LUCA 10
Luca’s car tore through the streets of Palermo, the tires screeching as they skidded around corners, the powerful engine roaring like a beast unleashed. His hands gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled intensity, his eyes burning with a cold, deadly focus. Every second that passed felt like an eternity, every breath was laced with fury.
He had been in the middle of a tense negotiation with one of his gun suppliers when the call came in. Miguel had told him only the barest of details—the Romero’s had attacked; Phoenix was in danger. That was all Luca needed to hear.
The Romero’s had crossed a line. A line they would never return from.
As the penthouse loomed in the distance, Luca’s jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. The thought of Phoenix in danger, of her being taken from him, ignited something primal inside him. She was his. His to protect. His to claim. And if anyone dared lay a hand on her, they would pay with their lives.
The car screeched to a halt outside the penthouse, the engine still rumbling as Luca leaped out. His men were already waiting, the surviving Romero attackers either captured or lying dead in the street. But none of it mattered to Luca. All that mattered was getting to Phoenix.
He stormed into the building, the weight of his fury like a physical force as his men scrambled to get out of his way. The hallway leading to the penthouse was littered with the aftermath of the fight—shattered glass, bullet holes, and the bodies of the men who had dared to challenge him. Luca barely registered any of it. His mind was fixed on one thing: Phoenix.
When he reached the door of the penthouse, it was already open, hanging off its hinges. Luca’s heart raced, his breath coming in ragged bursts as he stepped inside. The place was a war zone, furniture overturned, bloodstains marking the floor and walls. But it wasn’t the destruction that chilled him—it was the silence.
"Miguel!" Luca bellowed, his voice thundering through the apartment.
A moment later, Miguel appeared, his gun still in hand, his face grim. "Boss."
Luca’s eyes were wild as he stepped toward him. "Where is she?" he demanded, his voice filled with barely contained rage.
Miguel didn’t flinch, but the weight of the situation was clear in his eyes. "She’s safe, Luca. She fought, held her ground. But it was close—too close."
Luca’s heart pounded in his chest as he scanned the room, searching for Phoenix. His pulse slowed, just a fraction, when he spotted her in the far corner of the room, huddled on the couch, her body trembling but intact. Relief flooded through him, but it was fleeting—quickly replaced by the blinding fury that threatened to consume him.
Miguel approached him, his voice low. "There were more of them than we expected. They came for her, Luca."
Luca’s eyes narrowed, his expression hardening as his fists clenched at his sides. The Romero’s had made their intentions clear. They weren’t just trying to take his territory—they were trying to take Phoenix, to use her against him. And for that, there would be no mercy.
Without a word, Luca crossed the room to where Phoenix sat, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, her eyes wide and filled with a mixture of fear and relief when she saw him.
"Luca," she whispered, her voice trembling as she stood up.
The second she was within reach, Luca pulled her into his arms, holding her so tightly it was as if he feared she might disappear. Phoenix melted into him, her body still shaking from the adrenaline, but she clung to him just as fiercely.
"You’re okay," Luca muttered, his voice rough as he buried his face in her hair. "You’re safe now."
Phoenix nodded; her breath shaky as she pressed her face against his chest. "I—I thought they were going to take me," she whispered, her voice filled with the raw fear she had been holding back.
Luca’s jaw tightened, his grip on her tightening protectively. "I will kill anyone that tries to take you from me," he growled.
After holding her for a long moment, Luca pulls back just enough to look into Phoenix’s eyes. There is a raw, protective fire in his gaze—one that tells her just how far he would go to keep her safe. But beneath that fire was something more. Something darker. His anger wasn’t just about protection—it was about revenge.
"Where are they?" Luca asked, his voice low and dangerous as he turns to Miguel.
Miguel doesn’t hesitate. "Two of them are still alive. The rest... didn’t make it."
Luca’s lips curl into a cold, dangerous smile. "Good. Bring them to me."
Phoenix’s breath catches at the hardness in his voice. She can see it in his eyes—he is out for blood. The men who had attacked her, who had dared to invade his home, weren’t just going to die. Luca was going to make them suffer.
"Luca," Phoenix whispers, her voice trembling as she reaches for him. "Don’t—"
But Luca shakes his head, his gaze softening only for a moment as he cups her face in his hands. "This is the price they pay, Phoenix. No one touches what’s mine and gets away with it."
Phoenix swallows hard, her heart pounding. She understands that Luca lives by a different set of rules, that his world is built on violence and power. But the idea of him exacting revenge—of him going to such dark lengths—makes her stomach twist with unease.
Miguel returns moments later, dragging the two surviving Romero men into the room. They are bloodied, barely conscious, but alive. Luca’s eyes darken as he steps toward them, his fists clenched at his sides.
"You thought you could take what’s mine," Luca growls, his voice low and filled with menace. "You thought you could come into my home, put your hands on her, and walk away?"
One of the men groans, struggling to lift his head. "Please," he gasps, his voice weak. "We didn’t know—"
Luca’s fist connects with the man’s jaw before he can finish the sentence, the sickening crack of bone filling the room. The man’s head snaps back, blood spilling from his mouth as he slumps to the floor.
"I don’t care what you know," Luca snarls, standing over the man’s crumpled form. "You made your choice. Now you’ll pay for it."
Phoenix’s heart pounds in her chest as she watches Luca unleash his fury. She has seen him angry before, seen the dark, possessive side of him that rules over the Tempo empire. But this was different. This was pure, unbridled rage—an anger that would only be satisfied by blood.
Miguel stands by, watching silently, his expression unreadable. This was the way of their world. Violence begets violence, and the only way to maintain control was through fear. But Phoenix wasn’t a part of that world. She wasn’t used to this level of brutality, this raw display of power.
She wanted to stop him, wanted to pull him back from the edge. But deep down, she knew it wouldn’t work. Luca was too far gone. The Romero’s had crossed a line, and now they would pay the price for it.
Luca moves to the second man, who is cowering on the floor, his eyes wide with fear. "Please," the man whimpers. "We were just following orders—"
Luca’s boot connects with the man’s ribs, sending him sprawling across the floor with a grunt of pain. "You should have thought of that before you came after her," Luca growls.
He turns to Miguel, his expression cold and ruthless. "Finish them."
Miguel nods, stepping forward with his gun drawn. The two men don’t have time to react before the shots ring out, their bodies falling limp to the floor.
Phoenix flinches at the sound, her heart heavy as she watches the blood pool around the dead men. She knows this is Luca’s world, that this is the way things are done. But that doesn’t make it any easier to stomach.
Luca turns back to her, his expression softening as he reaches for her. "It’s over," he says, his voice low as he pulls her into his arms. "You’re safe now."
But Phoenix wasn’t sure if she would ever truly feel safe in a world where violence was the answer to everything. She wasn’t sure if she could reconcile the man, she was starting to care for with the brutal mafia boss who had just ordered two men’s deaths without hesitation.
The smell of blood still lingered in the air, sharp and metallic, as Phoenix sat curled up on the edge of the couch. Her body was stiff, her mind reeling from everything she had just witnessed. The violent clash of life and death, the raw brutality of Luca’s world, had shaken her to her core. She had known, in the back of her mind, that the life Luca lived was dangerous, but knowing it and seeing it were two entirely different things.
Her heart was still racing, her pulse thudding in her ears as her mind replayed the scene over and over. The way Luca had unleashed his fury, the way he had commanded the deaths of the men who had attacked them—it was as if she had seen a part of him, she didn’t want to acknowledge. A part of him that terrified her.
But what terrified her even more was the realization that, despite everything, she still wanted to be close to him.
Luca stood by the window, his back to her, staring out at the city as the weight of his actions settled over the room like a heavy fog. His posture was rigid, his shoulders tense, as if he too was processing the violence that had unfolded. But unlike Phoenix, Luca didn’t seem shaken by it. It was as if this was just another day in his life—another day of power, blood, and control.
Phoenix swallowed hard, her throat tight as she tries to make sense of her swirling emotions. How can she care for someone who is capable of such cruelty? How can she feel drawn to him, even after watching him so ruthlessly take lives?
Her mind is a whirlwind of fear, anger, and something else—something darker and more complicated. She knows she should be horrified. She should be running as far away from Luca and his dangerous world as possible. But the truth is, part of her doesn’t want to leave. Part of her wants to stay, to understand this man who has so thoroughly claimed her heart, despite everything.
"Luca," she whispers, her voice trembling slightly.
He turns slowly, his piercing blue eyes locking onto hers. For a moment, the intensity of his gaze takes her breath away, the raw power in his presence making her pulse quicken. But there is something else in his eyes now, something that softened the sharp edges of his usual demeanour. He doesn’t look like the ruthless mafia boss in that moment—he looks like a man who had just gone to war to protect what mattered most to him.
"Are you okay?" he asks, his voice low, rough around the edges.
Phoenix nods slowly, though she wasn’t entirely sure if she was telling the truth. "I’m... I’m fine," she says quietly, her hands still trembling in her lap.
But Luca isn’t convinced. He steps closer, his movements slow and deliberate, as though he were afraid of scaring her off. He sits down beside her on the couch, his large frame dwarfing her, but his touch is surprisingly gentle as he reaches for her hand.
"You don’t have to be fine," he says softly, his voice a rare mixture of concern and vulnerability. "I know this isn’t easy for you."
Phoenix’s heart clenches at his words. She had expected him to brush off her feelings; to tell her this was just the way things were in his world. But instead, he is acknowledging her fear, her discomfort. It was a side of Luca she hadn’t seen before—a side that made her feel even more conflicted.
"I..." Phoenix swallows hard, her eyes filling with tears as she tries to find the right words. "I didn’t expect it to be like this. I didn’t realize how... how dark your world is."
Luca’s expression tightens, but he doesn’t look away. He knew exactly what she meant. "I tried to keep you out of it," he said quietly, his thumb brushing gently over the back of her hand. "But in my world, there’s no escaping the darkness. It’s always there."
Phoenix nods, her breath shaky. She knew that, deep down, but hearing him say it made it all the more real. There is no escaping the violence, the danger. Not if she stays with him.
"But I don’t want you to be afraid of me," Luca continues, his voice dropping to a low, almost pleading tone. "I would never hurt you, Phoenix. Never."
Phoenix looks up at him, her heart twisting in her chest. She wants to believe him—needs to believe him. And part of her did. Luca had been nothing but protective of her, fiercely so. But the other part of her—the part that had watched him kill without hesitation—wasn’t sure if she could ever fully trust him.
"You’re not afraid of me, are you?" Luca asks, his eyes searching hers, his voice soft but filled with an undercurrent of tension.
Phoenix bits her lip, her heart pounding in her chest. She wants to say no, wants to tell him that she isn’t afraid of him. But that would be a lie. The truth was, she was afraid. Not of Luca himself, but of the power he held, the darkness that clung to him like a shadow. She was afraid of what being with him meant for her future—what it meant for her soul.
"I don’t know," she whispers, her voice barely audible.
Luca’s hand tightens slightly around hers, his jaw clenching as he processes her words. He doesn’t pull away, but the tension in his body is palpable. "You don’t know?"
Phoenix shakes her head, her eyes filling with tears as the weight of her emotions crash over her. "I don’t know how to feel, Luca. I care about you, but... I’m scared. I’m scared of this world you live in. I’m scared of what it does to you."
Luca’s expression softens, the hardness in his eyes giving way to something more vulnerable. He reached up, gently brushing a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "I don’t want you to be afraid," he says quietly, his voice filled with a rare honesty. "But I can’t change who I am. This is the life I was born into. The life I’ve built."
Phoenix swallows hard, her heart aching as she looks into his eyes. She knew that he couldn’t change, not really. This was who Luca was—a man who ruled with power and violence, a man who would kill to protect what was his. And if she stayed with him, she would always be a part of that world.
But did she want that?
"I don’t know if I can live like this," Phoenix admits, her voice trembling as she finally voices the fear that has been gnawing at her since the attack. "I don’t know if I can live with the violence, the danger... the darkness."
Luca’s face tightens, his eyes darkening as her words sink in. For a moment, he doesn’t speak, his jaw clenching as though he were trying to hold something back. But when he finally did, his voice was low, raw with emotion.
"I can’t lose you, Phoenix," he whispers, his voice barely more than a breath. "I don’t know how to lose you. You the only light in my life, the only thing that keeps me sain"
Phoenix’s heart breaks at the vulnerability in his words. She has never seen him like this—so raw, so exposed. He wasn’t just the ruthless mafia boss in that moment. He was a man who had built his life on power and control, and now he was faced with the possibility of losing the one person who mattered most to him.
She looks up at him, her eyes filled with tears, and for the first time, she realizes just how deeply Luca felt for her. This wasn’t just possession. This wasn’t just control. He cared for her in a way that scared him—scared both of them.
"I don’t want to lose you either," Phoenix whispers, her voice trembling. "But I don’t know how to stay."
Luca’s hand tightens around hers, his eyes filled with desperation. "Stay," he whispers, his voice low and rough. "Phoenix. Stay with me."
He pulls Phoenix into his arms leaning back he holds her close trying to assure both of them that what they have between them is enough.
***
The sun had barely risen over Palermo, casting the city in a muted, grey light, when the phone rings again. Luca had barely slept. He had spent the night sitting by the window, staring out at the skyline, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Phoenix had eventually fallen asleep in bed, though it had taken her hours to find any peace. Even now, her presence there felt fragile, like she could slip away at any moment.
The call pulled Luca from his thoughts, the sharp ring slicing through the silence. His instincts kicked in immediately—this early, it could only mean one thing: more trouble.
Luca reaches for the phone and answers, his voice cold and businesslike. "Tempo."
On the other end, Gabriel’s voice comes through, low and tense. "We’ve got a problem, boss. The Romero’s—they’re mobilizing."
Luca’s grip tightens on the phone. He had been expecting a response after what had happened to the men he’d executed, but he hadn’t expected them to move so quickly. The Romero’s were arrogant, but even they wouldn’t be foolish enough to strike again so soon. Unless, of course, they had nothing left to lose.
"Where?" Luca demands, already standing and moving toward the door, his body tense and ready for action.
"Near the docks," Gabriel replies. "They’re pulling all their forces in, looks like they’re preparing for something big. I’ve never seen them this organized before."
Luca’s jaw clenches. The docks were key to his operations—both for his nightclubs and the shipments he controlled through his weapons trafficking. The Romero’s must have realized that hitting him there would deal a major blow to his power.
"How many men?" Luca asks, his voice low and dangerous.
"At least two dozen. Could be more," Gabriel says. "It’s not just a skirmish, Luca. This is a full-scale retaliation."
Luca’s mind races. The Romero’s weren’t just coming for his territory—they were coming for him, for everything he’d built. And if they succeeded, Phoenix would be in more danger than ever. He couldn’t afford to let that happen.
"I’ll be there soon," Luca says, his tone leaving no room for argument.
As he ends the call, Luca’s mind is already formulating a plan. He would need every available man, every resource at his disposal, to crush the Romero’s before they could gain a foothold in his territory. This wasn’t just about revenge anymore—it was about survival. And Luca didn’t lose. Not in business, and certainly not in war.