Luca was tired, but he couldn’t sleep. He would sleep when he was dead. While he was alive, he had a family and his moon to protect. Between himself, Nic, and Frankie, they were trying to find a way out of this mess.
“Couldn’t we go with the angle of an alliance, maybe through marriage? You marry Hayley, form an alliance?”
“Surely even Dima can see the advantage in this,” Nic piped up just after 3 a.m. They had been stuck in the room for three hours.
Luca shook his head. As much as he would love to put a ring on Hayley’s finger, he also didn’t want it to be forced. Hayley should always have a choice when it came to their relationship.
“That is what I’m talking about,” Frankie chuckled darkly as he thought of crushing the skull of Ivan Kudin, who had just shot one of his runners.
“But what about Hayley?” Nic stood up from the chair, aching a little from sitting for so long.
“I don’t know,” Luca mumbled as he looked at the photos of the amount of men Frankie had counted that Volkova had brought from Russia.
“You don’t plan on getting out of this alive without any bloodshed, do you, Luca?” Nic quizzed his cousin as he walked to the desk and looked at the photographs too.
“I’m going to check on Johnny and grab us some more coffee.” Frankie stood up. He knew the next sixteen hours were going to be long.
Luca watched as Frankie walked out of the room, leaving him and Nic alone. Luca scanned over the photos that littered his desk. Dima had brought an army to collect Hayley. He knew he was going to face trouble.
“Luca, this is going to get bloody.” Nic repeated his words.
“Indeed.” Luca nodded as he sighed. “But we have no choice. It’s either that or we give in and give up Hayley.”
Nic knew that was never going to be an option. No, they couldn’t let her go. Not only because Luca loved her, but because Dima had demanded it, and Luca couldn’t be seen as weak.
“We will have to fight fire with fire.” Luca shrugged as he lit a cigarette.
“Lorenzo is still a potential problem. He is no fool. If he thinks we are too busy fighting Volkova, he will get stoked to take out Giovanni.”
Nic was seriously going to have a heart attack. He worried for the entire family because sometimes Frankie and Luca fought before they thought, which meant Nic had to be the one to stress out.
“Then we need help, and I’m looking to Hernandez’s sister for that,” Luca explained as he let out the smoke from his cigarette.
“Jesus Christ, she has literally lost her brother.” Nic shook his head.
“Yep, and if she doesn’t help, she will lose her family empire too.” Luca’s words were harsh.
“Tony already met her. Valentina.” Luca stubbed out his cigarette. “Charming girl, by all accounts, and Tony explained I want to have a mutual conversation.
“I will meet her in the casino tomorrow at ten o’clock. I presume once Tony is finished with her.” Luca chuckled.
“He’s nasty. I knew we should have kept him away from Frankie. He is picking up bad habits.” Nic was a little disgusted, but Tony was similar to many Mafia men.
“I’ve a plan,” Luca explained.
“I had no doubt that you would.” Nic laughed as he seated himself back in his chair opposite Luca in the messy office.
“But until I finalize things with Valentina and her empire, I can’t progress with it.” Luca sighed.
“What if you have to kill Dima?” Nic asked lowly.
Luca paused. He thought of the images of Hayley and her family, her father. Hayley, at one stage in her life, idolized her father. He was the man who helped raise her. Could Luca kill him?
“I’m hoping it won’t come to that.” Luca looked at his cousin as he picked up the picture of Dima and Ivan together in New York.
“But it might. Are you prepared to lose her?” Nic asked.
“I’m going to lose her anyway, if I let him win,” Luca hissed violently, as he carelessly tossed the photo in with the rest.
“Yes, but at least she will still love you,” Nic answered, as he watched his cousin’s eyes glow with anger and fear.
“What is love if she is in Russia with God knows who? With a father who may or may not hurt her!” Luca shouted.
He hated that he was not as in control as he wanted to be. He hated that Hayley was across the city, and he couldn’t hold her.
“If Dima Volkova wants to take Hayley, he has to take me down first. And I won’t give up until I am not breathing anymore.”
Nic could do nothing but nod. It was how he felt for Ava and how Frankie felt for Rose. Luca had the power to protect her. Frankie would have done the same with the same amount of power, and so would Nic.
“Boss, we have a problem.” Frankie entered the room.
“Frankie.” Luca put his hand to his head, “Firstly, we have many problems, many of them Russian-shaped, and secondly, I am going to ban people from bringing me more problems.”
This had Luca’s attention as he looked up at a frantic-looking Frankie.
“Johnny was reviewing some footage. Your dad and Marco had a conversation in the garden. However, someone managed to turn off the mics on the outside cameras. Marco left about twenty minutes ago.”
“I have a fucked-up feeling about this,” Luca hissed as he and Nic stood up, and they both ran out of the office.
He could see his father enjoying a game of poker with a feather girl on his lap.
“Where did Marco go?” Luca asked his father harshly.
Luca watched as the feather girl tried to slip off his father’s lap, but he could see Giovanni held the girl in place with a tight grip. Giovanni’s eyes never left his poker hand.
“I don’t know, perhaps he is drinking or fucking around. You know Marco,” Giovanni answered, but never looked at his eldest child.
“Yeah, I also know you spoke to him. Why?” Luca pressed, but Giovanni still didn’t look Luca in the eye. Luca knew he was lying.
“Can’t a man talk to his son?” Giovanni questioned, as he finally looked up at Luca.
“A normal man can, yes, but you? Not really. What are you up to?” Luca spoke harshly. He didn’t care.
Luca looked at the girl as his father cupped her cheek roughly and kissed her face. Luca knew it was Isla, a previous butterfly girl. He recognized the tattoo on her wrist.
Isla looked uncomfortable. She was the only feather girl in the room, which was never a good sign.
Luca caught the attention of Dom, who was sitting observing at the makeshift bar. Luca noticed he wasn’t drinking.
“Dom?” Luca called out, as he roughly grabbed Isla from his father’s grasp. “Take her back to the Venetian. They’re short-staffed, and they’re priority.”
He could see the relief in her eyes as Dom took Isla softly and led her out of the basement.
“Where is Marco?” Luca asked his father again.
“Luca?”
Luca looked over his shoulder to see Nic with Frankie behind him. They had the information Giovanni had failed to provide.
Giovanni watched as Luca turned on his heel to walk toward his two loyal men.
“Marco is doing the one thing you have failed to do. The one thing I asked of you,” Giovanni said with an evil glint in his eyes.
Luca said nothing. He wanted to turn around and rip his father into pieces. He wanted to kill him, but he had to get to Marco.
“What do we know?” Luca demanded, as they walked up the stairs away from the basement.
Luca knew it, but how the hell did he find out that was where Hayley was? This made Luca quicken his pace.
“He took a gun and a sleeping sedative from the storeroom,” Nic explained quickly. This made Frankie laugh out loud.
“What the fuck do you find funny about this!” Luca roared as they reached the front door.
“Well, this is Marco we are talking about. Even if he knocks Hayley out, he won’t be able to carry her.”
Luca looked at Frankie darkly as he spoke.
“I mean… she’s not heavy, but Marco is weak. I mean, damn, I think my mama has more strength than him,” Frankie explained.
“I am not chancing it. He has a gun and, if he gets to her, I doubt she will go quietly,” Luca reminded Frankie as they left for the SUVs.
Luca knew Hayley was fiery, and he prayed she would fight Marco how he knew Frankie had trained her to.
Nic was ordered to stay, and Luca and Frankie rustled up some guys to meet them there. Luca was preparing to face an enemy. Shame it had to be his brother.
(For God’s sake)
(This girl is kicking our ass, again!)
It was after 3 a.m. All the Altera women were asleep in bed. Sal and Angelo were sipping whiskey as Hayley stuck to her coffee.
Hayley had won nearly every hand. Angelo didn’t take losing too kindly, and he spoke fluent, rapid Italian when he was angry. This just made her and Sal laugh.
“You were definitely taught well, Hayley,” Sal laughed as he picked up the cards to shuffle.
“Thank you,” Hayley smiled as she watched Angelo pour himself and Sal another glass each, offering Hayley one, but she shook her head.
“I think you should get to bed,” Sal scolded.
“I’m not tired,” Hayley lied as Sal began dealing out another hand.
Sal simply nodded as he looked at Luca’s woman. The strength in her was impressive—admirable even. He had watched this girl most of the day.
She kept herself busy working alongside Maria, making food, helping Sofia with little Sam.
She never complained, and she never looked like her world was crashing around her. She was calm, smart, and incredibly brave. She reminded him of Rose, the one he wished Frankie had never let go.
They all picked up their next hands of cards as they heard a car pull up outside the house. Angelo looked at Sal. It was unusual for cars to be around at this time.
“I’ll be upstairs,” Sal nodded at Angelo.
They had a plan. If anything suspicious happened, Sal would protect his family—his girls and his grandson who were sleeping upstairs.
Hayley’s heart was racing as she sensed the mood shift, as Angelo went to the window to look.
“It’s a Marcello car,” Angelo murmured as he looked back at Hayley.
“Luca?” she asked with a smile on her face as she stood up looking at the door.
Angelo looked back out.
“No,” Angelo replied harshly, and Hayley’s heart sank. “Marco.”
Angelo knew something wasn’t right; something must have happened.
“Stay put,” Angelo ordered Hayley as she noticed him pull out his gun.
Hayley couldn’t say anything since before she could open her mouth, Angelo had left the house to greet Luca’s brother.
Hayley picked up her mug and the glasses to take them to the sink. She was trying to keep busy.
Hayley heard a thud—it was loud—followed by the clink of a metal-sounding item hitting what sounded like the floor. Curiosity was always going to get the best of her, even though Angelo had specifically told her to stay put.
“Angelo?” she called out in a hushed voice. She walked slowly toward the door he had left the house through.
Just as her fingertips gently touched the door handle, the handle pushed down and the door flung open, nearly throwing Hayley backward.
“Hello, princess,” Marco growled as he looked at his brother’s girl, the Mafia princess.
“Marco? Where’s Luca?” Hayley asked as she steadied herself on her feet.
Hayley could see his pupils were wide as he walked slowly toward her. It was like he was circling his prey. She noticed a gun in his hand, the arm hanging idly by his side. Hayley felt sick as she backed slowly away from Marco.
The pain was sharp as she felt the butt of the gun crossing her jaw. It knocked her to the floor, and she narrowly missed hitting her head on the table edge. Marco wasted no time in asserting his dominance—his power over Hayley.
She cried out as his foot booted her in the stomach. She couldn’t let him have the upper hand; she had to think and act.
Marco loved this—the fear in her eyes, the pain in her cries, as she moaned in pain.
“My dad is going to have fun with you.” He chuckled as he went to boot the girl again.
However, Hayley was prepared for it. As his foot came toward her, she grabbed it. This caught her attacker off guard, and he stumbled, nearly toppling over himself. He dropped the gun in his slight stumble.
Hayley managed to get to her feet. She went to grab the gun, but Marco kicked it fiercely across the room. This bitch wasn’t going to win, and Hayley wasn’t going to give in.
She felt his hands grip her arms as she ran toward the gun. He forced her around and threw her violently against the table. Her ribs hit the table edge first.
Marco was stronger than she anticipated, stronger than she thought he would be.
“Get the fuck off me!” she demanded as he forced her head face down on the table and grabbed both her hands behind her back. His big hands managed to keep them behind her.
She heard the bastard chuckle lowly as he looked at the position he had Hayley in.
“You probably like this, whore,” he spoke darkly as he knew what secret life she led before Luca.
Hayley felt her body getting crushed as he brought his torso so he was over her back, and his mouth was close to her ear.
“Fuck you,” Hayley hissed as she felt him so close, his entire body was on top of hers.
Hayley didn’t want this; she struggled under his weight. But he was just laughing at her efforts. He was getting excited feeling her squirm under his body.
Hayley’s skin crawled as Marco smelled her argan oil–scented skin before his teeth grazed her ear.
Marco flipped her so she was on her back, the fear paramount in her blue eyes. But he could see the fight in her. Hayley went to grab him, but he grabbed her neck first.
She felt him squeeze, his hands grasping around her delicate throat. She prayed Sal would return—where was he?
She felt him squeeze tighter as he mumbled in Italian. She struggled to get her breath; she struggled to fight him as she felt him crush her throat.
Marco laughed harder as he watched her, heard her. Her eyes were crying; she begged him to stop, but it only made him squeeze tighter. He wanted her on the edge of death before he plunged the sedative into her neck.
Hayley had stopped crying out. It was useless and wasting precious breath. Her vision was blurring; she had no idea if it was because of her tears or the lack of oxygen.
Hayley never stopped fighting, but Marco wasn’t giving up either.
Her hands moved around the table, finding anything she could use to get Marco off of her. Just as she was about to give up, she felt the bottle of scotch.
Her hand grasped it and she used all the strength she could muster to pick it up. Marco wasn’t prepared for the thump across his head, for the smash of the glass against his head before his body hit the floor.
Hayley lay there, gasping for air, shocked at what she had gone through. She was now aware she wasn’t alone with Marco anymore, but the sounds and vision were all messed up.
“Get him to the warehouse!” Luca roared at the men that followed Frankie as Frankie ran to find Sal. Hayley had to be moved, and Frankie had agreed Sal would move her.
“Baby?” His voice was soft as he approached Hayley lying lifeless on the table.
He could see where his brother had touched her, attacked her, and he was seething. He noticed a bruise on her jaw, Marco’s handprints on her arms and around her neck. Marco was going to pay—he was going to die.
Hayley began to focus and realized she was alive, Luca was there, and she was safe again. With the help of Luca, who was muttering curses about Marco in Italian, she managed to get upright and sat on the table.
Hayley wanted to say it was okay, but she knew it wasn’t. Luca’s brother, for whatever reason, had come to hurt her, and, by his words, he wasn’t going to be in this kitchen.
“Why did he come here?” Hayley asked as Luca examined the damage Marco had caused.
Luca hated Marco as he looked at the bruises across her stomach and where her ribs were. He would call Dr. Luciano when she was safe again.
“Why?” Hayley asked as Luca put down the top, and she took his face in her hands.
“Because he wants to use you to hurt your dad. Because your dad is in our city, he wants to make him suffer. What did Marco say?” Luca asked firmly. He had to know.
“Not much,” Hayley replied, hoping that would be enough, but Luca needed more. “That your dad was going to have fun with me.”
“What did he do to you?” Luca asked lowly. Hayley sighed as her skin crawled as she remembered his body on top of her.
“He attacked me, kicked me, choked me. Luca, I’m fine,” she added quickly.
Luca could see the fear in her eyes. Marco was going to pay.
“You are leaving tonight. Sal is taking you to a new location. I’ll deal with Marco.” Luca gently kissed her sweet lips.
“I’ll get to the warehouse, boss.” Frankie spoke as he entered the room and then went straight out of the house.
“He’s your brother, Luca,” Hayley reminded him as she put her hands on his shoulders. He stood between her legs as she sat on the table.
“Yes, and…? He disobeyed my instructions.”
Hayley could see the darkness in his eyes. He was going to kill Marco, and that frightened Hayley.
“I am programmed that way. He has to be punished for his actions. He knows that,” Luca said harshly.
“Don’t be your father,” Hayley whispered, as he looked into his chocolate eyes.
Luca sighed. He was his father. He was the demon, the monster Giovanni created. He was Hayley’s protector, and Marco hurt her, so Marco must get hurt also.
“Don’t worry. I am handling it.” Luca kissed her.
Hayley wanted to keep him with her. She kissed him back, wrapping her legs around his waist as she pulled him closer, leaning so she was nearly lying on the table.
Luca stroked her cheek, kissing her lightly before leaving. Hayley was frightened of what was to come. Luca was in the middle of a war, not only with her dad but with his own.
She had to find a way to help. She had to stop this before she lost Luca for good.
Marco could have killed her. Luca couldn’t get the bruises on her icy white skin out of his mind. His brother, his own flesh and blood, could have killed her.
He drove furiously through the streets to the lockup where he knew Frankie had taken Marco.
Hayley was right—killing Marco would make him the demon, the monster his father had created, the monster his father was. However, how could he let this ultimate betrayal slide?
He’d ordered his family to stay away from Hayley or suffer a bullet to the head. In his mind, he’d been adamant he would shoot, but now? Now, he wasn’t too sure.
“He’s not said much.” Frankie sighed as Luca walked into the square hallway leading to the room where Marco was waiting for him.
Luca noted Frankie was dressed for the occasion. He was wearing coveralls. His clothes, Luca noticed, hung on a hook in the hallway.
“He has to pay.” Luca spoke coldly as he removed his jacket and hung it carefully on the hook beside Frankie’s.
“You did warn the fucker,” Frankie reminded his boss as he held out another pair of coveralls for Luca.
Luca was just in his underwear as he stepped into the coveralls, knowing the task that lay ahead of him was sure to be messy.
It was a strange sight, seeing a Mafia boss in coveralls. Normally the boss observed; the boss avoided getting his hands dirty.
Unfortunately, this traitor wasn’t a man off the streets. No, this was Marco Stefano Marcello. Luca’s only brother.
Luca knew he had to be the one to deliver his fate.
“Who else is with us?” Luca asked. He zipped up the coveralls.
“Dom is in there. He was the only Phoenix man around,” Frankie replied.
“Are we secure?” Luca asked.
“Yep,” Frankie answered.
“Good, let’s get shit done then,” Luca’s demon sang at the idea of this. His mind would never get her body lying on the table out of his head. Marco had to pay.
