"What?"

That was the only thing that came into Valerie's head as she crouched on the floor with the burner phone KJ gave her pressed to the side of her head.

A humorless chuckle reverberated through her skull.

This was Jordan, but never as she'd heard him before. He was scaring her.

"I don't like repeating myself. Where are you?" He asked again in a no nonsense tone. Valerie couldn't even bring herself to make eye contact with Luca, who she could feel boring holes into the back of her skull with his eyes.

"Nowhere important. Do you need anything?" She tried to smoothly deescalate the situation. It was absolutely sickening being in this position. Being at someone's mercy just did not sit right with her. Not one bit, but here she was on her knees on the phone with a member of a fucking underground mob in the study of a one of the richest men in America.

Little old Valerie Stevens.

Jordan slowly tsked on the other side of the line.

"Babe, if you're gonna be evasive, I need you to be better. The next person who calls you may not be as patient as me." He scolds her in a mocking voice. Talking to her as if she's his child. "I-" She began, but was quickly cut off.

"I see you're with Luca. Good. Stay on your toes, babygirl."

Then the call ended. He hadn't wanted anything. Obviously they just wanted her to know they knew were she was. No doubt there was a tracker in the cell. Valerie could feel herself trembling ever so slightly and she hoped Luca's eagle eyed gaze would not catch it as she slowly tried to gather herself. Putting her phone back in her purse, she turned and used the corner of the desk to steady her as she got to her feet again.

When she finally did meet Luca's eyes again, he looked immensely displeased.

"Who was that?" He asked, his eyes were scanning her face for any trace of a lie she guessed.

At this rate, Valerie should have went to school for being a fucking secret spy. Everyday something else seemed to be added to her life that had be kept secret from the people she cared about to keep them safe.

"Work. I kinda took off with no notice to be here with you." Valerie disguised her adrenaline let down as nervousness, wringing her hands together and staring at the ground as she willed her heart to stop beating one hundred miles per hour.

Looking at Luca again, she saw a small smile had graced his features.

"I really appreciate you coming to check on me. I've gotten quite a few calls from family, even a fax from my sister in Italy, but no one came by to actually see me. No one, but you." He thoughtfully revealed and it absolutely melted Valerie.

She loved an open, grateful heart. Emotional vulnerability was her sweet spot. Pushing The Armata to the back of her head, she walked towards Luca again and affectionately stroked his jaw. "I'm happy I came by too, Luca." She breathed softly, and just for a moment the two shared a look the could set fire to the frozen tundra.

The warmth that pooled in Valerie's stomach as Luca's focus was purely on her spread throughout her whole body. In that moment, she truly felt like she could let everything go and be fully receptive to him. The past be damned.

It's almost as if Luca could feel her resolve crumbling, he took this chance to hold her hand on his cheek there a bit longer.

"I've never given you a proper tour. Let me show you the house." He stood to his full height from the chair, dwarfing Valerie in seconds.

She didn't particularly enjoy being short. Men got enough breaks in life, height was one she felt they could do without.

But still, when Luca reached behind him to grab her hand as they left the study, she didn't mind the perfect view of his taut back muscles.

"I'm sure you're familiar with the guest wing of the estate. You stayed your first night here. My study marks the end of it. Once you reach this hall of course, this is where I would entertain— if I ever had the interest to." Luca seemed to laugh to himself when he said this.

"Oh? So you think you're interesting enough all by yourself to keep my attention? No extra entertainment needed?" Valerie quipped from behind him. He was leading her through a room that had huge art pieces, she just knew they were worth more than both of her parents' life insurance policies combined five times over.

Luca glanced back at her, spearing her with a look that could've melted her to a puddle right then and there. "What you're not understanding is, the women I bring home come for me."

Valerie's cheeks lit up in flames and she broke their stare stand off first, flinging her eyes onto anything in the room for a couple of seconds to get her bearings.

She had no doubt the woman company Luca brought home needed no other entertainment, but him.

Shit, I was barely containing myself on this measly tour.

It was apparent that Luca thoroughly enjoyed watching her squirm. The grip on her hand got a bit tighter as they dipped into another space. This room held a lone grand piano, Valerie was in love with it at first sight. It was a cherry wood colored piece, something she had never seen before and just the size of it made it feel every bit more of grandiose.

"Do you play?" Valerie asked in an almost dreamlike tone, so absorbed in the beauty of the instrument she wandered towards it. The finish on it felt like porcelain and shone like glass.

"No, but my mother does. She's amazing. She insisted I learned as well, but instead I'd rather just look at it." He revealed sheepishly, and when Valerie finally took her eyes off the piano she saw Luca look just a smidge of embarrassed. Especially now that she seemed so enamored with it.

She snorted before she talked again, "Yeah for sure. This is a beautiful piano, do you have a favorite piece?"

The way that almost every room in this place had immaculate natural lighting was the key to Valerie's heart. The outpouring of sunshine in every room made everything seem so pleasing to the eye, but even in terrible harsh overhead lighting, nothing could make this house look ugly.

And as she gazed up at Luca as he thought for a second, she felt the same about him.

"I love hearing Hallelujah by Leo Cohen, do you know it? Do you play?" He quickly shot out making Valerie laugh as she nodded shyly. She found herself slowly letting go of his hand to go sit at the piano's bench, resting her hands softly on the keys.

It had been a while since she played, but when she was younger Valerie was in love with the piano. It seemed music always knew what to say when she had no words.

However, she was self taught. Learning songs by slowly singing them and matching keys to notes. Today was not the day she was going to show off and try to be silent playing either.

So, while Luca stood behind her, she took a breath and shook her hair behind her shoulders. Playing the first few notes of the intro felt like stepping into the pool for the first time after not swimming for a minute. The soft intake of breath she heard from Luca let her know that she wasn't entirely trash though.

"Now I heard there was a secret chord, that David played and it pleased the Lord, but you don't really care for music do ya?" Valerie rasped the first lyric, softly clearing her throat.

Her nerves were going crazy, but instead of making her want to throw up on the piano keys... she felt like there was electricity dancing up her forearms and traveling through her toes.

"It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth. The minor fall, the major lift— the baffled king composing Hallelujah. Hallelujah..."

In her mind, she was so happy he chose this song. Valerie had loved this song since she was a child and first heard it on Shrek. It was so beautiful, oddly sad, but beautiful.

"Your faith was strong, but you needed proof. You saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya..." Valerie found herself giggling a bit at the silence in the room as she sung, her fingers dancing effortlessly over the keys now. She reveled in this confidence she was feeling, music was truly her element.

It was almost as if Luca wasn't there, so she glanced back at him.

Big mistake.

As she continued to play, their eyes locking seemed to ignite a fire inside of his already blazing gaze. It was almost as if he was looking through her; he stood there with arms crossed, studying her like she was the most beautiful piece of art he'd ever seen.

Instead of shrinking away from the desire curling in her belly, Valerie dared to embrace it. Licking her lips slowly as she withdrew breath for the few lyrics left she had to sing to get through the song. She held his eye contact unwaveringly.

"She tied you to the kitchen chair, she broke your throne and she cut your hair, and from your lips you drew a... hallelujah. Hallelujah."

Valerie just knew her face was on fire, it felt as if most of her body was. She found herself feeling like she and Luca were in another dimension, away from everyone else in the world. Just her, him, and the music.

Sweetly finishing the song, she found herself letting out a soft breath— she didn't even realize she had been holding it because of the nerves. Her legs wouldn't move to turn around and face Luca now that she was finished, she felt so exposed sharing her craft with him. She was almost sure he'd heard it a million times, a million better times at that.

Soft footsteps could be heard as he walked up behind her, then she could feel his body heat on her side. Familiar calloused fingertips lifted her chin to meet those deliriously dreamy toffee colored eyes, so warm she felt she could bathe and drown.

Valerie found herself biting down on her bottom lip from the closeness, she watched in awe as the toffee turned to chocolate. His eyes darkened considerably as his drank her in.

"That was absolutely beautiful, Valerie."

The way she felt herself light up under his gaze, she beamed at his compliment. She lightly held the wrist that was under her chin. "Thank you, that means so much to me. I... I haven't played in years." She nervously stammered out.

It was like their bodies wordlessly communicated with each other as Luca's fingertips led her up from the piano bench and to his side again, almost like she belonged there. His eyes were still glowing with some new emotion she couldn't quite place, it was breathtaking to behold.

He made her feel like she was the prettiest girl in the world. Taking her hand again, he kissed it softly, never breaking eye contact from her. All the breath had left her body with that single move.

"You should play every second of the day with a talent like that. It was like the piano was singing with you, not under you. I've never experienced that." Luca continued to praise her as he led her out of the piano room and back on their path throughout his house. Valerie finding herself growing more and more comfortable in his very tall shadow.

Throughout the house there were more small bedrooms and he let her peak in them all. Each one put hers at home to shame. One even had the sweetest green duvet on top, it reminded her of Hydia's eyes, the girl Luca took from the auction that one night.

She stopped in her tracks, making Luca scuffle a bit since he was leading her. He turned to look at her with confusion.

"What ever happened to Hydia?" Valerie couldn't stop the words from flying out of her mouth.

Luca's eyes widened a fraction, but he didn't miss a beat.

"She's back in her home country. The day you left actually, I sent her home that evening." He revealed coolly. Glancing back at the very room the woman stayed in.

If she hadn't talked to Hydia that day she left, she'd press for more. The woman had said she trusted Luca with her life...

"Why... why are you apart of that association? They had a literal human black market, Luca."

Words just kept coming out, words that she knew she wasn't ready to hear the answer to. Not with her plate so quickly with other things elsewhere.

They stood statue still in the hallway they were. Luca still held tightly onto her hand, his eyes so searing it was like they were looking into the very depths of her. Valerie swallowed softly, his gaze was weighty. She kept her composure as best as she could, praying to God whatever his answer was wouldn't knock her off her feet.

She knew in her heart he was a good man.

However, how bad could a good man get?

"It's a carryover from my father being the head of the business. The American Affluence Assurance group played a big part in our success when we were just a start up lending group. We owe a lot to their founders." He drawled off like he was reading a script. That was not settling to Valerie, it was like what they did didn't faze him.

But why would it if it's been like this since the business began?

Valerie stayed silent, hoping he'd touch on the market part all on his own. She was not a PR person, she was no paparazzi. She just wanted the truth, she wanted to feel safe with him when her world was increasingly becoming more dangerous.

Luca's intensity did not waver in his stare, he kept Valerie's eye contact until he didn't. His eyes flitting down to their entangled fingers. Coming together like they'd been designed to fit that way the whole time of their lives.

"The market has been a new addition to those meetings. Under Jeffrey and Margret's control of the board. It's popular with the newer members. I have... no say in the matter until I become head the business." He very darkly mutters the last part, like he was disgusted with the situation.

And that's exactly what Valerie feared he would say, or at least something like that. Something that alluded to him being powerless... almost. Not if she bit the bullet and married him, then he could gain control of the business and free those fucking girls. Her conscience was now involved.

All she could do right now was nod. Squeezing his hand as her meager support. His head raised at that, his gaze now softening on her. He pulls her into his side and puts an arm around her shoulder, the warmth from his body seeping into her side.

"Shall we continue our tour?" He asks, waiting for her okay. Valerie glances down at her phone in her purse and realizes it's almost five in the evening. She'd arrived around twelve. Glancing out the nearest window, the sun was also beginning to set. So, she shook her head no.

"I think I should be heading out. It's getting late..." Valerie sheepishly admitted. She watched as Luca's eyes dimmed a little, but his face didn't falter. He just nodded and turned them both around to head back the way they came.

Valerie was so glad she came as they walked slowly down his seemingly endless halls. Being with him in such a relaxed setting gave her time to actually enjoy him a bit. No, today he wasn't berating her on her life choices or begging to fix up her finances.

He was him and she was herself.

"I hope you know you're not taking the bus home." Luca told her matter-of-factly.

Valerie just smiled, unconsciously turning her body into his. She drew her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. This was the Luca she knew, but different. This over powering she could handle. It was endearing.

It was like he'd been waiting for her touch the whole time the way Luca melted into the embrace. As they stood at the doorway of his mansion, locked into each other.

And in that moment of them just being,

Valerie could've sworn she felt him kiss the top of her head.

***

(a//n: please don't mind the typos, it's 3:35 am. luv ya! ;) )