(a//n: this is not edited one fuckin bit. pls point out typos. thx. :))

Luca looks at Valerie in complete surprise at her quick answer and she beams at him in return.

"You do?" He asks incredulously, his face softening the smallest bit.

Valerie nods, looking down at her hands in her lap before looking back at Luca. "I do. I'm tired of losing, and we won't be losing to Michael of all people. I got this." She assured him, even though her mind was running every possible mess up that could occur.

Reaching over to Valerie's seat Luca held her throat softly and guided her mouth to his, kissing her deeply. Valerie returned the kiss, leaning farther over the cup holders that separated them, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt as the kiss stole every breath in her body.

When they pulled away, Luca held her close still, searching her face for something. His eyes were the color of dark chocolate, Valerie felt as if she could drown in them.

"I don't want any more secrets between us, from this point forward." He told her, his breath was warm against her lips. The gruffness in his voice making Valerie's eyes flutter closed.

She breathlessly nodded her head, her hands still holding onto him like he was about to disappear into thin air. Luca chuckled at her smitten expression and kissed her forehead.

"You know I won't accept that, love. Tell me what I want to hear." He softly reiterated.

Valerie felt her cheeks heating up slightly and she laughed herself, willing herself to meet his eyes. She was taken aback by how expressive they were now, how warmly he was regarding her.

"No more secrets. We're a team." Valerie sighed, and Luca looked confused for a moment. Valerie continued to speak, grinning. "Yes, a team. I think we've established fully I am not a good Sub."

Luca rolled his eyes at that, but instead of agreeing— he kissed her again. This time more fervently than the last which caught Valerie by surprise as he claimed her mouth as his, a soft moan escaping her as he pulled her across the separation of their two seats.

In his arms, Valerie straddled his lap, her hands leaving his shirt behind and reaching for his hair instead. The mess of curls grounding her as their mouths hungrily clashed. Luca's hands found their way to the top of her shirt, pulling it apart making the buttons spring off of it.

Valerie looked down at her exposed chest and gasped, laughing at the audacity of him. "You couldn't have just had me take it off?" She asked him, shrugging the now ruined plaid off of her. Luca's eyes panned her body slowly, then his eyes met hers again.

"I'm a fan of instant gratification."

She could not protest as he held her breasts in his hands before his head delved to capture her nipple in his mouth, with the other hand he tugged and twisted her other nipple. Valerie was shocked at the pleasure that ran down her spine, her back arching pushing her closer into his chest.

The cab of the car rose one hundred degrees as she began to pant, grabbing Luca's head and kissing him once more, this time her tongue was the one who claimed his mouth. Her dominance eliciting a groan from deep inside him that she swallowed in another deliciously messy kiss.

Luca's hand's now palmed her ass, raising her up and against him. The sweet friction of their bodies meeting like this made Valerie's whole body tingle and she couldn't stop herself from continuing to meet his hard jean covered length over and over again. The way his eyes watched her as she became a hot needy mess in his lap made her want to explode in all the right ways.

"Do you want this?" He asked her, bringing her face to meet his as she grinned on his lap. His hand softly holding her throat, but it was on the tip of her tongue to ask him to choke her.

The huskiness in his tone plunging Valerie deeper into her lust induced. She found the confidence to look him in the eye, "Yes. I want it."

It was another level of intimacy every time she consented to him. Luca's eyes seemed to cloud with need the instant her lips uttered confirmation.

Valerie reached for her jeans zipper and hurriedly took them off as Luca unzipped himself as well. Once again, she was met with a bit of nervousness— his need almost reaching her navel, but the way she was soaking she needed him more.

Luca's hand around her throat went to the back of her neck, his other hand on her waist as he lifted her up. Valerie had closed her eyes, her hands on his shoulders. Then she heard him laughing which caused her to peek her eye open at him.

"Love, you're gonna have to put it in."He explained, humor dancing in his eyes.

Valerie tried to hide her look of surprise, but it obviously didn't work, Luca just looked more amused as she shakily reached behind her and grasped the hardness that was him. When her hands wrapped around him, his eyes closed, his brow furrowing like she'd be the thing to undo him just by touching him.

"A-am I hurting you?" She asked nervously, still right above her entrance.

He shook his head and tried to smile at her, but her fingers moving simply elicited another deep moan from him.

Taking a deep breath, Valerie began to push him inside of her and it felt like he was taking her from the first time all over again. A hot sharp pain made her squeak and she knew this was only the beginning of him, but Luca had now recovered. He was in control as he slowly lowered her down onto him, fully seating her before he'd even begun to move.

The fullness inside her made her squirm, her core ached for him to move, but Luca stayed still. He pulled her hair back, exposing her neck to his mouth as he placed open mouth kisses all the way up to her jaw line. When he reached her ear, he traced the curve of it with his tongue.

The moan that coaxed out of Valerie she didn't even recognize herself.

"You're so fucking wet. You made this mess for me?" His warm breath washed over her as he spoke into her ear.

She didn't get to answer him as he began to move her up on his shaft, the movement feeling like sweet relief. Luca's pace was slow, every thrust it seemed like he was trying to make her feel every single of inch him and she was. The warmth in her belly curled as he filled her over and over and over again.

Valerie couldn't help herself, she needed him so bad. With her hands on his shoulders, she began to meet his thrusts, her hips rising and falling in rhythm with his and this surprised Luca. He devilishly grinned as he began to speed up, the force of him pounding her beginning to shake the car.

"You want me to fuck you like this? Take it." He growled under her as he began to fill her at a dizzying pace. Every thrust pushing deeper and deeper into her until she reached her orgasm with a screaming moan.

Luca pulled her hair as she did so, only heightening the feeling so much that her toes curled. He didn't slow down inside her, continuing to ram into her until he followed her undoing, his hold on her waist tightening as he threw his head back against the seat's headrest.

Valerie tried to climb off of him, but her legs trembled as she did so.

I just know my fucking legs aren't shaking.

She cursed in her head, already knowing Luca was going to be smug about it. When she met his eyes he already was smirking. He didn't say a word as he lifted her and helped her back over into the passenger seat of the car.

When she took in her surroundings again, she noticed all of the windows were fogged up. Her hand slapped over her mouth in embarrassment. Luca chuckled as he zipped his pants again.

"You did it."

He stated, as he pushed the defrosting button to unfog the windows. Valerie was absolutely mortified, but in the best way. She began laughing right along with him and in no time they were on their way home.

***

The next day Luca actually stayed home with Valerie from work. It meant a lot to her that he did this. While they spent time together he explained to her how things had gone at the meeting he had with the AAA board on her new initiative.

"I mean, you're not a household name, but many members do respect your step forward and your ability to think quickly on your feet. The award won by seven votes out of an overall ten men." He explained while writing something down in his planner.

Valerie was perched on his lap, scrolling through Twitter. She had to be constantly doing something or her mind would go back to Nicki's screams in her head.

She didn't have the time to grieve right now. She could not be a weak link.

"Hmm. That's nice." She responded absentmindedly to Luca.

He noticed the vacancy in her tone and stopped writing, putting his hand over her phone and calling her attention to him. Valerie tried her best to shake his hand off of her screen, but the huge and heavy weight didn't move. She looked his way begrudgingly, to which he just offered a sympathetic look.

"Talk to me." He told her, the tone he took let her know that there would be no hiding and reminded her that they did promise to be truthful with each other. With a small sigh, Valerie looked away from him, her eyes already stinging as she let the thoughts of Nicki come to her again.

"I was so close to saving her, Luca... If you could have only seen how close. I had completely broken her from her shackles and she was just r-ripped from my hands." Valerie's voice was tight and shaky. The tears in her eyes wanted so badly to fall, but she refused.

She refused to keep crying. She was so tired of crying.

Luca stayed silent for a moment which only left Valerie more room to produce more tears. She tilted her head back so they wouldn't run down her cheeks.

"The Armata is notorious for being ruthless murderers. However, it baffles me that they changed their one rule." He revealed thoughtfully, and it withdrew Valerie from her mournful haze momentarily. She sniffled and wiped at her eyes, still not looking at Luca.

"W-What rule?" She asked begrudgingly, as she took the tissues Luca was handing her in exchange for sitting her cellphone on the desk. He smoothed her hair, it was slicked into a low knot, and rubbed circles in the small of her back.

"They don't kill women. Italian roots, they prided themselves on respecting women to a degree. New generation of mobsters, I suppose." Luca went on to say and it made hope flicker in Valerie's heart for a moment. However, when her mind's eye transported her to the way Colton promised Nicki's death as he stood over Sylvia's bleeding body...

She couldn't see how he could spare her dear friend any mercy.

Rules or not.

Valerie just blew her nose loudly into her tissue and threw it in the trash bin by Luca's desk. Hope was the greatest thief of joy right now.

Pressing a kiss to her temple, Luca resumed writing in his schedule, his free arm resting in Valerie's lap. Her mood had soured and she didn't feel like sharing that sadness on a chill day for him.

"I'm gonna go to the kitchen for a snack, do you want anything?" She offered as she got up from him and straightened out his huge high school football jersey she'd worn to bed the night before.

Luca shook his head, but looked up at her as she walked to the door of his study. "On second thought, a bowl of olives would be nice." He told her.

Valerie wrinkled her nose in the doorway. Olives were absolutely disgusting to her.

It's really the texture.

"We have to get you checked out... olives are a sin." She told him, and Luca laughed. He was laughing a lot more since the air had cleared between them.

"If you wanted to play doctor, all you had to do was ask..." He deeply drawled, taking off his glasses and going to unbutton his shirt. Valerie faux barfed and dashed from the doorway, Luca's laugh following her down the hall.

She smiled to herself as she walked downstairs, she couldn't believe how being secret free had strengthened their relationship so fast. Her stupidity from the last few months truly made her kick herself now.

When she reached the kitchen, she grabbed a bowl of grapes that were already washed and prepared by some of the staff and then proceeded to grab Luca's olives and put them in a small bowl of their own before heading back to his study. When she arrived, Luca was deep into a phone call, she paid it no mind at first, throwing a handful of grapes into her mouth.

Then she realized the conversation was happening on her cellphone.

"Thanks, we'll be right over." He needed the call, and Valerie arched a brow at him.

He sheepishly smiled, "Sorry. You were gone." He offered and she rolled her eyes. Luca grinned.

"Sylvia says she has important news to show us." He added, clearing off his desk and standing up. Valerie turned around in the doorway to head to the bedroom to change clothes.

"She had important news to show me." Valerie corrected.

"How about I get in you somehow and then we call it even?"

***

Sylvia's house was a nice town house, she lived in a seemingly quiet gated community.

When they pulled in front of it toys littered the front yard. A huge blow up ball, a three wheeled bike, and lots of toy trains were strewn in the grass. It was more than apparent a child lived here.

When Valerie and Luca walked up to the door, the security door was already opened and what kept the house closed off was a mesh screen door. Luca leaned forward and knocked on it loudly while Valerie called inside:

"Sylvia! It's me and this guy who keeps following me!"

Luca laid a hard smack on her ass for her addition to the greeting, Valerie secretly enjoyed the sting spreading across her back.

In a few more seconds, there were small padded footsteps that could be heard slapping against the hardwood floors of the house and a small brown boy with huge chocolate curls came up to the door.

He looked up at Valerie and Luca with the same hazel colored eyes Sylvia had, he was covered in red paste from his hands up to his forearms. Red was also all over his shirt and neck. Valerie's heart dropped.

Instantly she crouched to the boy's height on the other side of the door, "Hi cutie, my name is Valerie and that's Luca behind me," she started talking in a soothing voice, making sure not to startle that boy even though she felt like she was going to be sick.

The little boy's eyes simply stayed on Valerie as she spoke, regarding her passively.

"We're your mommy's friends. Is-is your mommy okay? What's all this red stuff on you?"

The boy looked at his arms and hands like he didn't even notice the mess that was all over him, then instantly plunged his fingers into his mouth. He couldn't have been more than three years old, if that.

Valerie felt like she was going to pass out.

"I think we need to call the poli—"

Luca's recommendation was cut off by larger footsteps coming from in the house and the little boy ran towards them. "Hey, wait!" Valerie called, but the little boy was already gone from her sight. Valerie pressed her face against the mesh to try to see closer inside, but it was futile.

"Sorry, guys! We're making red velvet cookies!" Sylvia's voice singsonged as she suddenly appeared in the doorway, smeared with the same red paste all over her.

A bright red slash of it on her forehead as well. Her shoulder from the gunshot wound was thickly bandaged. The little boy was contently riding on her hip now, fingers still in his mouth.

The couple sighed in relief at the same time.

Sylvia unlocked then pushed open the screen door for Valerie and Luca to enter, softly giggling at their relived expressions. "What's up with you guys? You look like you see dead people."

"You have know idea." Valerie responded, following Sylvia around her house. Dodging even more toys like legos and jacks as she led them into her living room.

Sylvia had a brightly decorated house. The space was burnt orange with brown leather couches and her son's playpen was yellow, the flat screen TV in the middle of the wall was the only mundane colored thing because it was black.

They all sat at different places on the couch and Sylvia placed her son in her lap, the boy babbled to himself as she kissed his cheek playfully. Sylvia smiled at Valerie and Luca then fluffed the boy's curly fro to life with her fingers.

"This is Malcom! He's my son, as you may have guessed. Buddy this is Auntie Val and Uncle Luca, should we share our cookies with them?" She cheerfully introduced them and tried to goad Malcolm into saying hello, tickling his tummy when the boy stayed silent which made him wiggle off her lap and onto the ground in fit of laughter.

Valerie was absolutely smitten. She was reminded of when her nephews were his age.

Now they were little demons.

Malcolm then got off of the ground and waddled over to a model train set and began to press buttons on it, amusing himself. Sylvia watched with a content smile on her face before grabbing a manilla folder that was resting on the clear glass table in front of the couch. She shook the folder like it was the key to all their problems.

"So, since our failed heist a couple days ago there has been an actual shit show on the markets. Michael has literally sold all his stock in every other company, but G.E. so we can estimate he has about one hundred and fifty billion dollars." Sylvia opened up the envelope, careful not to get her red velvet stains on anything.

Luca sat back on the couch, taking out his cellphone and wildly scrolling. Valerie just sat there, for some reason there was an impending sense of doom in her heart.

"If I'm not mistaken, Luca you hold seventy five billion in your company and your father holds around fifty right?" Sylvia continued, then glancing at the smart watch on her wrist she tapped on it and looked at a chart.

Luca hummed his affirmation of her facts, his phone began to ping rapidly and Valerie looked over. His expression had darkened considerably. Sylvia gasped on her side of the couch.

"The share price just dropped."

They said in unison. Luca reeking with anger and Sylvia in unabashed disbelief.

"He's striking right now, Luca. Right now! You have to get in and bid, I'd say around three hundred billion or more. I know he has more than one fifty." Sylvia hopped up from her seat and dashed over to where Luca was now pacing.

Valerie felt helpless, she didn't understand stocks. She didn't understand how Michael could simply just take the company, by holding more shares. It was all fucking nuts to her.

All she did was keep her eyes on Malcolm, a train whirling around on the toy tracks he was entranced with. She wished she was tied to the tracks like an old timey cartoon.

She couldn't believe her stupidness had a part to play in this.

Sylvia was screaming at Luca to hurry, the share pricing dropping by dollars every minute and the market closed at five p.m. It was currently four forty five. Luca was silently brooding, his hands moving at lightning speed as he declined seemingly hundreds of calls being rung in to his phone.

All of his staff and the board seemed to be watching the company drop to a new low for the first time in history and of course as his first year as CEO.

"Shares are currently fifty fucking dollars, Luca. End it, now. People are pulling out like crazy." Sylvia continued to berate him, she'd grabbed the manilla folder again, flipping through papers like crazy like the answer to the problem would just fall out on the ground.

The clock was four fifty three.

Luca's phone rang again and this time he answered, although his hands did not slow down. His brow had furrowed deeply and Valerie hadn't seen him this stressed at all before, his cool calm and demeanor had vanished. Although his face was still as stone as any other day, she could see he was scared.

He was afraid he was going to lose his company.

"If you help Michael take this company from Luca, you might as already be dead."

Sylvia's voice reminded her although she was right across the room from her. Valerie was a sitting fucking duck, just hoping and praying their journey wouldn't end like this. More blood on her hands. Not when they'd just gotten good.

"Luca do you see this shit?! The market is a fuckin' blood bath. I've got shareholders on all of my lines screaming bloody murder! What the fuck is going on?!" Romano's fury poured the Luca's phone speakers. He sounded a few moments a way from a heart attack.

"It's Michael. Valerie had already told you." Luca replied, his calm barely seeming true. Anger flickered in his words, Valerie wished he'd finally give that old man a piece of his mind. He didn't deserve the respect.

"Will you give that Michael shit up?! He's a dunce! A fuckin' dud if I ever fuckin' made one and I'm beginning to think you are too! You better fix this shit, Don or I swear to God I will make you regret the day you swam out of my fuckin' balls!" He continued to yell. Luca didn't respond, his forehead shone with sweat.

"Luca are you fuckin' listening to me?! Luca— oh my God. It's gone. It's all gone. My life's fuckin' work—"

Luca hung up the phone mid despair rant from his father.

Valerie's heart was in her feet.

Did we really just lose?

The clock now blinked five-o-one. The market had closed for the day.

"It's over." Luca said. No emotion was in his voice.

Sylvia dropped the manilla folder in her hands and papers scattered all over the floor.