Chapter 10
Trust is a Loaded Gun
Caleb stayed seated, his body rigid, his gaze locked onto the man across the room, the phone still clutched loosely in his hand after the call with Sarah. His mind was racing, replaying every moment of the last few days; the ambush, the capture, the torture. But most of all, he couldn’t stop thinking about Luca.
Caleb studied him, the sharp angles of his face softened by exhaustion, the faint bruising along his jaw from where their captors had struck him. Luca looked vulnerable like this, a far cry from the sharp-tongued, defiant man who had taunted their torturers just hours ago.
And that was the thing Caleb couldn’t shake. Luca had taunted them. Deliberately. When that monster had come back for round three, Luca had drawn the attention away from Caleb. He’d provoked the man, knowing exactly what it would cost him. Knowing it would mean pain, and suffering. And he’d done it anyway. For Caleb.
Why?
The question gnawed at him, relentless and unanswerable.
Why would Luca do that? Why would he care what happened to Caleb?
They weren’t allies. They weren’t even friends. Not anymore. Not for a long time. And yet, Luca had protected him. Not with words, not with some grand declaration, but with actions. Actions that spoke louder than anything Luca could have said.
Caleb’s chest tightened as he thought about it. Luca had always been like that; reckless, self-sacrificing, infuriatingly loyal. Even back then, even when Caleb had walked away, Luca had never stopped looking out for him. He was a DEA employee who lived in Brooklyn, and still, no one had ever touched him. Even though Caleb pretended, he knew that it was Luca’s doing. And Caleb had… what ? Abandoned him. Left him behind without a second thought.
He clenched his fists, the memory of that decision still sharp after all these years. He didn’t regret leaving; not exactly. He’d had to get out of that life, away from the violence and the bloodshed that seemed to follow people like the Morettis. He’d wanted something better, something more. A chance to make a difference, to be someone who mattered. And he’d done that. He’d built a life, a career, a purpose.
But in doing so, he’d hurt Luca. The one person who had loved him unconditionally, who had stood by him no matter what. The one person who had never asked for anything in return. And Caleb had walked away from that. He’d broken his promise; the promise he’d made all those years ago, when they were young and stupid and thought they could take on the world together.
I’ll never leave you, amati. No matter what.
But he had. And now, sitting here in this dim, filthy room, with Luca handcuffed and battered in front of him, Caleb couldn’t help but wonder if he’d made the wrong choice. Not about leaving, he still believed he’d had to do that, but about how he’d done it. About the way he’d cut Luca out of his life so completely, so coldly, as if their history meant nothing. As if Luca meant nothing.
But Luca had never treated him that way. Even now, after everything, he was still protecting him. Still putting himself in harm’s way for Caleb’s sake. And Caleb didn’t know how to process that. Didn’t know how to reconcile the man in front of him with the man he’d convinced himself Luca was; a criminal, a killer, someone who belonged to a world Caleb had left behind.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and let out a slow, shaky breath. The weight of it all was crushing him; the guilt, the regret, the fear of what was coming next. And underneath it all, the undeniable truth that Luca had been right about one thing: Caleb had abandoned him. And no matter how much he tried to justify it, no matter how much he told himself it had been the right thing to do, he couldn’t escape the fact that he’d hurt someone who had never deserved it.
Luca suddenly spoke up, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. “You know, if you stare any harder, I might start thinking you missed me.” His tone was smooth, almost teasing, but there was a challenge buried beneath it, a taunt meant to dig under Caleb’s skin.
Caleb’s jaw tightened, his hands gripping the edge of the chair so hard his knuckles turned white. “You think this is funny?” His voice was low, strained, like he was holding back a storm. “This isn’t a game, Luca.”
Luca shifted slightly, the metal cuffs clinking against each other as he stretched out his legs. The movement was casual, almost lazy, but his eyes never left Caleb’s. “No, it’s not. It’s actually hilarious watching you act like you’re still the good guy here.” His smirk faded, replaced with something colder, sharper. “You and your fucking moral high ground.”
Caleb leaned forward, his hands pressing into his knees, fingers digging in as if grounding himself. “You have no right to talk about morals. Not after everything you’ve done.”
Luca scoffed, the sound harsh and bitter. “Oh, here we go. The righteous agent, playing judge and jury.” He tilted his head, his green eyes glinting with something unreadable. “Tell me, Caleb, how’s that working out for you? Because from where I’m sitting, you’re not exactly winning.”
Caleb’s breath came out sharp, his chest tightening. “At least I tried to do something with my life, instead of throwing it away.”
Luca laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Tried?” He shook his head, his expression darkening. “You didn’t try, Caleb. You ran. You ran from me, from your life, from everything.” His voice hardened, bitter now, like the words had been festering inside him for years.
“And for what? So you could prove something to them? So you could play their golden boy?” His eyes narrowed, his words a slow, deliberate cut. “You think they ever saw you as one of them? Nah, Caleb. They saw you as just another Black kid from the hood trying too damn hard to be respectable, and rewarded you with crumbs. And you ate it up. You left me. You left us. For them.”
Caleb felt the words hit like a punch to the gut. His pulse pounded in his ears, his chest tightening with a mix of anger and something else, the same thoughts from before running through his mind, despite him trying to silence them. “You are wrong,” he still said stubbornly, his voice rough, almost desperate.
“Bullshit.” Luca’s eyes darkened, his voice dropping lower, colder. “You had a choice. You just didn’t want to admit that choosing me, choosing us, meant staying in the dirt. So you left, hoping they’d see you as different, better. But tell me, Caleb, did it work? Or are you still that same kid that they keep on a leash until they need someone to clean up their mess?”
Caleb’s breath hitched, his hands clenching into fists. “You think I wanted to leave? You think I didn’t...” He cut himself off, exhaling sharply, forcing himself to regain control. “Just... shut up.”
Luca’s gaze was steady, unwavering, but he said nothing more.
The silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating, filled with all the things they hadn’t said, all the things they couldn’t say. Caleb’s throat tightened, his chest aching with a pain he hadn’t felt in years. He wanted to say something, anything, but what was left to say?
That he regretted it? That he missed him? That, despite everything, he still wasn’t sure if he had ever really let Luca go?
Instead, he swallowed it down, forcing himself to stand. “We’re done talking.” His voice was rough, but firm, like he was trying to convince himself as much as Luca.
Luca looked up at him, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips. “Sure, Agent. Whatever you say.”
But they both knew this conversation was far from over. The tension between them was too thick, too raw, to be brushed aside. And as Caleb turned away, his back to Luca, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was losing something, something he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding onto.
???
The hours dragged on after their conversation, the tension in the room so thick it felt like the walls were closing in. Luca sat on the couch, his cuffed hands resting on his knees after he managed to bring them in front, which wasn’t an ease feat seeing as he was quite a large dude, and he was actually pretty surprised that he could bend like that.
He stared at the floor, his mind racing, his chest burning with a mix of anger and something he refused to name.
He hated this. Hated the way Caleb’s words had cut through him, hated the way he’d let his guard down, even for a second. He hated that, after all these years, Caleb still had the power to make him feel like that scared kid on the rooftop, begging him not to go.
But most of all, he hated himself; for caring, for letting it show, for still feeling anything at all.
Caleb had retreated to the other side of the room, his back to Luca, his shoulders stiff with tension. He hadn’t said a word since their argument not even when Luca was doing his bend and flip thing with the cuffs, and the silence was worse than the shouting. It gave Luca too much time to think, too much time to remember.
And he didn’t want to remember. He didn’t want to think about the way Caleb’s hands had felt on his skin, the way his laugh had sounded, the way he’d looked at Luca like he was the only thing that mattered. He didn’t want to think about any of it.
I’ll never leave you, amati. No matter what .
By the time night fell, Luca had had enough. He waited until Caleb’s breathing evened out, until the faint sound of snoring filled the room. Then, slowly, carefully, he shifted on the couch, testing the cuffs. They were tight, but not impossible. He’d gotten out of worse before. He just needed to be patient.
It took longer than he wanted, but eventually, he managed to twist his wrists just right, the metal biting into his skin as he worked the cuffs loose. He winced but didn’t stop, his movements slow and deliberate. When the cuffs finally clicked open, he froze, his eyes darting to Caleb. But the man didn’t stir, his head tilted back against the wall, his chest rising and falling steadily.
Luca stood, his muscles stiff from sitting for so long, and crept toward the door. He didn’t look back. He couldn’t. If he did, he might hesitate, and hesitation would cost him everything.
The door creaked as he opened it, the sound barely audible over the pounding of his heart. He slipped into the small hallway leading to the stairs and quickly ascended them, the cool air hitting his face as he stepped outside the shack. He didn’t have a plan, not really. He just knew he couldn’t stay here. Not with Caleb. Not like this.
But he’d only made it a few steps before he heard it; the unmistakable sound of footsteps behind him. He cursed under his breath and broke into a run, his heart racing as he darted into the road. The street was dark, the moonlight barely breaking through the clouds, but Luca didn’t need light to navigate. He’d spent years learning how to move in the shadows, how to disappear. He just needed to lose Caleb.
But Caleb wasn’t giving up that easily.
Luca heard him before he saw him, the sound of his boots pounding against the dirt, his breathing sharp and controlled. Luca pushed himself harder, his legs burning as he ran, but Caleb was gaining on him. And then, just as Luca thought he might actually make it, a hand grabbed his arm, yanking him back.
Luca spun, his fist flying before he even had time to think. It connected with Caleb’s jaw, the impact making him stumble back, but still, he didn’t let go. Instead, he lunged, tackling Luca to the ground. They hit the dirt hard, rolling through the street in a tangle of limbs and curses.
Luca fought like a man possessed, fueled by years of anger and resentment. His punches were sharp and wild, his body twisting violently as he struggled to break free. But Caleb was stronger, more controlled. He took the hits, absorbed the pain, and countered with brutal efficiency. His knee slammed into Luca’s ribs, knocking the air from his lungs. Luca gasped, but he didn’t stop. He refused to stop.
“You always have to be the hero,” Luca snarled, shoving against Caleb’s weight. “Always pretending like you’re better than me.”
Caleb gritted his teeth as he caught Luca’s wrist, twisting it behind his back. “And you always have to be the selfish bastard who thinks the world owes him something.”
Luca bucked against him; his breath ragged. “You left me,” he spat. “Ran off to play good little soldier because you were so desperate to be one of them. And what did it get you? Nothing.”
Caleb’s grip faltered for half a second, just a fraction, but it was enough. Luca surged up, his elbow crashing into Caleb’s ribs. Caleb hissed in pain, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he used the momentum to slam Luca back into the dirt, pinning him harder this time, his forearm pressing against Luca’s throat.
“You think I left because of them?” Caleb ground out, his voice low and seething. “I left because you wouldn’t stop, Luca. Because you were hell-bent on dragging yourself deeper into the mess your family created. And I couldn’t...” He cut himself off, jaw clenched tight. “I couldn’t watch you destroy yourself.”
Luca’s lips curled into a bitter smirk despite the pressure on his throat.
Caleb exhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring. “You’re a criminal,” he said, his voice colder now, more controlled. “That’s why you’re here. That’s why I can’t let you go.”
Luca’s smirk faltered for just a second before he recovered. “If that were true, you would’ve left me there. But you haven’t, have you?”
Caleb’s expression hardened. “I need answers. And you’re leverage. That’s all this is.”
Luca exhaled sharply, his head hitting the dirt as he stared up at Caleb, searching his face for something; weakness, regret, anything. But Caleb was as closed off as ever, his expression unreadable.
Eventually, Luca stopped struggling, his body going slack beneath Caleb’s grip. But his eyes never left his, and the look in them was enough to make Caleb’s stomach twist.
“You’re a traitor,” Luca muttered, his voice low and hoarse.
Caleb didn’t respond. He just hauled Luca to his feet, his grip unrelenting as he dragged him back to the safe house. He didn’t stop until they were inside, until he’d chained Luca to the pipe in the bathroom, the metal cuffs clinking as he secured them, before using rope to tie him up further.
Luca didn’t fight him this time. He just sat there, his back against the wall, his eyes cold and distant. But Caleb could see the anger simmering beneath the surface, the pain he was trying so hard to hide.
“Get some sleep,” Caleb said, his voice rough. “We’re not done.”
Luca didn’t respond. He just stared at the floor; his jaw clenched tight.
Caleb hesitated for a moment, his hand hovering near the doorframe. He wanted to say something, anything, but the words wouldn’t come. So he just turned and walked away, leaving Luca alone in the dimly lit bathroom.
But as he closed the door behind him, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d just made everything worse.
???
The morning light barely reached the basement of the safe house, the dim glow from a single bulb casting long shadows along the cold concrete walls. Caleb stood near the rusted metal door, his gun in hand, his expression unreadable as he looked down at Luca.
The man was slumped against the wall, his wrists raw from the cuffs, his face pale and drawn. He looked exhausted, but his eyes were sharp, filled with a mix of defiance and something darker, something Caleb didn’t want to name.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The silence was heavy, charged with the weight of everything that had happened the night before. Finally, Caleb stepped forward, his movements slow and deliberate as he knelt in front of Luca. He didn’t holster his gun, but he kept it pointed at the floor as he reached for the ropes. Once they fell, he hesitated for a second before taking the cuffs off as well.
Luca didn’t resist as Caleb unlocked them, his hands falling to his sides as the metal clattered to the floor. He rubbed at his wrists, his jaw clenched tight, but he didn’t say a word. Caleb stood, stepping back to give him space, his gun still in hand.
“Get up,” Caleb said, his voice low and firm. “You need to eat.”
Luca looked up at him, his green eyes narrowing. “What, no ‘ good morning ’? No ‘ how’d you sleep ’?” His voice was hoarse, but the sarcasm was still there, sharp as ever.
Caleb’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t rise to the bait. “Get up,” he repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Luca hesitated for a moment, his eyes searching Caleb’s face, before he finally pushed himself to his feet. He swayed slightly, his body stiff from sitting on the cold floor all night, but he steadied himself quickly, his expression hardening as he met Caleb’s gaze.
Caleb gestured toward the rickety table near the door with his gun, his movements careful and controlled. “Sit.”
Luca raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. He sat down, his movements stiff, his eyes never leaving Caleb’s face. Caleb kept his distance, his gun still in hand as he watched Luca carefully. He didn’t trust him, not after last night, but he also couldn’t just let him starve.
Luca picked up a piece of bread, tearing off a small piece and popping it into his mouth. He chewed slowly, his eyes never leaving Caleb’s. His eyes were heavy-lidded, dark with exhaustion, but there was a flicker of something else there too, something sharp, knowing. Like he could see right through Caleb, like he knew exactly what Caleb was thinking.
“You gonna sit there staring at me while I eat, Smith?” Luca’s voice was rough, edged with sarcasm, but there was a weariness to it that made Caleb’s chest ache.
Caleb looked away, his jaw tightening. “Just making sure you don’t try anything stupid. Again.”
Luca let out a low, humorless laugh. “Right. Because I’m in such great shape to pull off some grand escape after a night on that bathroom floor.” He shifted slightly, wincing as the movement pulled at his injuries.
His eyes, though, stayed locked on Caleb’s, sharp and unrelenting. “You know, Smith, for someone who’s so damn good at running away, you’re terrible at hiding how much you hate yourself for it.”
Caleb’s head snapped up, his eyes blazing. “I don’t hate myself,” he shot back, though the words sounded hollow even to him.
“Bullshit,” Luca said, his voice low and dangerous. He leaned forward as much as the handcuffs would allow, his gaze never leaving Caleb’s. “I can see it in your eyes. You’ve been carrying that guilt around for years, haven’t you? Like some kind of fucking penance. But guess what? It doesn’t change anything. You still left. You still walked away.”
Caleb stood abruptly, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. “You don’t get to talk to me about walking away,” he said, his voice trembling with barely contained anger. “You don’t get to act like you’re some kind of saint, Luca. You chose that life. You chose to stay in that world, and I didn’t. That’s on you, not me.”
Luca’s expression darkened, and he pushed himself to his feet, his movements stiff but deliberate. “You think I had a choice?” he spat, stepping closer to Caleb despite the cuffs. “You think I woke up one day and decided, ‘Hey, let’s be a criminal’? You don’t know shit about what my life was like after you left. You don’t know what I had to do to survive.”
Caleb took a step forward, closing the distance between them. “And whose fault is that?” he demanded, his voice rising. “You could’ve left too. You could’ve walked away, just like I did. But you didn’t. You stayed. You chose that life, Luca. Don’t try to pin that on me.”
Luca’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, he looked like he was about to say something cutting, something meant to hurt. But then his expression shifted, the anger giving way to something raw and vulnerable. “You really don’t get it, do you?” he said, his voice quieter now, almost broken. “I didn’t stay because I wanted to. I stayed because I didn’t have anyone left. You were the one person I trusted, the one person who was supposed to have my back. And you left me. You left me alone.”
Caleb froze, the words hitting him like a punch to the gut. He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. The anger drained out of him, replaced by something heavier, something he couldn’t name.
Luca took another step closer, his face inches from Caleb’s now. “You want to know why I protected you back there?” he said, his voice low and rough. “Why I took the heat for you? Because no matter how much I hate you for what you did, I still...” He broke off, his breath hitching, and for a moment, it looked like he was fighting to keep himself together.
Caleb’s heart was pounding, his chest tight with emotions he couldn’t untangle. He could feel the heat of Luca’s body, could see the way his hands clenched at his sides, the way his eyes burned with something that went beyond anger. Something that felt dangerously close to the past they’d both tried to bury.
“You still what?” Caleb asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Luca didn’t answer. Instead, he closed the last bit of distance between them, his forehead nearly touching Caleb’s. His breath was warm against Caleb’s skin, his presence overwhelming in a way that made Caleb’s head spin. For a moment, neither of them moved. The air between them was electric, charged with years of unspoken words and unresolved feelings.
Caleb’s hand twitched at his side, the urge to reach out and touch Luca almost unbearable. He could see the conflict in Luca’s eyes, the way they flicked down to his lips and back up again. It would be so easy to close the gap between them, to let the past and the present collide in a way that would make everything else fade away.
But just as Caleb started to lean in, a sound from upstairs shattered the moment. A loud thud, followed by the unmistakable creak of footsteps. Someone was in the house.
Caleb jerked back, his body going rigid. Luca’s eyes widened, and for a split second, they just stared at each other, the tension between them replaced by a different kind of urgency.
“Shit,” Caleb muttered, his grip tightening on his gun. He turned to Luca, his expression grim. “Stay quiet.”
Luca raised an eyebrow, his smirk returning. “What, you’re not going to invite them in for breakfast?”
Caleb ignored him, moving toward the basement door, his heart pounding as he listened. The door above creaked open, boots stomping on the wooden floor. Then, a sudden burst of gunfire shattered the silence. Bullets ripped through the floorboards, sending splinters and dust cascading into the basement.
Luca dove for cover behind an old workbench. Caleb cursed, pressing himself against the stone wall, his gun raised.
“Caleb!” Luca’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp and urgent. Caleb turned just in time to see the basement door burst open. A man in tactical gear rushed in, gun raised. Caleb fired first, his shot hitting the attacker’s chest. The man stumbled back, but two more stormed in after him.
Caleb barely had time to react before another man lunged at him. They crashed against the table, knocking it over. Caleb struggled, his grip tightening around the gun as the attacker tried to wrench it from his hands. He managed to twist out of the hold, delivering a sharp elbow to the man’s ribs before slamming his knee into his stomach. The man grunted in pain but didn’t go down.
A third attacker aimed his gun at Caleb. Before Caleb could react, a blur of movement cut across his vision. Luca moved fast, too fast. In one swift motion, he grabbed the man from behind, twisting his head sharply. A sickening crack echoed through the basement as the attacker crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Caleb, still locked in a struggle with his own opponent, barely had time to process it. With one final surge of strength, he shoved his attacker off and fired. The man fell, unmoving.
For a moment, the basement was silent except for their heavy breathing. The scent of gunpowder and blood thickened the air. Caleb’s heart pounded as he turned to Luca, who stood there, chest heaving, his hands still shaking from the kill.
“You...” Caleb started; his voice rough.
Luca wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “You’re welcome.”
Caleb exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face. He didn’t have time to deal with this right now. More would be coming. They had to move.
“We need to go,” Caleb said as he stalked closer, pausing for just a second before unlocking the cuffs. He ignored the look of surprise on Luca’s face as he shoved past him toward the escape hatch at the back of the basement.