“When I got out of prison…” He cleared his throat. “I got out with nothing but vengeance on my mind. I conditioned my heart not to feel shit for what all I had planned out. I lost the only person that took their time to love me, accept me, and show me things outside of the mafia. Then I saw you…” Luca swallowed down his own emotions, he didn’t want to waver in the moment with his own battles.
He had to be her strength in her state of vulnerability. La’Nova wasn’t the type of woman to openly break down and cry in front of anyone. It didn’t matter to Luca that it was tears of joy coming from her right now.
“I saw so many things from you the first time I saw you. Whatever pain that radiated off of you in my mom’s office tangled with my own pain. It’s not the same, but in a sense it’s familiar. It’s the type of feeling that makes you feel permanently damaged… unfixable pain that you try to figure out how to navigate through life with…”
La’Nova blinked back her tears and looked Luca in the eyes. She wondered how a man like Luca could come from a man who killed her parents. How did she allow herself to even feel so connected and concerned for him as each day went pass?
She wanted to hate Luca. He was Kentrell’s brother, and the only Bonetti that she deemed as decent was Lucille to a certain extent. She looked at Lucille with a strong side because of House of Angels. While it was supposed to help save women from pimps and traffickers, Lucille sometimes embraced her role acting like the women’s pimps once she realized they wanted to continue to use their bodies since that was all they knew from the beginning.
La’Nova wanted to fall for Luca but knew once the truth came out about who she was and what all she did for Kentrell… Death would be her only sentence from Luca.
Luca continued to pour into her, caress her with so much intention that it made her cry harder. She ugly cried, her soul poured out in each tear she dropped. She closed her eyes, not wanting to take in the space, the gift that Luca took the time to surprise her with.
Her mind went back into survival mode. She thought about the money she had saved, the blackmail that Kentrell held over her head. La’Nova thought about all the possibilities and weighed the good with bad. The longer she kept her camper parked at Luca’s estate, the more she considered herself playing with Luca’s emotions as well as her own.
She made a silent decision to leave quietly and run far away from the Bonetti family. Fuck the hidden money and fuck Kentrell. Luca didn’t deserve to fall for who he would one day consider his enemy.
“The ball is in your court, Nova Baby,” Luca whispered, cutting right into La’Nova’s deep thoughts. “We going your pace. I’m not running from this… I hope you don’t either.”
Luca leaned down and brushed his lips against her forehead, then her temple, letting each touch say what his voice still struggled to express.
I have to run. I’m so sorry…La’Nova thought.
Chapter 16
Two weeks, no La’Nova…February 25th, 2026
Di Lucas Bonetti stood near the window with his gold cane planted firmly against the floor. He didn’t need to be verbally told something was wrong with Luca, he could see it. He noticed everything with the people he loved.
Di Lucas eyed Luca’s house staff with a wrinkled nose. He licked his thin lips before taking a much-needed sip of cognac, then looked over at his grandson. He took in his rugged appearance.
Luca needed a haircut; dark bags sat underneath his eyes, indicating that he hadn’t slept in days. His white button up shirt was lightly wrinkled along with his black slacks that normally had a crease down the middle. The rain outside, along with the dark clouds, matched his mood.
Roy sat across from Luca, legs spread with his elbows resting on his knees. He looked better than Luca did. Every couple of seconds Roy’s eyes flicked to Luca. Roy’s concern for Luca was etched on his face. The past couple of weeks went on with both men working side by side without many words being exchanged.
Luca plotted hard, checked in on things that he didn’t have to tend to since it was Roy’s job. Roy hated that Luca even took a liking to La’Nova from jump. He knew it would go sour before their thing even had a chance to taste sweet. Roy just didn’t expect for Luca to shut down the way that he did. It was all in his actions.
As bad as Di Lucas wanted to acknowledge Luca’s three-sixty from the last time he saw him, he held back due to more important matters that called for immediate attention.
“Lucille’s house staff is more appealing than yours.” He grunted the words out, breaking the silence.
Roy barked out a laugh before he could stop himself.
“Real shit, I was thinking the same thing. Lucille had nothing but fine ass hoes tiptoeing around the Bonetti estate.”
Luca’s face remained emotionless. He didn’t bother looking at Di Lucas or acknowledging Roy. He held his hands up and signed slowly.
“I don’t care how the house staff looks… I have no intentions on fucking them.”
Roy’s smile faded, he leaned back watching Luca’s hands move with controlled precision. Luca hadn’t really used his voice since La’Nova disappeared. Only the twins got his whispered words.
Di Luca stepped away from the window and slowly made his way over to the loveseat. He took a seat, followed by a huff as if those few steps took too much out of him.
“Roy said you were talking more… said you seen a good specialist for your throat.” Di Lucas glanced over at Roy. “Why aren’t you speaking all of a sudden?”
“If Roy told you that, then you know about La’Nova.”
Luca’s jaw tightened; as bad as he wanted to terminate her out of his mind, he couldn’t.
