MAFIA’S ASSASSIN

DANGEROUS ATTRACTION.

LUCA POV.

The second I saw her face—her cap fallen off, long black hair spilling down her neck—I froze. A girl?

“You’re a girl?!” My voice rang louder than I expected.

She collapsed before I could process it. Blood soaked her stomach, her eyes fluttering. Damn it. I should’ve pulled the trigger. Should’ve ended it right there.

But I didn’t. Why?

“Take her!” I barked.

My hand was still trembling around the gun. I didn’t know what I was doing. Didn’t know why I just saved the same person who tried to kill me.

But something about her—those lips, full and soft even in pain… the way her lashes curled despite the sweat on her face… I couldn’t pull the trigger. Maybe I was the one who needed saving.

****

At the hospital, I sat across from her, arms folded, watching the rise and fall of her chest. She was cuffed to the bed, one wrist secured so she wouldn’t pull a stunt when she woke up.

They’d operated on her. Saved her life. For what?

My jaw clenched as I watched her sleep. She looked fragile under the sheets. Way too calm for someone who had nearly murdered me. I hated her for what she tried to do, but something tugged at me the longer I looked.

Her lips looked soft. Her brows furrowed, even in sleep, like she was still fighting something. And her neck—slender, with a faint scorpion tattoo just barely visible under the gauze. A Black Scorpion.

She was dangerous. But still… strikingly beautiful. s**t— I was losing it. I rubbed my neck, touched my forehead, checking for a fever.

“You okay, boss?”

I turned. Levi and Cole stood by the door, eyeing me like I was going crazy.

“I’m fine,” I muttered and cleared my throat, straightening in my seat.

Then the door flew open. It was Logan.

“Boss—good news.”

I stood. “Talk.”

“Your father just shifted his arrival. He won’t be back for another month.”

A heavy breath left me. “You serious?”

“Dead serious. No explanation, but… you know how your father is. Might’ve gotten caught up in something back in Italy.”

“Good,” I nodded. That buys me time. Time to figure this whole mess out. And maybe, just maybe, find a fake bride for this stupid contract before he returns.

I turned back to the bed. She was still out.

“When she wakes up, bring her to the mansion. Lock her in one of the rooms,” I ordered. “We interrogate her thoroughly. I want answers.”

Logan moved closer, his eyes narrowed at her neck. “Tattoo’s real. She’s Black Scorpion.”

I already knew. Still, I said, “Funny how she didn’t even know who I am.”

Levi chimed in. “Maybe it’s a suicide mission.”

We all looked at him.

“A what?”

“The kind where you send someone knowing they’ll die. The Black Scorpions would never come at you directly, boss.”

Cole nodded. “True. And they were underarmed. Could be it.”

I glanced at her again. Fragile. But trained. Who the hell sent her?

“We’ll get the truth from her when she wakes up,” I muttered.

I headed for the door. “Let’s move.”

****

SCARLETT POV.

Two weeks. It’s been two damn weeks since everything fell apart. Since I was dragged in here like some captured animal. I should be dead by now. Hell, I thought he’d kill me right there.

But he didn’t. They patched me up, kept me alive—barely. No bruises, no broken bones. Just a healing scar and a whole lot of questions. Lots of them. I hadn’t spoken. I remained quiet. I wasn’t going to give them anything.

I glanced around the room they locked me in. It was… luxurious. Disturbingly so. A full queen bed with velvet sheets. Tiled floors. Curtains, white and gold. A chandelier. What kind of prison had a chandelier?

I was treated like a guest—until they cuffed the door from outside. Prisoner, alright.

Then came the knock.

Bang! Bang!

I jolted.

“Jeez, quit being tough and open the damn door,” Luca’s voice barked through. His voice—deep, commanding. One I couldn’t forget easily.

He killed Scorpion. The moment I woke up, I swore I’d get my revenge. I wasn’t leaving until I’d killed Luca Moretti, and now’s the chance.

Another guy yelled, “Open up now or we’ll blow this damn thing off and put a bullet through your head!”

My heart skipped. No, one bullet could be all it took to kill me. But then—an idea.

I glanced up. A ceiling beam above the doorframe. Thick enough to hold my weight. If I could get a grip…

Then I heard him again.

“No, no. Don’t shoot,” Luca snapped. “Why ruin our luxurious door for a mere prisoner?”

Mere what? My blood boiled. More reason to kill the bastard.

I climbed up, wedged myself on the beam, legs tucked in, and waited. Then I stretched to open the door from up. The lock opened and immediately men burst in, looking around, confused. But Luca stayed behind. As though he suspected something.

I held my breath. Then, I dropped. Landed hard on one man. Slammed his head into the floor, knocked the other aside, yanked his gun from his hand, and aimed it at his throat.

“Don’t move,” I warned. “Or he dies.”

The man trembled in my grip. “Please… please don’t shoot…”.

“Shut up!”

Then Luca raised both hands slowly.

“No, no. Please… don’t shoot. We’ll cooperate,” he said with a smug smirk.

He was a terrible actor. But whatever. He’d soon regret messing with me.

“Move,” I ordered. “Toward the stairs. Slowly.”

They obeyed. Hands up. Leading me out.

But as we reached the staircase, the man in my grip elbowed my side.

Agonizing pain shot through my healing stomach.

“Agh!” I screamed, stumbled—and lost the gun.

He grabbed it, pointed it at me. My breath caught.

Then—Bang! Blood sprayed. His body dropped. I was confused— I felt no pain. Then I looked up. It was Luca— he had shot him.

I gasped, collapsing—but he caught me. My body crashed against his chest. His face hovered inches from mine.

His breath brushed my cheek. His eyes—stormy grey, cold but searching. His lips… soft-looking. Sharp jawline, clenched.

My heart thudded. What the hell is wrong with me?

I pushed away from him.

“T-thank you,” I muttered.

The other man with us trembled, watching.

Luca muttered, “f**k. He ruined the whole fun.” He turned to him. “Clean up this mess.”

“Yes, boss,” he mumbled.

Then he looked at me. “As for you…”

I backed up instinctively. He stepped closer. Then— without warning— he tossed me over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

“Put me down! I can walk!”

He didn’t answer. He carried me downstairs into what looked like a basement. But not just any basement.

The light was dim, eerie— red glow, chains, whips, shackles. I stared at the tools on the wall as the air turned cold.

“What is this?!” I screamed. “What the hell are you doing?!”

He said nothing. He threw me down. I hit the floor hard. Then he cuffed my wrists.

“Because of you, I lost one of my men,” he said, voice calm but lethal.

“You killed him yourself! I didn’t do anything!”

He picked up a whip.

“Get on the bed.”

I hesitated.

“Now.”

Something in his eyes made me obey.

I lay flat. My cuffed hands above me.

Then, without any warning— Crack! The whip lashed my back. I gasped. Not too hard. But it stung. He hit me again. And again.

By the fifth, tears ran down my face. I screamed, “You’re a monster! I hate you!”

I rolled away, sobbing. He stared at me, expression unreadable.

“I’m going easy on you,” he muttered. “Who sent you?! I’m running out of patience.”

“I don’t know!” I sobbed. “Just kill me already! I’ll never tell you!”

My whole body ached. But I refused to break. Then—he leaned closer. His voice was a whisper.

“Oh really? Well… just a reminder that Daniella’s still a child, Scarlett. You wouldn’t want her involved in this mess… would you?”

My heart stopped. My entire world froze.

H-how… how did he know?

I turned slowly, eyes wide in horror. “How… how do you know…?”

He stepped back, smiling slightly.

“Oh, come on, Scarlett,” he said. “I know everything I need to know about you… Deadshot.”