed beside her, lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. His mind still in turmoil.
But then, there's a soft movement. Chiara shifted closer.
Until she was pressed gently against him, her head resting near his shoulder. Unconscious and trusting.
Luca's breath hitched slightly. He turned his head to look at her.
Her face was calm, untroubled.
Nothing like the world he had just stepped out of.
Slowly, carefully, he lifted his arm and wrapped it around her, pulling her just a little closer.
His hand rested lightly against her. Protective.
He exhaled, and for the first time that night, the tension eased.
Just a little.
His eyes closed, and within minutes, his breathing evened out.
He fell into a deep but not entirely peaceful sleep.
_
Luca was awakened by the sound of Emilio's voice, followed by a soft knock.
"Boss, someone is here to see you."