MAFIA QUEEN

CHAPTER 6: ON MY OWN

The next day was pure torture for Gwen—but not in the way she expected.

Luke made her follow him everywhere. Everywhere. Even for the smallest tasks.

She actually began to miss her old bar job… which said a lot.

By late evening, she trailed him to an abandoned house. The moment she stepped inside, her heart dropped. Two men were restrained in chairs, Luke’s men standing around them, armed and cold-faced.

Gwen froze.

This… this wasn’t the kind of job she signed up for.

Luke stepped toward the two men. His expression was unreadable, but his voice was ice as he questioned them. Gwen didn’t know what he did, she didn’t want to know—she only heard the men’s muffled cries and felt her stomach twist.

She turned her face away, tears blurring her vision.

Why was he doing this?

Yes, she’d seen things like this in movies… but seeing it in real life felt too cruel, too real. A part of her wished he’d just end it quickly instead of dragging it out.

“Don’t look away.”

His voice was suddenly right behind her.

Gwen froze, unable to move.

Luke stepped closer.

“I said…” His voice dropped lower, colder.

“Don’t. Look. Away.”

She still couldn’t do it.

Then he snapped—

“WHAT DID I SAY!”

She flinched so hard her knees nearly buckled. She forced herself to turn her head, keeping her eyes open even though her body screamed not to.

When it was finally over, she bolted outside and collapsed near a wall, her stomach twisting until she was dry-heaving.

This job… this world… she wasn’t built for this.

She’d rather deal with Kian’s terrible tips for the rest of her life than witness something like that again.

Luke stormed after her, anger radiating off him.

“When I tell you to do something,” he hissed, “you do it. Am I clear?”

Gwen opened her mouth—she couldn’t help it. The fear, the shock, the anger bubbling inside her made her forget who she was speaking to. For a split second, she reacted as if it was just a normal argument… like it was a father and daughter fight.

Luke saw that spark of rebellion in her eyes instantly.

He stepped closer… too close.

“I dare you to speak.”

Her breath caught.

His gaze locked with hers—hard, sharp, unreadable.

“I dare you,” he repeated, quieter this time… which somehow made it worse.

Gwen swallowed so hard it hurt.

She shut her mouth.

Luke brushed past her, not sparing her a second glance. The moment he slammed the door behind him, the sound ripped through her chest and made her jump.

She stood there shaking, staring at nothing, trying to remind herself to breathe.

A bodyguard approached her slowly, his steps steady and almost silent.

“Please enter the car. We need to go,” he said calmly.

Gwen blinked up at him. She had never seen this one before—he looked young, maybe just entering his twenties.

Why were all the men around Luke both attractive and dangerously intimidating?

“Madame?” the guard repeated gently.

She snapped out of her daze and nodded quickly.

“Y-yes.”

She climbed into the car—only to see Luke sitting in the back seat as well.

Her heart jumped.

The young guard sat at the front, drinking from a water bottle, paying them no attention. Gwen pressed herself as far away from Luke as she could, even though the seats were close. She stared out the window, unsure of how to breathe, act, or even exist next to him after what she’d just seen.

When the car finally stopped, Luke ordered the guard to leave them alone.

The door shut, leaving only the two of them in the heavy silence.

Luke turned his head slowly.

“Look at me.”

Gwen hesitated… then forced her eyes to meet his. His gaze was dark—deep—and unreadable.

“Before we leave this car,” he murmured, leaning closer.

Not like a boss.

Like a man.

Gwen’s heartbeat crashed in her chest. She shifted slightly away, terrified that if he came any nearer, she’d lose every piece of control she had left.

“Will you manage this job?”

His eyes locked onto hers, impossible to escape.

Was he trying to intimidate her?

Or make her fall for him?

She couldn’t tell.

That was the problem.

She could only stare, lost in those dark brown cat-like eyes.

“Will you?” he repeated, softer but somehow more dangerous.

Gwen panicked and opened the car door—not to escape, just to feel the fresh air on her face, to stop him from leaning even closer. She didn’t step out.

“Yes. Yes,” she breathed.

Luke nodded once.

“Then don’t disobey me when I tell you something.”

His hand reached for the door handle. He was about to step out, then paused, glancing at her over his shoulder.

“Oh—and you’ll get used to it,” he said simply. “So don’t eat too much. In case you feel nauseous.”

He stepped out of the car, walking away with that calm, dangerous confidence…

like he owned the night.

Like he owned everything around him.

Gwen stepped out of the car, still shaken, and headed toward the mansion for whatever came next. She even forgot she was supposed to check Luke’s schedule—her mind was everywhere.

Then she remembered.

Her phone.

She had left it in his office when she rushed out for the mission.

“Damn it…” she muttered under her breath.

She was about to enter the mansion when she spotted the same young bodyguard from earlier. Something about him looked familiar, so she walked toward him, pretending she was only searching for her phone.

“U-uhm, sir… have you seen my phone?” Gwen asked awkwardly.

The bodyguard looked at her, shook his head politely.

“No, ma’am.”

Gwen laughed softly.

“I’m not that old to be called ma’am.”

The guard looked uncomfortable for a second, then relaxed. He could always tell when someone was a threat. Gwen was definitely not one.

“Well… I’m not that old to be called ‘sir’ either,” he replied lightly. “Only Mr. Luke gets that here.”

She nodded.

“Oh. What’s your name?”

He raised a brow. “I knew it wasn’t just about the phone.”

She smiled shyly.

“I’m Matteo,” he finally said.

That name clicked.

She remembered the bar… the night Luke came for the deal with her father. Matteo had been there.

“I’m Gwen. Nice to meet you.”

They talked for a while—light, harmless conversation—until Gwen suddenly realized the sky was darker than before.

“I need to go,” she said quickly.

Matteo nodded. “See you.”

Gwen hurried off and ran to Luke’s office.

The door was open, so she didn’t bother knocking.

“Sir, I left my ph—”

Her words cut off instantly.

Luke was sitting there.

Shirtless.

Abs on full display, muscles relaxed, tattoos tracing across his skin in a way that looked dangerously good. His eyes were lined slightly, making his stare even sharper.

He looked up at her.

He was h.ot.

Too h.ot.

“Left your…?” Luke asked, voice low.

Gwen quickly looked away, embarrassed.

“M-my phone.”

He stood up.

She swallowed so hard it hurt.

He walked to his desk, picked up her phone, and held it out to her.

“This~?” he murmured, voice dropping even lower, deep enough to vibrate through her chest.

Gwen stepped back on instinct.

Luke tilted his head.

“Why do you keep stepping back? Are you scared of me?”

“I should be…” she whispered.

She wasn’t the type to fall easily.

But everything about him—except what he did to those men—was her weakness today.

And she was falling… hard.

Luke’s eyes darkened as he remembered something.

He raised his hand and ran his thumb softly across her l.ips—slow, tracing them exactly the way she had touched him that drunken night.

“This,” he murmured, gaze dropping to her mouth, “is how you t.ouched me that day.”

Gwen’s breath caught.

She jerked back, heart pounding.

“I-it’s getting late. See you tomorrow, sir.”

She practically escaped the room.

The moment the door closed, Luke dragged a hand through his hair sharply.

Why was he acting like this?

Why was she making him lose control?

“Damn it…” he muttered under his breath.