Chapter 20
Ava heard something outside her bedroom window, a faint rustling that made her pulse quicken in alarm.
She peeked through her curtains, her heart racing.
The night was silent, save for the soft hum of distant traffic and the occasional rustling of leaves in the cool breeze.
She couldn’t see anyone—no shadowy figures creeping around her yard, no silhouettes with crowbars or guns.
Everything appeared calm. Almost too calm.
Her eyes drifted down the street, landing on the guards standing at the end of her driveway.
They were Luca’s men. She recognized them from his office, and from the various events around the city over the past year.
They were vigilant, scanning the surroundings with an intensity that seemed almost predatory.
But despite their presence, an uneasy feeling continued to gnaw at her, like something was out of place. The air felt tighter, the atmosphere thicker than usual. She couldn’t pinpoint it, but her gut knew something wasn’t right. She could sense it deep in her bones.
Ava frowned, pulling the curtain back just a little more to scan the shadows across her yard.
Nothing. No movement. No sign of a threat.
It was as if the air itself had become charged, heavy with unspoken tension.
Maybe it was just her mood—her nerves were shot, her mind clouded with uncertainty.
Ever since she had left Luca’s penthouse, things had felt. .. off.
She let out a shaky breath, stepping away from the window.
“Get it together, Ava,” she muttered to herself.
She needed to relax, to let go of the anxiety clawing at her chest. She hadn’t been sleeping well, and it was catching up with her.
A lack of sleep left her emotions more fragile, her thoughts more prone to spiraling.
She couldn’t let this feeling of unease consume her.
Turning toward her bed, she pulled the covers back, then froze mid-motion. Her thoughts returned to Luca. Had she made a mistake going to him for help when all of this started? A part of her whispered that she should have handled things herself, but....
A soft smile tugged at her lips as she thought of him and those warm thoughts banished the bad ones from earlier tonight.
Suddenly, instead of his coldness, Ava remembered the way he’d held her.
The way his touch made her feel like she was the only thing that mattered.
Her abrupt mental shift didn’t make sense.
And yet, the intimacy they’d shared had been everything she’d hoped for.
And yet... she’d left instead of standing and fighting for something that could have been wonderful.
She couldn’t even fully comprehend why she’d walked away from him, except for her hurt that he wouldn’t share his past with her.
Had she been wrong? Should she have stayed and demanded an answer?
Ava shook her head, muttering, “This is ridiculous.” Abandoning the bed, she turned back to the window, hoping to shake off the lingering unease. But as she let the curtain fall back into place, something caught her eye.
Movement.
Her breath hitched as she squinted into the dark. At first, she thought it was a trick of the light, but then her heart dropped. There, in the shadows at the edge of her yard, was a figure. It wasn’t just anyone, either. The man was big—huge, in fact. A shadowy figure being carried by two others.
Luca-sized big. The thought hit her like a jolt of electricity.
Her pulse spiked. Was that...? No, it couldn’t be.
She squinted, but the figures quickly melted into the shadows, swallowed by the darkness that seemed to stretch and grow, as if the world itself were conspiring against her peace of mind.
Her stomach churned, a wave of dread washing over her.
She didn’t know what was going on, but she felt it in her bones: something was wrong.
With shaky hands, she grabbed her phone, about to dial Luca, but then hesitated. What was she going to say? Hey, I think something bad is happening outside my house?
No. She needed to be calm, logical. She needed to know what was happening before reacting.
Her heart pounded painfully in her chest, but she couldn’t let the fear consume her. She had to think clearly. Taking a steadying breath, she patted the puppies, both of whom were awake and alert, then grabbed her coat and slipped it on quickly as she moved toward the door.
A moment later, the dogs wandered over, their heads tilted as they sniffed the air curiously.
As she made her way toward the door, the puppies whimpered slightly, as if they, too, sensed something was wrong.
Without thinking, she scooped them up into her arms, the weight of their bodies a small comfort.
“Shh,” she soothed, her voice barely above a whisper. “We’ll figure this out.”
But deep down, Ava couldn’t shake the feeling that she was running out of time.
Ava’s heart slammed against her ribs as the reality of what she had seen sank in. Luca! He was being dragged away. No, this isn’t happening. This can’t be real.
Her gaze darted wildly around her yard, but the silence pressed in. Where were the guards? The ones who had been stationed outside, vigilant, watching every corner of her home? Now, there was nothing but empty space. No movement. No protection.
“No!” she cried, her voice cracking as panic set in. She sprinted to the entryway, her hands shaking with adrenaline as she fumbled for her car keys. She didn’t know what to do next, but she couldn’t just stand here. Not when Luca was being taken.
She saw the vehicle—black, nondescript, speeding away—and without thinking, Ava bolted for her car, her heart thundering in her ears.
She slammed the keys into the ignition, and peeled out of the driveway.
A part of her mind saw several men come out of the shadows, trying to flag her down, but Ava didn’t hesitate.
If they were the guards, they’d failed to keep Luca from being taken!
They were useless and she wasn’t going to slow down when her man was in danger!
The adrenaline surged as her foot pressed the gas pedal, but she forced herself to stay calm enough to turn off her headlights. No sense in making it easier for them to spot me.
The streetlights blurred by as she sped through the streets, weaving between lanes. The reality of the situation gripped her tightly. Who could she call? The police? They wouldn’t care about Luca. He was a criminal. And with the way everything had been unfolding, what could they even do, really?
No, she should contact Luca’s head of security.
Who was it? His name escaped her at the moment, but it didn’t matter.
Maybe there was a receptionist? Ava bit her lip as she swerved around a corner, considering her options.
What should she do—call the office? Try to get through to someone who might know something?
No. She didn’t even know anyone in his chain of command.
Ava watched the road ahead, wondering where she was. That’s when the SUV she was tailing took an unexpected turn onto a dirt road.
Her pulse raced. She couldn’t lose Luca now.
The SUV kicked up clouds of dust as it rumbled down the unpaved path, the sound of the engine rumbling in her chest. This wasn’t good.
Her grip on the steering wheel tightened, and she swerved to the side, pulling her SUV behind a row of construction trailers.
She parked quickly, heart pounding as she cut off the engine with a soft sputter.
Ava swallowed back the bile rising in her throat.
Luca was in trouble and she wasn’t sure how to help him!
The shadows of the night swallowed her as she slipped out of the vehicle, taking a deep breath.
There was a construction site ahead, a massive structure that was far from finished, but what was done loomed ominously under the dim lighting.
The dust from the other vehicle was thick here, enough to conceal her presence as she crouched low, her every step careful and measured.
A piece of scrap pipe lay nearby. She grabbed it quickly—improvised weapon in hand—and snuck toward the group of men she could hear talking in a language she didn’t understand. They were clearly too focused on their own conversation to notice her.
Her thoughts flashed back to the mysterious gifts that had arrived at her office without explanation. Were the gifts and this attack connected somehow? What did all of it mean? And why hadn’t these men come after her? She would have been an easier target than Luca.
Or was there something more going on? Had the gift-giver expected her to shift her affections with the unexpected gifts?
Or had those odd gifts been a trap, something aimed at sending her to Luca?
Were all of those strange gifts and the vandalism around her office meant to get her here?
Or were the gifts and vandalism not connected to her relationship with Luca?
None of this made any sense!
But if everything was connected, what did they want?
As she watched the SUV idling in the shadows with nothing happening, Ava wondered if she’d followed the wrong vehicle. Had she made a mistake?
The minutes seemed to stretch into an eternity, her senses heightened as she strained to hear anything from above. The men standing by the skeleton of a building were still talking, laughing among themselves. But there was no Luca!
She was just about to return to her car and drive away, thinking she’d lost her target in the mad rush to follow the SUV, when something happened.
One of the back doors opened. Two of the men who had been leaning against one of the support beams of the structure hurried over.
Moments later, she watched as they pulled something big and heavy out of the back seat of the SUV.
Instinctively, Ava knew that they were lifting Luca out of the backseat, hauling him up the concrete stairs to the second level of the building under construction.
They’re not afraid of him, Ava realized. They were too casual. Too confident.
Ava’s heart was pounding in her chest as she crouched in the shadows, watching the men carry Luca to the strange, metal cage.
Her grip tightened on the pipe, but her instincts screamed at her to wait.
She was torn between rushing in to help and staying silent, hidden by the shadows.
If she stepped back into the shadows, she could call Luca’s men, alert them to the location, but the sound of her phone could give away her presence.
Every part of her being screamed for action, but every fiber of her body knew that one wrong move could make things worse.
The men were still laughing, speaking in a language she didn’t understand, their words spilling out between raucous chuckles.
The way they carried Luca—like an object, not a man—made her blood boil.
She clenched her jaw, fighting against the heat rising in her chest. She didn’t know who these people were or why they were doing this, but she couldn’t just stand by and watch.
She had to get closer, get him out of there. But how?
Her breath caught in her throat as she inched forward, her shoes barely making a sound on the gritty concrete floor. The shadows of the construction site swallowed her whole as she crouched behind a stack of metal beams, the pipe in her hand her only defense.
Ava’s mind raced. She could call Luca’s men, but their presence could alert the kidnappers. Her phone was just as dangerous as a loud shout in a situation like this. If she tried to make a call, the screen would light up, alerting everyone around of her presence.
So, calling and texting was out.
The seconds felt like hours as she stayed crouched, fighting to control her breathing. She strained to hear every noise—the faint laughter from the men, the scuff of their boots.
Then she heard the most welcome sound; the SUV doors slamming shut as they prepared to leave.
The SUV roared to life and disappeared into the night, leaving Ava crouching in the shadows, frozen.
She waited a moment, her heart hammering in her chest. Silence settled over the construction site, thick and heavy.
The tension in her body didn’t lessen, but she knew the immediate danger had passed.
The men had left, but something gnawed at her.
What were they going to do to Luca now that he was trapped?
She couldn’t wait any longer.
Ava stood up, her body trembling as adrenaline rushed through her.
She moved quickly, her heart pounding in her ears as she ran toward the stairs leading up to the second floor.
Each step felt heavier than the last as she climbed, looking around with each step, searching for any sign of Luca.
When she reached the top of the stairs, she immediately saw the cage.
Her stomach twisted in knots at the sight of Luca, unconscious but alive, crammed into a metal cage like an animal.
The anger that had been simmering in her veins for hours exploded, and the pipe in her hands felt like a tool of righteous fury. But it was the sight of Luca—weak, trapped and caged—that cut deeper than anything she had ever known.
She had come here because she’d needed him, but now, seeing him locked up like this, something inside her shifted. The man she had fought against, the man she had teased and resisted for over a year until finally giving in, had somehow wormed his way into her heart without her realizing it.
And now, she was going to rescue him.