The room goes dead quiet.
A murmur ripples through the room, low and furious.
But Luca isn’t looking at Spike anymore.
He’s looking past him to the corner of the room.
Instinctively, I follow his gaze.
And my blood runs cold.
Because he’s staring straight at Maverick.
Maverick, who was leaning against the wall a second ago like he didn’t have a care in the world…now goes completely still.
Still like a predator who just heard the wrong twig snap.
His eyes lift from his phone, locking onto Luca. Something sharp flashes through them.
Then Luca bows his head.
“We lost Enzo… and three of the children.”
For one heartbeat, nothing moves.
Then Maverick does.
But it isn’t the usual lazy saunter or amused eyebrow.
It’s rage.
Explosive.
Immediate.
Raw.
“Che cazzo hai detto?!”Maverick snarls, shoving off the wall so fast even Bones flinches.
His American accent drops straight through the floor.
What hits the room instead is pure Italian fury. Thick, sharp, slicing the air like a blade.
“Bambini?” he demands. “You’re telling me…children…were killed?”
Luca swallows hard. “I’m so sorry, Boss.”
Maverick’s face is etched with fury and grief as he walks around the table to Luca.
Then he switches languages so fast it’s dizzying.
“Dio santo… no, no… figli di puttana…”
He drags both hands through his hair, pacing a single line before rounding on Luca again.
“What happened? How? We have a dozen fucking safety measures in place. WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED, LUCA?”
Luca’s voice is small. Broken.
