Mafia Temptation Book 3
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Belle Dowson
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71
112: Where Luca Meets Dima
HAYLEY
The room wasn’t familiar as she opened her eyes and focused on the space. She knew she wasn’t home. It hit her all at once why she was in Sal and Maria’s home.
A light knock on the door pulled her from those thoughts and avoided her going into overthinking mode.
“Morning, Hayley,” Maria spoke as she walked into her son’s room.
“Morning,” Hayley sat up in the bed as Maria brought in the tray of breakfast food and coffee.
Maria sat on the bed as Hayley apologized for still being asleep. But Maria shook her head. She knew Hayley had had a busy night and needed sleep.
“Where is Luca?” Hayley asked as she picked up the hot mug of coffee.
“The boys had to leave. Angelo and some others are around. Frankie dropped off some clothes and bits and pieces for you,” Maria pointed to the store bags.
Hayley was grateful.
“Do you know when they said they would be back?” Hayley asked, but Maria shook her head.
“Luca told me to tell you that you are safe here. He will visit you when he can and when it is safe too.”
They sounded like Luca’s words, Hayley thought. Maria left Hayley after telling her where towels were kept and where the bathroom was.
Hayley thought of her dad. Maybe he just wanted to know if she was okay. Maybe he just wanted that. However, something was telling her that this was something more.
A part of her wanted to go and find Luca, find her dad, and make sense of this whole situation. But she knew better. She knew the men of this house wouldn’t let her go without a fight.
She knew Luca’s orders would be to keep her here at all costs.
LUCA
“Are you going to answer that?” With his eyes, Nic indicated Luca’s phone that sat on the table.
Luca looked at the caller ID. It was his father for the millionth time. He shook his head. He hadn’t the time, energy, or control to talk to his father about what he was going to do.
“He wants to use her. I can’t allow him that opportunity. I will get whoever is home to tell him I am meeting Volkova, and I will come back to the house and explain everything.”
Luca pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed heavily. He, Nic, and Frankie had spent hours planning the safest meeting plot—the most strategic place for them to work from. Luca, admittedly, was exhausted.
He had his tie discarded on the table, his jacket was carefully placed on the back of his office chair, and the sleeves of his crisp white shirt were rolled up, revealing the intricate cross tattoo on his left forearm.
“Frankie has secured the restaurant. You and Volkova will be the only occupants—apart from the host, who will also wait on you,” Nic explained.
Luca nodded. This was why he had these two by his side. They were efficient and did the jobs asked of them thoroughly.
“Is Hayley okay?” Luca asked Nic, who sat calmly opposite his cousin.
“She is fine. Frankie spoke to his mom. Hayley is helping Maria around the house. Apparently, when she is stressed out, she cleans—an OCD thing, apparently.
“Angelo is there making sure she doesn’t get very far if she tries to escape.” Nic chuckled.
Luca was pleased she was safe at the Altera home. He knew Sal, his nephews, and his brothers would keep her safe. They were like family. He also smiled at the idea of Angelo tackling Hayley if she attempted any form of escape.
“I will go to her tonight,” Luca stated, as he picked up his cup of coffee and took a drink, then made a face at the cold temperature of his drink.
“Is that wise? You should keep a distance from the safe point,” Nic spoke up.
“I said I would tell her how the meeting goes,” Luca shrugged.
Nic shook his head. His cousin was taking unnecessary risks.
“There are things called… I don’t know, a phone.” Nic looked at Luca, whose eyes darkened.
“Yes, and my father could have that tapped,” Luca countered.
“Ah.” Nic understood. “You don’t care about giving Volkova your location as such, but your padre?”
“Right now,” Luca began, “Volkova is the unknown. He is neither a villain nor an ally. My padre, however, is known, and we are both aware of his capabilities.”
“He is the biggest danger on the table right now, until I find out more about Volkova,” Luca explained.
“Noted. If your padre gets Hayley—” Nic was cut off by Luca.
“There is no if. He will not get to her,” Luca vowed. Luca was determined to protect her from his sadistic father.
“Will you stand in his way though?” Nic knew Luca was fearless, reckless, and brave.
However, when it came to his father, Luca was weak in comparison. He was beaten, held underwater, and even tortured as a child, as a teen, and even as a young adult.
Nic knew Luca was beaten to understand that Giovanni was the boss, and he made sure no one, especially Luca, ever forgot that.
“Yes.” Luca knew that was a bold statement to make. “For once, I will stop him. She is too important to throw away again.”
These were the words Nic needed to hear. Luca’s strength was in Hayley.
Luca was never nervous about anything. But tonight, he was. Not only was he meeting a man who had managed to get a Russian family that had practically hit rock bottom back on top, but he was also his girlfriend’s father.
It was nearly six o’clock. Luca liked to be on time. It was odd—was he trying to impress Hayley’s father? Maybe he was; maybe he wanted him to feel like he deserved his daughter.
“Volkova is waiting for you at the restaurant. He is alone inside but, like us, he isn’t alone. Ivan and a few others are around.” Nic looked at Luca through the rearview mirror of the car.
“I never expected him to be totally alone,” Luca muttered.
As they pulled up outside of the familiar restaurant, Luca checked that he had the three things he needed: his phone, the photographs that Ivan Kudin had given him, and, of course, his gun.
Luca hoped he wouldn’t have to shoot Volkova, but if he posed an immediate risk, he would.
“Mr. Marcello!” The host of the restaurant greeted Luca with a firm handshake.
Luca nodded.
“This way. Your guest has already arrived,” he said professionally, as he guided the owner through the restaurant.
Luca got to see Dima Volkova. His face was unchanged from the picture he had of him and Hayley. His hair, unlike Luca’s father’s, which was all silver, had flecks of gray in its light brown shade. His eyes were silver-colored.
“Dima Volkova.” Luca spoke as he approached the table. The two men had never met. However, Dima had enough information to tell this young man was Luca Marcello.
Luca watched as Volkova stood up and held out his hand for a handshake. Luca obliged.
“Luca Marcello, I have heard a lot about you,” Dima said, and Luca raised an eyebrow.
“I feel the same about you,” Luca replied, as the waiter came and poured the men a glass of the wine that Luca always ordered when he ate here.
He let go of Volkova’s hand and then the pair sat down. Luca went in his inside pocket and brought out the photos and put them on the table. Dima looked down at the photos. The top one was him and Hayley in Spain.
Luca watched as Dima picked up the photos and flicked through them, taking a moment to examine each photo of his beautiful daughter. Luca sipped his wine calmly, simply observing.
“I’m impressed,” Luca spoke, but Dima didn’t look up. “You managed twenty-four years without letting your only child find out the truth about you.
“Hayley genuinely believed you were some London businessman. I just want to understand why?”
“You have no family, Luca?” Dima asked, although he already knew this.
Luca said nothing. His family was Dima’s daughter, but he didn’t want to mention that until he had to.
“Unlike you, Luca, I was never meant to have the responsibility I have been given.” Dima took a sip of the wine and nodded his appreciation of the quality.
“I had an older brother. He was supposed to inherit the family. I was free to marry and live how I wanted. My brother had a right hand in Ivan, a man we thought of as a cousin.
“My mama told me to go and marry Emily Collins, a woman I was infatuated with.”
Luca said nothing—he was just listening. He hadn’t come expecting Dima Volkova’s life story, but a part of him felt he needed to hear this.
He wanted to know how a man like Dima did everything he had done and still had the most amazing child, who grew into the woman Luca adored.
“But my brother was killed,” Dima continued.
Luca could see the anger in Volkova’s eyes.
“I knew I had to step up. I knew my place,” Dima shook his head. “Russia was a dangerous place twenty-odd years ago. The families were out for blood.”
Dima wanted to show this boy sitting opposite him what extremes he had gone through, and what he would do even now for his family.
“When you have children, you will understand. My child and my wife were targets. Emily wasn’t made for this world, and I swore her child, our child, wouldn’t be, either.
“So, between me and Emily, we quietly divorced. We raised Hayley as far away from my world as possible. I was forced into this; she didn’t need to be.”
“So, you are telling me everything you did was to protect Hayley?” Luca responded coolly.
“You have no idea what I have done to protect my daughter. Above everything, she is still my flesh and blood.”
“So, beating her was protecting her?” Luca countered, and Volkova laughed darkly.
“I never beat her, Marcello. I lost my cool. I slapped her. I am not proud of what I did,” Dima replied.
Luca couldn’t understand him; how could you love someone and then lay a finger on them? Yes, Luca had roughly handled Hayley, and there were times he wanted to strangle her, but he could never physically do it.
“Let’s cut the small-talk bullshit, Marcello. I am here to get my daughter back. Now, I am prepared to pay whatever she owes you.”
Luca could see the tension in Dima’s eyes.
“Like I told your right-hand man, she owes me nothing.” Luca spoke firmly with a no-nonsense tone.
“Then”—Dima sighed violently—“let’s make this simpler. What is it that you want?”
“From you? Absolutely nothing,” Luca replied. “I am not handing you back, Hayley. She is in my family now, and I will not let her go where she doesn’t feel safe.”
“Part of your family, Luca? Or part of your harem?” Dima hated thinking of his daughter in this way, but he knew the playboy attitude of the Marcello clan.
Even though Lorenzo Borroni told him differently, he couldn’t help but wonder if Luca really had feelings for his daughter.
“I promised to protect her, and I have never broken a promise to her yet,” Luca vowed.
“She doesn’t need protection, and she is my daughter, not another one of your playthings, boy.”
Dima’s words were harsh and intended to rile up Luca, but Luca remained calm and cool.
“She doesn’t want to go back with you,” Luca argued, but Dima shook his head.
“This isn’t a discussion—my daughter is leaving New York with me. Because if she doesn’t, Luca Marcello, I will destroy everything you own.
“I will take down your men and burn the entire city until I get to her—do you understand?”
Luca remained calm as Dima threatened his family and his city.
“Why do you want her so bad?” Luca asked, and Dima sat back in his chair and laughed a little. “Why will you risk your own men for your daughter, who disrespected you and ran from you?”
Dima took another sip of the wine, finishing his glass.
“The bigger question is why do you want her so bad?” Dima asked.
He sat and watched Luca’s face, his eyes. He could see everything he had seen in every ill-fated Mafia man before him, the look he had seen in his own eyes when he was with Emily.
“I see.” Dima laughed.
Luca said nothing. He just watched Hayley’s father talk.
“Lorenzo was right; you show your hand far too easily.”
“I’m not playing games,” Luca spat.
“Me neither. I have never played games. I take everything seriously,” Dima said.
“As do I.” Luca knew this was serious. This wasn’t his girlfriend’s father; this was a Mafia boss, like himself, who was out for the same thing Luca wanted.
“Men like us, Luca, are never destined for happiness. We find whatever joy we can in the power we get and the money we make,” Dima began.
Luca sat composed and calm across from the Russian mobster.
“Hayley doesn’t deserve our world—the violence, the pain, and the possibility of being killed.”
“She doesn’t deserve to be put through a glass coffee table, either,” Luca countered.
“Exactly. That was me being the boss, the man in charge. She doesn’t deserve any of that.” Dima sighed, “She deserves a happy, safe life.
“You grew up in this world. How many men do you know who have a happy love life? Frankie? Your father? Stefano? They all lost their loves, correct?”
Luca couldn’t argue this point. It was true. All of these men had lost their love because of the Mafia world. Frankie and Stefano were not happy. Even Nic, although he had Ava, was too paranoid of losing her to be truly happy.
“Even I couldn’t protect the woman I loved, the child I loved. You know, letting her go is the right thing. You know your world will only hurt her.” Dima shrugged.
“And her walking away with you is such a better choice because?” Luca quizzed.
“I’m her father. I owe her an apology and a way for her to live normally. I will get her out of this life. I will make sure she is happy,” Dima vowed.
Dima knew he had hurt his daughter. He knew she probably didn’t trust him. However, he wanted to change all that and make his little girl love him again.
“What if her happiness is with me?” Luca knew he was showing his emotions, his weak spot, but Luca was dancing with the idea that this man, as much as he’d hurt her previously, had not come to hurt her again.
“I’m not going to lie. She probably is happy, for now,” Dima answered. “But it will be short-lived. You’re a Mafia man, Marcello. You know we can’t love.
“We can’t give the women we love the good things without handing them the bad things as well.”
“I think we will take our chances. She is staying with me,” Luca said firmly, not losing eye contact with Dima.
“Even if it will kill her? Even if you could lose her? An enemy took my Emily; it wasn’t pleasant. I could do nothing but see the aftermath, the videos of what the animals did to her.
“I will never forget her calling out my name.”
“I can protect Hayley. I repeat what I have said: Hayley is not leaving with you.”
Luca repeated his words. It was hard hearing what Dima had gone through, and it was worse to think Hayley had no clue how her mother died. Luca remembered Hayley telling him and his father how her mother had died in a car accident.
“I think we are both too stubborn to budge on this, but I’m not a patient man, Marcello,” Dima said with fire in his voice.
Luca just sat. This was what it would come down to. Neither man was willing to give her up.
“I am going to give you twenty-four hours. I’m not a cruel man. I am giving you a day to get Hayley ready and say goodbye. Then I want to meet here at 7 p.m., when you will let her go.”
Suddenly this wasn’t just about Hayley; this was about pride. Luca was now being threatened, and that didn’t sit well with him.
“You see, if you don’t give me Hayley within the next twenty-four hours, I will kill—I will burn this entire city to find her.”
“It could be your dad I kill, your friend Frankie, or even Siobhan. But someone will die,” Dima promised.
“I don’t work well with threats,” Luca warned.
“I don’t threaten, Mr. Marcello, I promise. Ivan has never missed a shot yet, and for Hayley, I doubt this will be the first time.”
“I’m not scared of you, and I am not giving her up,” Luca repeated his words fiercely.
Dima shrugged, stood up from the table, and looked at Luca.
“Do you know what tomorrow night is?” Dima asked the young Marcello man.
Luca shrugged, disinterested in this man—a man he would happily shoot if it wasn’t for the fact he was Hayley’s dad.
“It’s a blood red moon, you know, when there is blood on the moon. Legend has it when there is blood on the moon, the world will end. Let’s hope no one that you love has their world end tomorrow night.”
Luca could hear the threat in Dima’s voice. He watched as Dima turned on his heel to leave, but Luca had one more thing to say.
“I might not deserve her, Volkova,” Luca’s voice made Dima stop in his tracks, but he didn’t turn to face the Marcello boss. “But I will fight for her until the very last part of me dies; I will fight for her,” Luca promised.
Dima had to admit silently to himself that he was impressed. This boy must love Hayley, but that wasn’t enough in this world.
“Oh, boy,” Dima said, looking over his shoulder at Luca. “Your death can so easily be arranged.” Dima turned back around and walked confidently out the door.
Luca knew he had to fight for her, protect her from all her demons—and his own.
