"Can you sleep?" I asked.
"I think so. Will you hold me?"
"Always."
He fell back asleep within minutes. Exhausted. Still processing trauma but getting better.
I couldn't sleep after. Too wired. Too aware. Too caught up in my own processing.
Guilt still gnawed at me. I should have protected him better. Should have seen Dante coming. Should have prevented the kidnapping entirely.
Intellectually, I knew that was impossible. We'd taken reasonable precautions. Had security. Had protocols. Dante's execution had been professional and planned. No one could have predicted it.
But emotionally, I still carried the weight. Still felt responsible. Still wished I could have prevented Julian's trauma entirely.
At 3 AM, still awake, I got up carefully. Grabbed my laptop from the living room. Might as well check security feeds if I wasn't sleeping.
Old habit. Comforting routine. Reviewing Inferno's cameras. Making sure everything was secure.
I scrolled through feeds. Main floor was mostly empty. A few late-night patrons. Security team visible at their posts. Everything normal.
Back offices empty. Storage areas clear. VIP sections locked and dark.
I was about to close the laptop when movement caught my eye.
Private office just off the main club area. The one we used for conversations that needed privacy.
Someone was inside.
I zoomed in. Enhanced the image.
Luca.
And Valentino Russo.
I sat up straighter. What the hell?
Luca was supposed to have handled Valentino. Made sure the raid footage didn't get published. Convinced the journalist to destroy the evidence and forget about us.
That had been resolved. Finished. Done.
So why was Luca meeting with Valentino at 3 AM in a private office?
I couldn't hear the conversation. Just watch. Read body language. Try to interpret.
They sat close. Too close for a simple business discussion. Luca leaned in. Said something. Valentino's expression was intense. Focused. Not hostile but—charged.
This wasn't a threatening conversation. Wasn't aggressive. But it was intimate. Personal. Something more than just handling a problem.
What was Luca doing?
I watched for ten more minutes. Trying to figure it out. Trying to understand.
The conversation looked intense. Important. Both of them completely focused on each other. Neither backing down.
Then Luca reached across the space between them. Touched Valentino's hand. Brief. But deliberate.
And Valentino didn't pull away.
