Chapter 4
The Ambush
The heavy wooden door swung open, and Luca and his men stepped out onto the porch, the blistering sun assaulting him the moment he crossed the threshold. He adjusted his cuffs, his fingers brushing against the blade still hidden at his wrist.
The meeting with Castillo had gone as expected; calculated, tense, but ultimately fruitful. If all went according to plan, the Moretti, De Luca, Rossi and Castillo families would soon control more than just their respective territories. They’d control an empire.
Luca exhaled slowly, taking in the ranch once more, its sprawling land a stark contrast to the urban jungle he was used to. The air smelled of dry earth, sunbaked wood, and distant horses. The guards stationed along the perimeter were at ease, their postures relaxed in the heat. To anyone else, it was just another quiet afternoon in the middle of nowhere.
But then Luca saw it; a flicker of movement where there shouldn’t have been one. A shadow shifting beyond the tree line, the glint of sunlight reflecting off something unmistakable.
A rifle scope.
Everything clicked at once.
The air cracked with the first gunshot, and instinct took over. Luca dove sideways as the bullet slammed into the wooden post where he had been standing just a second ago. Splinters exploded into the air, stinging his cheek as he hit the ground hard. The guards reacted immediately, shouting, scrambling, drawing their weapons as the ranch erupted into chaos.
From beyond the fence, black-clad figures emerged like ghosts from the tree line, their movements swift and precise. DEA tactical teams. Bulletproof vests. Military-grade weapons. It was a raid, and it was already in motion.
Luca rolled onto his feet, cursing under his breath. He had walked straight into a trap.
Inside the house, Castillo’s men were already barking orders, scrambling for cover. Another round of gunfire erupted, the deafening cracks of assault rifles tearing through the air. Luca didn’t need to turn back to know that Miguel would be handling his own escape. He was on his own.
A guard to his left dropped, a bullet ripping through his shoulder. Blood sprayed across the porch as he collapsed with a guttural groan. Another man ducked behind a stone pillar, returning fire, the sharp bursts of an automatic rifle echoing across the ranch. The dust from the driveway kicked up in violent plumes as more bullets tore through the space where Luca had just been standing.
Luca’s mind raced. He needed cover, needed a way out. His car was too exposed, sitting in the open like a beacon for incoming fire. The stables. That was his best chance. He sprinted toward them, zigzagging through the chaos as bullets whizzed past. A truck nearby exploded in a fiery burst, the force of the blast throwing heat against his back as he stumbled forward.
He reached the side of the stable, pressing himself against the rough wooden wall, his breath sharp and measured. The air was thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder and the distant shouts of men scrambling for cover. His fingers curled around the grip of his pistol, still holstered at his side, but his mind was racing faster than his hands could move. The DEA wasn’t here for a warning shot; they were here to take them down. And they’d brought an army.
A voice rang through the chaos, cutting through the noise like a blade. “DEA! Get down on the ground!”
Luca froze. His heart, already pounding, seemed to stop altogether. That voice . He knew it instantly, even after all these years. It was deeper now, rougher around the edges, but there was no mistaking it.
Caleb
The name hit him like a punch to the gut, knocking the air from his lungs. Caleb. Here. Now. Of all the people in the world, of all the agents the DEA could have sent, it had to be him. Luca’s mind flashed back to a rooftop in Brooklyn, to a summer that felt like a lifetime ago. Caleb’s laugh, his smile, the way his hands had felt on Luca’s skin. And then, just as quickly, the memory shattered, replaced by the cold, hard reality of the moment.
Caleb’s voice echoed again, sharp and commanding. “I won’t ask twice! On the ground!”
Luca’s jaw tightened, his fingers twitching against the grip of his pistol. He didn’t turn, didn’t move. He could feel Caleb’s presence behind him, the weight of his gaze like a physical thing. But Caleb didn’t know. He couldn’t. To him, Luca was just another cartel man, another faceless criminal in the crosshairs. The thought burned in Luca’s chest, a mix of relief and something darker, something he didn’t want to name.
“Hands where I can see them!” Caleb barked, his voice closer now, footsteps crunching on the gravel.
Luca’s mind raced. He could fight. He could run. But either option would mean facing Caleb, and he wasn’t ready for that. Not like this. Not with guns drawn and the past hanging heavy between them. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, and slowly raised his hands, his back still turned.
“Turn around,” Caleb ordered, his voice cold and clipped. “Slowly.”
Luca hesitated, his heart pounding in his chest. For a moment, he considered bolting, disappearing into the shadows before Caleb could see his face. But he knew it was too late. The moment he turned, there would be no going back. He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to move, to face the man he’d spent years trying to forget.
He turned, his hands still raised, his green eyes locking onto Caleb’s. For a moment, time seemed to stop. Caleb’s face, hard and unreadable under the brim of his helmet, faltered. His blue eyes widened, the cold determination in them flickering as recognition dawned.
“Luca?”
???
Caleb’s heart pounded as he advanced, his weapon raised, boots kicking up dust as he moved through the chaos. The dry earth cracked beneath his steps, each movement sending up tiny clouds of dust that mixed with the lingering smoke from gunfire.
The air was thick with the acrid scent of spent bullets and sweat, a suffocating blend that clung to his skin. The gunfire was deafening, each shot a sharp crack that reverberated through his bones, the shouts of agents and cartel members alike merging into a discordant roar. The raid had gone exactly as planned; until now.
Through the swirling dust and panicked bodies, his eyes locked onto a figure, just beyond the porch.
“DEA! Get down on the ground!” Caleb’s voice was sharp, commanding, cutting through the gunfire and chaos like a blade. His stance was solid, feet planted firmly, his weapon locked onto its target.
He took another step forward, steadying his aim. His pulse was a hammer in his ears, his breathing controlled but taut with anticipation.
“Turn around,” Caleb ordered, his voice cold and clipped. “Slowly.”
The man hesitated, his hands slowly rising. Caleb’s finger hovered over the trigger; his eyes locked on the figure. And then the man turned.
Time stopped.
Caleb’s breath caught in his throat, his heart slamming against his ribs. The face staring back at him was one he hadn’t seen in years, but he’d recognize it anywhere. Those sharp green eyes, the messy black hair, the faint scar above his eyebrow; Luca. Luca Moretti.
“Luca?” The name slipped out before Caleb could stop it, his voice barely a whisper. He felt like the ground had been ripped out from under him, his mind reeling.
What the hell was Luca doing here? With Castillo? With the cartel?
The questions came too fast, too many to process, and all he could do was stare, his weapon still raised but his focus slipping.
Luca didn’t say anything. He just stood there, his hands raised, his expression unreadable. But his eyes, those damn eyes, held a storm of emotions Caleb couldn’t begin to untangle. Anger, regret, something that looked a lot like pain. For a moment, neither of them moved. The noise of the raid faded into the background, the world narrowing to just the two of them.
And then Luca moved.
It was fast, almost too fast for Caleb to react. One second, Luca was standing there, his hands in the air, and the next, he was bolting, sprinting toward the tree line like a man possessed. Caleb cursed, snapping out of his daze. “Luca!” he shouted, his voice raw with frustration. He took off after him, his boots pounding against the ground.
The woods were dense, the sunlight barely breaking through the canopy. Caleb’s breath came in sharp bursts as he pushed through the underbrush, his eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of Luca. He could hear him ahead, the snap of twigs and rustle of leaves giving away his position.
Caleb’s mind raced as he ran, the shock of seeing Luca still burning in his chest. How was this possible? How had Luca ended up here, in the middle of a cartel deal?
“Luca, stop!” Caleb shouted, his voice cutting through the night. But Luca didn’t stop. If anything, he seemed to run faster, his figure darting between the trees like a ghost. Caleb cursed again, pushing himself harder. He couldn’t let him get away.