𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐚

Lia smiled at Cesare. It was the first real smile she had given him since we entered the room, Cesare seemed confused by it, suspicious of it.

"What?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Now we take out your firstborn," I mumbled carelessly, pulling a seat from one of Cesare's guys standing in front of me.

"No. No. I didn't kill you."

I know.

"I told Marco to make sure it's a scratch." he continued.

"Did you?" I asked in a mocking tone, looking at my bandaged hand hidden inside my coat.

"Yes." He replied even though it was a rhetorical question.

"If it was just a scratch, why did he bleed so much?" Lia interjected. I cleared my voice to keep her from adding any emotional information.

"He can still race, can't he?"

Lia clenched her jaw, her black eyes unblinkingly fixed on Cesare for more than a minute he became nervous. The righteous fury emanating from her got everyone in the room skittish.

"You said it was a message," she shrugged, intentionally resting her eyes on Riccardo before moving them to his father. "how about we send one of our own?"

"Look, I made a mistake." Don Cesare said, motioning with his hands. Even though he did not plead, he seemed like he would have. But a Don didn't plead, or beg especially not in front of his men.

"Okay. How about Marco?" Lia prompted, her attention moving to the guy who had shot me. I could tell that Lia would forever hold a grudge against him. Whether he was following orders or not didn't matter to her. He had shot me, and that was enough to be on her hit list.

Marco's eyes shot up, panic clouded them, his gun wavering.

"How about we shoot you? Not kill of course. A scratch like Don Cesare says." Lia was not about to get out of this room without hurting someone. Not that I could blame her. I wanted to rip Marco into shreds and throw his remains at his uncle.

Marco did not say anything or perhaps I waylaid his response when I asked, " What can you give us, Don Cesare."

He looked confused at first, "surely you don't think we would leave this room without something..."

"What do you need?"

I shrugged, staring at him until I heard a commotion outside the door. Matteo opened the door to reveal a few men in suits. I recognized some of them from the triple B drawing room during the briefing on Dr Charlie's burial.

"Information on Romigi." What followed was the most disturbing, disgustingly immoral recollection I have ever heard in my life. I shouldn't have been surprised given what he had already said in our first meeting with the families, yet I was.

Uncle Raph once told me that every leader should have a line which he would never cross.

He drew a line on drugs and child prostitution. "Ironic, isn't it? he had said with a weary laugh, "that they make the most money." something in me recoiled at the idea of what this meant for our family.

Romigi had to go. There was no way the patriarchs would keep him under our family.

"By Antonio, you mean my dad's biological father?" Lia queried, her stance not changing. Uncle Rom was right, Lia was improving. Her emotions were in check, and no one could tell what the hell was going on in her head. It made me anxious that I couldn't tell either. Lia was different in this room. More confident, more sure of herself, her emotions hidden behind those beautiful black orbs.

Cesare smirked, and Lia nodded.

"Okay. Let's make a deal, we let your son live in exchange of a meeting." I said, leaning forward, the gun resting on my kneel.

"A meeting?" he arched a brow as if that not only surprised him but scared him too.

"Yeah," I affirmed.

"With whom?"

"Our bosses." Lia bad I both said at the same time. It was like we could read each other's minds.

Cesare was afraid. I could be too if I were him. It scared him having to face three men who had made their reputation while they were so young and to be where they are today.

They were fearless. Cesare would face my father. I don't think my dad would let him off the hook for having the guts to have me shot.

"I can't do that."

I shrugged, "it's your choice, a meeting or your son dies. It is a simple choice."

"It is not and you know it."

"Surely you cannot trade your son's life for one little meeting."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Let me help you make it," Lia gently said, in a tone that concealed her next move that when it happened, all of us gasped, and our team quickly flanked both of us, aiming guns at each other while Marco groaned in pain.

"What's wrong Marco? Your uncle said it was a scratch but there you are with your face turning red, whimpering in pain while Luc drove us home. Don't dish out what you can't take."

********************
             𝐋𝐢𝐚
********************

Luc's lips stretched into an impressed smile, and it felt good to see it.

Does every girl in love feel the way I do with Luca? This need I had to impress him, surprise him even. Just when he thinks he knows everything about me, I rise up to surprise him in ways he couldn't see coming.

"I'll meet them." Cesare raises up one of his hands in surrender.

"Don't forget the house always wins," Luca says, getting to his feet beside me, his hand on my back leading me outside the room as our team parts to let us out. Before we cross the threshold, I turn back and say, "Make sure to bring Marco." and we left.

"Wanna go dancing?" Luca whispers to my ear.

"No. I want to sleep. My stomach has been in knots since we decided to do this." I whisper back, holding onto his arm.

"You were amazing in there."

I grin, "I know. Nobody gets away with hurting you. Not on my watch." I added.

He turns his eyes to me, and I see them turn smoky, intent written all over his gaze when he dragged that gaze down my face like a careless.

"If you kiss me in front of all these men, I will smother you with a pillow until your last breath." I threaten, hastening my walk and leaving him a step behind me.

He chuckled, and it reminded me of dark chocolate.

"I thought you were my protector."

"Not from myself."

In one stride, he catches up to me. "Who says I'm sleeping with you?" he teases me, his hand back to my lower back. I noticed the men were spread out, and other than Dev and Matteo who were aggressively debating the best football team in Italy, no one would hear what he was telling me.

"First, I would bet a million dollars that you will be sleeping beside me tonight," I told him sotto voce and second, even if you won't be, I know the direction to your room."

"I could decide to sleep in Zion's room today." He says, touching my face with his stubble.

"Ouch," I exclaimed, feigning pain when I was really enjoying the scratching on my face. I didn't care whether it left marks or a scratch or two, I loved the feeling.

"I know where he sleeps too." his arm was now around my shoulder and I rested both my hands in his as we slowly walked to our car.

"I fucking love you." He murmured, it was almost inaudible that if I wasn't so attuned to him, I would have missed it.

"You do?" I asked, and he chuckled. He knew I wanted to hear it again. I always wanted to hear it again and again. It was an endless longing to hear him say he loved me.

"Yes. Crazily, endlessly, unequivocally."

"I love you too."

"You do?" he asked me the same question I had asked him.

"Hmm," I reply and he narrows his eyes at me which makes me laugh, happily, contentedly.

"I do. That's why you're my date to the Red carpet."

"I am."

"Yes Sir." I tell him, playfully pulling his index finger.

"Say that again?"

"What?" I pretend not to know what he is talking about.

"That."

"What?"

"Say it again and I will make you cum until your body can't take it anymore."

"No deal. I don't have to make that deal. You always make sure I'm bone tired anyway."

He grinned, then said, "say it again and you can have anything you want from me."

"Oh, my God. You're serious."

"Of course I am. It sounded kinky."

"It's not kinky."

"How would you know."

"S and I read Fifty Shades of Grey

"It's about kinky stuff?"

I honestly to God blushed. "You don't need to know."

"I beg to differ."

I don't reply to that. I'm starting to regret telling him.

"Damn, Lia, you're perfect." I'm immediately suspicious thinking he wanted to know how much kinky I knew, but the look on his face takes my breath away. "I knew when I was fourteen that I would want you forever. I couldn't have you then because we were too young, the tattoo ring on my finger was like a solemn promise —a vow that I belonged to only one girl, you.

"Even in your dating history?"

"Yes. I've only ever loved you. And I always will."