LUCA 14
Luca lay awake long after Phoenix had fallen asleep, her body curled against his in a way that made his chest tighten with emotion he hadn’t expected. The room is dim, the faint sounds of the city filtering in through the cracked window, but all he could focus on was the steady rhythm of Phoenix’s breathing, the rise and fall of her chest as she lay in his arms.
For the first time in years, Luca felt... vulnerable. It wasn’t a feeling he was used to. He had built his life on control, on power, on the certainty that nothing and no one could touch him. But now, with Phoenix in his arms, that certainty was slipping away, replaced by something far more dangerous—emotion.
She was more than just a possession to him now, more than just something to be controlled. And that scared him. It scared him because he knew that in his world, attachments were weaknesses. And Phoenix? She was the greatest weakness he had ever known.
Luca’s jaw clenches as he stares up at the ceiling, his mind racing with a thousand different thoughts. The Romero’s were done. He knew that. The attack on the penthouse had been a desperate move, but it was their final one.
And Phoenix... she was where it hurt.
He couldn’t afford to be distracted by his feelings for her, no matter how strong they were. His empire was at stake. His men, his territory, his control over Palermo—all of it was on the line. But every time he looked at Phoenix, every time he thought about the fear in her eyes after the attack, he felt something shift inside him.
He couldn’t let her go. But keeping her close meant keeping her in danger.
Luca gently untangled himself from Phoenix, careful not to wake her as he slips out of bed. He stands by the window, staring out at the darkened skyline, his thoughts heavy with the weight of what he needed to do. His instincts told him to shield her, to lock her away where no one could ever touch her. But deep down, he knew that wasn’t the answer. Phoenix was strong—stronger than he had given her credit for—but that didn’t mean she could survive in his world without getting hurt.
The problem was, Luca didn’t know if he could survive without her.
The door creaks open softly, and Miguel steps into the room, his expression grim. He pauses when he sees Phoenix asleep in the bed, his eyes flicking to Luca with a knowing look.
"We need to talk," Miguel says quietly, his voice barely a whisper.
Luca nods, glancing once more at Phoenix before following Miguel out of the room and into the living area of the penthouse. The air feels heavy with unspoken tension as they sit down, both of them knowing that the conversation they were about to have wouldn’t be easy.
"The Romero’s are regrouping," Miguel says, his voice low. "Our sources say they’re pulling in allies from outside Sicily. Mercenaries, possibly."
Luca’s jaw tightens. He had known this was coming. The Romero’s wouldn’t just let this go—not after the losses they had taken. But bringing in outside help? That was a new level of escalation.
"How many men?" Luca asks, his voice cold.
Miguel shakes his head. "We don’t know yet. But it’s enough to make me think they’re planning something."
Luca leans back in his chair, his mind racing. If the Romero’s were truly pulling out all the stops, it meant they were willing to risk everything to take him down. And that meant everyone in his circle—including Phoenix—was a target.
"They’ll come for her again," Luca says quietly, his eyes darkening. "If they can’t hit me, they’ll hit her."
Miguel’s expression hardens. "She needs to be somewhere safe, Luca. Out of reach."
Luca’s chest tightens at the thought of sending Phoenix away, of hiding her somewhere far from the violence of his world. It was the logical solution, the only way to ensure her safety. But the idea of being apart from her, of not being there to protect her himself—it was unbearable.
"I can’t just hide her away, Miguel," Luca says, his voice low. "She’s not a prisoner."
Miguel raises an eyebrow. "She’s already a target. You think the Romero’s care about whether she’s a willing participant in this or not? They’ll use her to get to you, Luca. They already tried once."
Luca’s fists clench, he had killed Enzo without hesitation, but it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. The next in line for the Romero Familia would rise into Enzo’s position and then try to attack us for taking out Enzo.
"So what’s the plan?" Miguel asks, watching Luca carefully. "Because keeping her here, in the middle of this, isn’t going to end well. For either of you."
Luca doesn’t answer right away. He stands up, pacing the room, his mind torn between his duty to his empire and his desire to protect the woman he has come to care for more than he had ever thought possible. The two worlds he had spent his life controlling were colliding, and Luca didn’t know how to keep them both from falling apart.
"I need to talk to her," Luca says finally, his voice rough. "She deserves to know what’s happening."
Miguel nods, though his expression remains tense. "Just remember, Luca—if you want to keep her, you have to find a way to keep her safe. You can’t do both if you don’t make a decision soon."
Luca swallows hard, his chest tight with the weight of the truth in Miguel’s words. He couldn’t have it all. He couldn’t keep Phoenix by his side and protect her from the dangers of his world. But the thought of sending her away, of letting her go, was a decision he wasn’t ready to make.
When Luca returned to the bedroom, Phoenix was awake, sitting up in bed with the blanket pulled around her shoulders. She looks small, fragile even, but the moment their eyes meet, Luca sees the strength in her gaze. She isn’t just a victim in this war. She is a survivor.
"Luca?" Phoenix’s voice is soft, but there is a tension in it that tells him she knew something was wrong.
Luca sits down on the edge of the bed, his hand reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair from her face. He doesn’t know how to tell her what he needs to say. He doesn’t know how to explain the impossible choice he was facing.
"We need to talk," Luca says quietly, his voice rough with emotion.
Phoenix nods, her eyes searching his face. "What’s happening?"
Luca takes a deep breath, his heart heavy as he looks at her. "The Romero’s aren’t done. They’re regrouping. And they’ll come for you again sooner or later."
Phoenix’s breaths, her eyes widening slightly, but she doesn’t flinch. "So what do we do?"
Luca’s chest tightens. "I want to keep you safe. But that means... I might need to send you away. Somewhere far from here. Somewhere they can’t find you."
Phoenix stares at him, her eyes filling with a mix of shock and pain. "You want me to leave?"
"I don’t want you to leave," Luca says quickly, his voice thick with emotion. "But I can’t protect you if you’re here, Phoenix. I can’t do both. And if something happens to you..." His voice breaks slightly, his eyes intense. "I won’t lose you."
Phoenix’s heart aches at the helplessness in Luca’s voice, at the raw emotion she sees in his eyes. She can see the conflict in him, the way he is torn between his duty to his empire and his desire to protect her. But she also knows that leaving him now, after everything they had been through, wasn’t something she could do.
"Luca," Phoenix whispers, her voice trembling. "I don’t want to leave you. I don’t care about the danger. I care about you. I know you will find a way to keep me safe."
Luca’s breath catches in his throat, his chest tightening as he looks at her. He has spent his entire life believing that love was a weakness, that attachments would only bring him pain. But with Phoenix, everything is different. She has become his anchor, his reason for fighting, his reason for surviving.
"I don’t deserve you," Luca whispers, his hand cupping her face as he leans in closer. "But I’m not letting you go."
Phoenix smiles as Luca’s lips brush against hers, the kiss filled with a mix of desperation and need. She melts into him, her body trembling as she clings to him, her heart racing with the weight of everything they were facing.
When they finally pull apart, Luca rests his forehead against hers, his breath shaky. "I’ll protect you," he whispers. "No matter what."