Her eyes narrowed slightly. “What does that mean?”
“It means you stay here and you can be my eyes and ears,” he said, “where I can control the situation.”
“And if I don’t?” she asked. That was a mistake. She was challenging him, and Luca could feel his gaze darken.
“You don’t want to test me right now,” he warned.
“Why not?” she asked. There it was—the fire and defiance that should’ve irritated him more than it did. Instead, it pulled at something in him. Something dangerous.
Luca stepped closer, careful not to touch her, not yet. He stood close enough that she couldn’t ignore him. “Do you trust me?” he asked. The question landed harder than anything else he’d said to her so far. Her lips parted and then closed. She was silent.
Luca watched her carefully as he measured the hesitation in her eyes. He felt as though he was counting the fucking seconds. “Answer the question, Isabella.”
Her throat worked as she swallowed. “No, because you won’t like my answer,” she breathed. At least she was honest.
Luca nodded, “Good,” he said. “Because you shouldn’t trust me.” Her brows drew together slightly as though his statement confused her. “You don’t know me,” he continued. “You don’t know what I’m capable of. And right now? That’s the only reason you’re still standing here arguing with me.” Her breath hitched. “You think I’m the bad guy in this?” he added quietly.
“Aren’t you?” she asked. It was a fair question, but a dangerous one. Luca held her gaze.
“In your world?” he said. “Yeah. But in mine? I’m the one keeping you alive.” Silence stretched between them before he continued. “If you come with me,” he said, “you die.”
The bluntness of it stripped everything else away. There was no sugarcoating this for her. He wanted to give her no illusions, just truth. Her eyes searched his. She was looking for proof that he was lying, but she wouldn’t find any there.
“Then bring me back proof,” she said, her voice steady again. “Bring him back—alive.”
Luca didn’t answer right away. Because that wasn’t something he could promise her, and they both knew it. “I’ll bring him back if he’s still worth saving,” he said finally.
Her expression faltered. “There’s always a catch with you, isn’t there?” she asked.
“No, it’s just reality,” he corrected. She looked away first this time, and Luca turned back to Dante. “Get the team ready,” he said. “Full sweep. I want eyes on every surrounding building. Snipers on rooftops before we move in.”
Dante nodded. “Already in motion, boss.”
“Good.” Luca grabbed his jacket from the back of a chair, sliding it on with practiced ease. Every movement was precise, controlled, and focused. He was war-ready at all times.
“Ten minutes,” Dante added.
Luca nodded, and Dante hesitated. “What?” Luca asked.
“There’s something else,” Dante said. “A message came through the same channel as before.”
Luca’s attention sharpened. “Say it,” he ordered.
Dante’s eyes flicked briefly toward Isabella—then back to Luca. “They said if you come alone, he lives.”
Isabella’s gasp filled the room. “Then go alone,” she almost shouted at him.
Luca didn’t even look at her. “No.” If he walked in there alone, he’d be signing his own death certificate.
Her frustration spiked instantly. “Why not? If that’s what they want?—”
“Because it’s a lie,” he snapped. He turned to her and saw the anger in her eyes. “They don’t just want me alone,” he said. “They want me vulnerable.” He stepped closer to her. “They want me walking into a death trap with no backup.” Her lips parted—but no words came out. “Men like that don’t make deals,” he continued. “They make examples, and this one will be made out of me if I do as they order.” The reality of it settled in her eyes.
“So what happens now?” she asked. Luca adjusted his cuffs, his expression going completely unreadable.
“Now?” he said. A slow, dangerous calm settled over him. “Now I remind them who they just threatened.” He turned toward the door and paused, just for a second. Without looking back, he barked an order to his second in command. “Lock this room down,” he ordered. “No one gets in or out.”
Isabella’s breath caught. “Luca?—”
