LUCA 6
The sun had long since set, casting the city of Palermo in a shroud of darkness. From his office in the penthouse, Luca watched the city lights twinkle like distant stars, his mind far from the paperwork strewn across his desk. The meeting earlier that day had left him frustrated and tense—petty disputes and power plays that required his attention but never his interest. He’d stayed behind, choosing to handle the mundane details of his empire himself rather than delegating. It was his way of maintaining control, of ensuring that every aspect of his world bent to his will.
But something felt off tonight. A nagging sense of unease clawed at the edges of his mind, distracting him from the reports and figures in front of him. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but the feeling wouldn’t leave him.
Luca pushed back from his desk, his fingers drumming rhythmically against the polished wood. He had checked on Phoenix before the meeting, watching her for a moment through the security feed in her room. She had seemed calm then, her gaze distant as she stared out the window. But now... something didn’t feel right.
With a frown, Luca reached for his phone, dialling the number for the security team stationed outside her suite. The line rang once, twice—then silence.
His jaw tightened. There was always an immediate answer. Always.
He ended the call, his mind racing. Something was wrong. Without another moment of hesitation, he strode out of his office, the tension in his body coiling tighter with every step.
The hallway leading to Phoenix’s suite was empty, the silence thick and oppressive. Luca’s heart pounded in his chest, a dark, furious beat that seemed to echo through the penthouse. He rounded the corner, his eyes locking onto the door to her room.
It was ajar.
The sight of it stopped him in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat. The door was never left open. Never. His men were meticulous, his orders clear. Phoenix was to be watched at all times, guarded and protected. No one was to leave her unattended.
Something cold and sharp twisted in Luca’s gut as he stepped forward, pushing the door open fully. The room was empty, the lights dimmed. The bed was neatly made, the air still, but there was no sign of her. His Phoenix. Gone.
The world seemed to tilt, his vision narrowing as his mind struggled to process what he was seeing. She couldn’t be gone. She wouldn’t dare.
But she was. She was gone, and the realization hit him like a punch to the chest.
“Phoenix?” Luca’s voice was a low, dangerous growl, the sound reverberating through the empty room. No answer. He took a step inside, his eyes scanning the room, searching for any sign of her. Panic—a feeling he hadn’t experienced in years—gripped him, tightening around his heart like a vise.
His hand shot to his phone, dialling Miguel’s number with a furious swipe of his thumb. The line barely had time to connect before he spoke, his voice like ice.
“Where is she?”
There was a pause on the other end, then Miguel’s voice, wary and confused. “Boss, what are you—”
“Phoenix!” Luca snarled, his hand clenching around the phone so tightly he thought it might shatter. “She’s gone. Where the fuck is she?”
The silence that followed was deafening, and Luca’s fury burned hotter, consuming every rational thought. He could hear the sudden chaos on Miguel’s end, the sound of men shouting, scrambling to check the feeds, to find out where she had gone.
“She was supposed to be guarded!” Luca roared, his voice echoing off the walls. “How did this happen?”
“Luca,” Miguel’s voice was tense now, his words rushed. “We’re checking the cameras. She was last seen leaving her suite an hour ago. Gabriel was handling security detail on this floor, but... Fuck, I don’t know how she slipped through.”
Luca’s blood ran cold. Gabriel. One of his most trusted men. His friend. And he had failed to keep Phoenix safe. Fury and betrayal roiled in his chest, threatening to spill over.
“Find her,” Luca hissed, his voice low and deadly. “I don’t care what it takes. I want every man we have searching the city. Now.”
He ended the call, his heart pounding with a mix of rage and fear. Phoenix was out there, somewhere, alone and vulnerable. She didn’t understand the danger she was in, didn’t know the kind of men who would hunt her down just to get to him.
But she would learn. And so would they.
Luca turned on his heel, storming out of the room, his mind a blur of violent thoughts. He had given Phoenix everything—in his own way. And she had thrown it all away. She had run from him, defied him.
She was his. And no one, not even Phoenix herself, would take her away from him.
Luca’s steps echoed through the penthouse as he made his way back to his office, the fury building inside him like a tidal wave. He slammed the door behind him, his hands trembling with rage as he grabbed the edge of his desk, his knuckles white.
How dare she. How fucking dare she.
The thought of Phoenix out there, running from him, sent a cold, murderous rage coursing through his veins. He had been careful, so careful to protect her, to keep her safe from the dangers that lurked around every corner of his world. And this was how she repaid him? By slipping away like a thief in the night?
His phone buzzed on the desk, the screen lighting up with a message from Gabriel. Luca grabbed it, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached as he read the words.
No sign of her at the club or the safe house. We’re expanding the search.
Luca’s breath came in sharp, ragged bursts, his vision blurring with fury. His men were searching, but it wasn’t enough. He needed to find her, to feel her under his hands again, to remind her who she belonged to. His mind raced with images of what he would do when he had her back, how he would punish her for daring to leave him, for making him feel this... panic, this fear.
He had been foolish. He had let his guard down, let her get too close. And now she had run, but he would find her. He would bring her back. And he would make sure she never even thought about leaving again.
He had let this happen. He had been too lenient, too trusting. But that was over. He would find her. He would bring her back.
And then she would understand. She would know what it meant to belong to Luca Tempo.
Minutes felt like hours as Luca paced the length of his office, his thoughts consumed by images of Phoenix—terrified, alone, running through the dark streets of Palermo. His stomach twisted with a sickening mix of fear and anger, the emotions tearing at him, ripping him apart.
He should have been there. He should have known.
His phone buzzed again, and Luca snatched it up, his heart pounding. Another message from Miguel.
We have a lead. She was seen near the old port.
Luca’s breath hitched, his mind racing. The port. It was a labyrinth of abandoned warehouses and shipping containers, a maze that could swallow a person whole. She could be anywhere, hiding, desperate, afraid.
But she was still in the city. She hadn’t escaped him yet.
His heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing with a thousand different thoughts, each one darker and more desperate than the last. She was out there, somewhere, alone and vulnerable, and the thought of her running from him, slipping through his fingers, was driving him to the brink of madness.
How had this happened? How had she escaped? His security was supposed to be airtight. His men were trained, vigilant, always on alert. But she had found a way to slip past them, to disappear into the night, and the realization of her betrayal burned in his chest like a hot coal.
He had been too soft. Too trusting. He had let her get too close, had allowed himself to believe that she would stay, that she would accept her place at his side. But Phoenix was a fighter, a survivor. She had defied him before, and now she was doing it again, and the fury that surged through him was like nothing he had ever felt before.
Luca’s phone buzzed on the seat beside him, the screen lighting up with another message from Miguel. He snatched it up, his eyes darting over the words.
We’ve got eyes on her. She’s near the old docks, heading toward the warehouses.
Luca’s heart surged with a mix of relief and rage. She was still close. Still within reach.