Ten steps ahead.
1164 Words
Gemma’s heart skipped a beat. Gabriella had been here. She had been so close.
Luke stepped forward, his eyes assessing the room as if looking for any clues. “Show us.”
Eric nodded quickly, his hands shaking slightly as he opened the dresser drawers and then moved to the bed. He lifted Gabriella’s handbag from the chair by the desk, opening it to reveal her phone and a few other belongings. He handed the items to Luke with a look of helplessness.
“Is there anything else you’ve noticed?” Luke asked, his voice colder than before.
Eric shook his head. “No. That’s all I know. She just… disappeared. I’m telling you, she was fine. Then she was gone.” His voice cracked, and it was clear he was both scared and angry.
Gemma clenched her fists. Gabriella had been here, and now she was gone. They were running out of time.
Luke’s jaw tightened. He glanced at Gemma, his gaze hard and calculating. “We’ll find her.”
Gemma’s eyes flicked from Eric’s frustrated face to Luke’s cold, unwavering demeanor. Despite the urgency of the situation, there was something in Luke’s eyes—something that made her uneasy. He wasn’t just looking for her sister. He was looking for control, and it felt like she was caught in the middle of something far larger than she could understand.
Eric seemed to sense it, too. His voice dropped to a whisper as he looked at Luke.
Luke didn’t answer. Instead, he turned to Gemma. “We’re done here. Let’s go.”
Gemma hesitated for a moment, her gaze lingering on the bag in Luke’s hand. She wanted to ask more questions, to know what Luke wasn’t telling her, but she had no choice. She couldn’t afford to lose the trail.
As they left the room, Eric hesitated, his expression torn between urgency and hesitation. Finally, he spoke.
“There’s something you should know.”
Luke and Gemma both turned sharply, their eyes locked onto him. Eager for answers, Luke’s patience wore thin. “Speak up,” he ordered.
Eric swallowed hard, shifting uncomfortably under their scrutiny. “Gabriella… she was in a fake marriage. And I think her so-called husband has caught up with us.”
Gemma’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re part of all this crap?” she demanded, her voice rising. “How do you—”
“I am the husband,” Luke interrupted, his voice cold and clipped.
Eric shook his head vehemently. “No. That’s not possible. I know what the man looks like—an older man, dangerous, someone you don’t cross. He was my previous employer.” He paused, his voice thick with memories. “Gabriella married him about two years ago. That’s how we met… and how we fell in love.”
Gemma’s expression darkened. “You’re telling me she was in love with you while married to this—this ‘dangerous man’?”
“She never wanted to marry him,” Eric said, his voice soft but steady. “It was a sham, a deal she thought she could get out of. But when she tried to leave, he refused. He wasn’t the type to let go. So we ran.”
Luke’s jaw clenched. “And you never heard of another marriage?” His gaze was sharp, probing. “If you two were together for so long, how the hell did you not know she had a twin sister?”
Eric exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I did know. That’s why I didn’t push further when you rejected me just now. The moment you pulled away, I realized—you’re not her.” He looked directly at Gemma. “You may look like her, but you don’t feel like her.”
Gemma crossed her arms, her mind racing. “And this ‘husband’—where is he now? How do we find him?”
Eric’s lips curled into something between a smirk and a grimace. “You don’t.” He met Luke’s gaze. “He finds you.”
A heavy silence fell over them, thick with the weight of unspoken fears.
Luke’s fingers twitched, his instincts kicking in. “Then we prepare for him.”
Luke’s words settled between them like a challenge.
Eric held his gaze, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes. “You don’t understand,” he said finally. “This man isn’t someone you prepare for. He’s already planned ten steps ahead.”
Luke’s expression hardened. “Then we get ahead of him.”
Eric huffed a dry laugh. “You don’t get ahead of Emilio Sorrentino.”
Gemma stiffened. “Emilio Sorrentino?” she echoed, her throat tightening. “The arms dealer?”
Eric nodded grimly. “That’s him.”
Gemma swore under her breath, running a hand through her hair. “You brought him into our lives?”
“I didn’t ‘bring’ him anywhere,” Eric snapped. “Gabriella and I barely escaped him two years ago. I thought we covered our tracks, but if he’s here now, it means he’s been watching. Waiting.”
Luke’s fists clenched at his sides. “And what does he want? Gabriella?”
Eric hesitated before nodding. “Yes. And anyone in his way.”
Gemma swallowed. “Meaning us.”
Eric’s silence was answer enough.
Luke turned toward the door. “Then we don’t wait for him to make the first move.”
“Luke, wait,” Gemma reached for his arm. “This isn’t just some guy you can intimidate. He’s a ghost. No one gets close to him unless he allows it. I read his autobiography in school.”
Luke smirked, though his eyes remained cold. “Then we make him want to meet us.”
Eric shook his head. “You have no idea what you’re suggesting. I worked for this man. I know how he operates. He doesn’t negotiate. He doesn’t forgive.”
“Neither do I,” Luke said darkly.
Eric studied him for a moment before exhaling in frustration. “Fine. But if we do this, we do it my way. I know his weak spots.”
Luke tilted his head. “Then start talking.”
Eric sighed, running a hand through his hair. “First, we need to set up a deal on the black market. One he can't resist. He has been looking for a diamond that belonged to the Queen of England. One that was stolen from the palace. I can pretend to have found it under an alias. He will come for it. I know."
Gemma glanced between them, her pulse racing. “And then what?”
Luke nodded, his jaw set. “Then we hunt the hunter.”
"Then you get a meeting and pay him for Gabriella's freedom," Eric explained.
Gemma looked at Luke but didn't voice her thoughts. How does Luke not know who Emilio Sorrentino is? Maybe Luke is not Mafia?
- Writer
