12. Lucas
CHAPTER 12
Lucas
B lood pumps through my veins like a victory march, the roar of the crowd still ringing in my ears. The sting of sweat in my eyes is nothing compared to the adrenaline high from that knockout punch I landed just minutes ago. It's a heady feeling, a rush of invincibility that makes me feel like I could take on the world and win.
And there she is, Serafina—wild, those deep green eyes that always see right through me—standing ringside, a vision amidst the chaos. She's clapping, her lips curved in that proud, secretive smile, and something inside me snaps. For months, I've held back, kept my distance.
But not tonight. Tonight, I'm the champion, and I want my prize.
And when I see her in my locker room, I can no longer hold back.
"Lucas..." Her voice is half-lost in the cacophony, but it's all I hear.
"Será," I say, breathless, as I close the distance between us with a few strides. Her name rolls off my tongue, a mix of my Spanish heritage and her Italian allure—a blend as natural as us standing here.
Before I can second-guess myself, I pull her close, ignoring the stares of my team. My lips find hers in a kiss that's been months in the making, a kiss that speaks of every hidden glance, each touch communicating our unspoken desires, every moment I spent wanting her more than the air I breathe.
She tastes like triumph.
The cheers around us fade to nothing. It's just me and Serafina, and the way she responds, matching my urgency with her own, tells me she's felt this tension, too. She's fire and fight, and God, how I've wanted this.
Pulling away is a Herculean effort, but when I do, her flushed face and dazed eyes tell me everything I need to know. We've crossed a line we can't uncross.
"Che diavolo - what the hell?" she murmurs under her breath, but there's no anger there, only wonder.
"I know," I reply, breathing out a laugh, knowing full well I've just kissed a mafia princess. But as her fingers lace with mine, solid and real, all thoughts of danger disappear. Screw everything, the expectations, the shadow her family casts long and wide.
At this moment, I don't care.
I'm done playing it safe.
I watch as understanding dawns in her eyes as if she's reading my thoughts. She doesn't pull away, doesn't put distance between us. Instead, she squeezes my hand, a silent pledge that she's here for all of it—the chaos, the love, the life beyond what others have mapped out for us.
"What happens now, Lucas?" Her voice is soft, expectant.
My heart hammers against my ribcage, each beat spelling out the answer, an answer I've known since the first time I saw her. A future where I throw punches in the ring but fight even harder for us outside of it.
"Ahora," I say, thumb brushing her cheek, "ahora eres mía - now you're mine."
A smile quirks up the corner of her mouth, a challenge and a promise all rolled into one. She's fire and ice, chaos and peace in the curve of her lips.