Chapter 24 – Luca
LUCA
Moving to stand beside Sienna, I stare at the photograph in her trembling hand, and everything inside me goes very, very still.
"You know him?" Sienna asks, looking up at me with those wide, trusting eyes. “That’s good, right? Now you can go get him.”
Good that we know who did it. Not good because I was hoping the shooter wasn’t somebody from this pile.
This is a problem. A very big fucking problem.
Gently, I take the photo from her fingers, careful not to spook her. "Well done.” I press a kiss to the top of her head. “I need to speak to my brothers and deal with this."
Going to my closet, I pull out a fresh shirt and drape it around her shoulders, taking my time to do each button carefully, the movement helping to keep my racing mind calm.
"Luca, who is he?"
She can sense something’s wrong, wants to know what, but I shake my head. That information is on a need-to-know basis, and my beautiful bride most definitely does not need to know.
"I’m going out. Stay here. Relax." I'm already moving, pulling on clothes, and churning over the possibilities and implications.
Dark shirt, dark pants, and wearing a black belt, I remove my holster from the depths of my large walk-in closet and slide my arms in, making sure I have what I need.
When I pull another pistol out of a locked drawer and tuck it into the back of my pants, Sienna looks away.
"Tony will be outside. Don't leave the house. "
"You're scaring me," she whispers.
I pause at the bedroom door, turning back to look at her.
She's sitting on the bed now, her dark hair a wild tangle around her shoulders, and the ring I gave her catching the light as she hugs her knees to her chest. She looks small and vulnerable, and nothing at all like the fierce woman putting me in my place just thirty minutes ago.
Crossing back to her, I cup her face in my hands and kiss her gently. "Don't be scared. I'm going to deal with this and be back for dinner. Trust me."
Her hand catches mine as I pull away.
"Where are you going?"
"I need to speak to my father."
“That’s not an answer.”
“I know.”
Concern is etched all over her pretty features. I kiss her once more, softly, on the lips, and then I'm gone.
Nico and Enzo are eating in the kitchen when I stride down the hallway, keys in hand, the picture tucked safely in my inside pocket. They take one look at my face and the weapons strapped to my body, then set down their forks.
“Fuck,” Enzo mutters, pushing to his feet, knowing that whatever’s going on, it’s not good. As I text Corso the picture number, so he knows who Sienna has ID’d, and instruct him to begin surveillance, my brothers fall in step beside me without question.
"Tony," I call out as we head for the door. "You're in charge. Sienna stays inside. Guard her like she’s your own."
Tony materializes from somewhere behind me, never far away when I need him, and nods sharply. "Understood, boss."
The three of us climb into my car and speed down the long drive.
Nico is in the passenger seat, completely focused, and waiting for me to fill them in on what the hell is going on when a security alert sounds on Enzo’s phone.
As we round the corner, the exit comes into view, as does a small red hatchback parked at an angle, blocking the gates from the outside.
I think we’ve found the security issue.
A woman with wild curly hair is jabbing her finger in Roman's face while he stands there awkwardly, trying to reason with her, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else on earth.
"What the hell?" Enzo mutters.
“For fuck’s sake,” I mutter, really not needing this now.
I roll down the window as we pull alongside, and the woman whips around to face us, hands on her hips.
"You." Rebecca stalks toward the gate, curls bouncing with every furious step as she points her finger at me through the bars. "Where is she? What have you done with her?"
"Miss, you need to move..." I begin, but she cuts me off, gesturing furiously, and shrugging out of Roman’s grasp as he tries to encourage her to step back from the car.
"Don't you “Miss” me. I know Sienna’s in there. And if you think I'm going to stand by while you kidnap my best friend, you've got another thing coming."
Roman, who’s been banished to the guard house for some mundane work where he can stay off his feet and far away from my wife, is struggling to control her.
“Ma’am, you need to move your car, or I’ll have it towed. You can’t block the entrance.”
She glares at him. “Call the police then. And I’ll tell them that you have my friend locked up in that ridiculous mansion of yours, probably tied up in the fucking basement.” She rounds on me again. “If you’ve hurt her, if you’re mistreating her, I swear to God…”
Enzo snorts from the back, pushing forward to speak to the spitfire currently barricading my driveway.
"Hurt her? She's probably lounging by the pool, drinking cocktails.
If that's mistreatment, maybe you'd like to spend a little time tied up with a Calvano yourself.
" He leans further out, giving her a dangerous smile that curls one corner of his lips, while practically hanging out the window to get a better look.
Rebecca's face goes red with indignation. "Excuse me? What did you just say to me?" When she takes another angry step forward, Roman catches her by the elbow and stops her before she climbs in the car to get at Enzo.
Nico groans and hides his face with his hands. Our brother has always had a knack for de-escalating a situation.
"Enough. I don't have time for this,” I growl. Sienna is alone and worried, and I need to speak with Alfonso right now. "Let her in." Then at Rebecca. “Go and see for yourself.”
Roman looks uncertain. "Boss?"
Rebecca stops wriggling in his arms. “Is this a trap?”
Jesus fucking Christ.
"No.” To Roman. “Let her in. Have someone escort her up to the house. But Sienna does not leave." I nod at him while looking Rebecca up and down.
Her delicate features twist into an angry glare as he turns to Rebecca, gesturing for her to spread her arms.
"What?" She takes a step back, slapping his outstretched hand away. "What are you doing?"
I’d almost feel sorry for him if I wasn’t still bitter about this morning.
"Arms out," Roman says flatly. "Standard security procedure. Everyone gets searched. Or you’re not getting in."
"This is ridiculous," she huffs.
"Arms. Out."
Rebecca sputters with outrage but complies, glaring daggers at all of us as I let the window slide shut, conversation over.
While Roman pats her down with professional efficiency, checking her pockets, her waist, and even running his hands down her calves, another guard appears and climbs into her car, pulling through the gates that have now rolled open.
“Hey,” she shouts, outraged as he moves her rust bucket over to one side to let us pass.
We pull out, leaving Rebecca still standing, arms spread, at the gate.
Enzo twists in his seat to watch her through the rear window, and as her pissed off glare connects with his, she slowly extends her middle finger.
"I wouldn't have minded patting her down myself," he says with a grin and a happy sigh as he turns to face forward again.
Nico rolls his eyes. “Yes, because she was clearly taken with you.”
Enzo hits him on the shoulder, and Nico curses, sitting further forward, out of harm's way.
"Focus." I cut off their bickering, my mind already on what's ahead. "We’re going to see Dad."