Bulletproof Hearts

CHAPTER FOUR :Ghosts and Threats

Aria did not sleep.

After she reached her apartment at dawn, she showered, changed, and stared at her ceiling until the sun came up fully. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw that driver's smile. The way he had looked straight at her. Like he was memorizing her face.

Like he was planning something.

By eight in the morning, she gave up on rest and texted Jade.

Coffee? Need to talk.

His reply came immediately.

Usual spot. 20 minutes.

* * *

The café was a hidden place near the Colosseum that tourists never found. dark wooden tables, coffee so strong it could wake the dead, and a back corner booth that Jade had claimed as his personal office.

He was already there when Aria arrived, scrolling through his phone with a cappuccino and what looked like his third pastry of the morning.

He glanced up as she slid into the booth. "You look terrible."

"Didn't sleep."

"First night working for Moretti and you're already suffering? That has to be a record."

She stole his pastry and took a bite. "We had a job last night. Arms deal. Six dead."

"Six?" Jade's eyebrows shot up. "On your first operation?"

"Dante set us up. He told the buyer Luca was planning to steal the merchandise instead of paying. The buyer brought extra guards." She paused. "I still can't believe those two are brothers."

"But you walked out."

"We walked out. Luca is..." She hesitated. "He's good. Really good. Not what I expected."

"What did you expect?"

"A boss who hides behind his men. But he was right there in the fight. First one in. He moves like..." She trailed off.

"Like someone who's done this before."

"Exactly."

"Well, the man's thirty-two and still alive in a business where most people don't make it past twenty-five. That didn't happen by accident," Jade sipped his cappuccino. "He's either very smart or very dangerous."

"Both," Aria said quietly.

They sat in silence for a moment. Then Jade asked, "What aren't you telling me?"

Aria pulled out her phone and opened the photo she had taken through Luca's car window. The black sedan. The driver with cold eyes. "Dante's men followed us from the warehouse. They know I'm working with Luca now."

Jade went very still. "Aria."

"I know."

"You know what Dante does to people who work for Luca. You've seen the reports. Ricci lasted eight months, and they found him in pieces."

"I'm not Ricci."

"No. You're better. Which makes you a bigger threat." He set down his cup. "Dante's going to come after you hard."

"Let him try."

"Ari." Jade's voice softened. "Elena."

And there it was. The fear she had been pushing down since that car ride.

"Luca already has men watching the Casa della Speranza." She met Jade's eyes. "Elena's safe."

"For now."

"For now," she agreed.

Jade let out a slow breath. "You know what the worst part is? I can't even tell you to walk away. You signed the contract. You're locked in."

"Six months. Then I'm out."

"If you survive six months."

"I will."

He looked at her for a long moment. Then nodded. "Yeah. You will. You're too stubborn to die."

She smiled slightly. "What about you? How's your job going?"

"Boring. Watching a wealthy man who thinks his wife is cheating on him. She is, by the way. With his own brother." He shrugged. "I give it two more days before he asks me to make them disappear."

"Will you?"

"Depends on the money." He grinned.

"How's Phil?"

Jade blinked at the change of subject. Phil. Jade's boyfriend of six months. A graphic designer who had no idea what Jade really did for a living.

"He still doesn't know you're in this business?"

"He thinks I'm a cybersecurity consultant — someone who protects computer systems from hackers. Which, technically, isn't wrong." Jade's expression softened. "He made me dinner last night. Homemade pasta. Said he wanted to practice before introducing me to his parents."

"Parents. That's serious."

"Yeah." He looked down at his cup. "It is."

"Are you going to tell him the truth?"

"About what I really do? No. He'd run screaming." Jade met her eyes. "Some secrets are better kept."

Aria thought about Luca. About the way he had looked at her in the car. Like he was trying to figure her out.

"What about you?" Jade asked. "Any romantic complications I should know about?"

"You know I don't do relationships."

"Not since Damian."

And there was the name she had been avoiding.

Damian Russo. Son of the Russo crime family. Charming, handsome, and a cheating asshole she had caught in bed with one of her supposed friends.

"Don't," Aria warned.

"I'm just saying, you can't let one bad person ruin you for everyone else."

"He's still calling. Still showing up wherever I go. I had to block his number three times."

"Want me to have a word with him?"

"I can handle Damian."

"Can you? Because last I heard, he was telling people you two were still together. That you were just going through a difficult time."

Aria's jaw tightened. "He's delusional."

"He's dangerous. His father runs half the drug trade in Southern Italy. You don't just walk away from a Russo."

"I did."

"And he's not letting you go." Jade reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "Be careful, Ari. You've got enough people trying to hurt you. Don't add an ex-boyfriend to the list."

Before she could reply, her phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.

Estate. Now. Don't be late. -L

She showed Jade the screen, and he let out a low whistle. "Bossy, isn't he?"

"He's Luca Moretti. Bossy comes with the territory."

"Are you going?"

Aria stood and left money on the table. "I don't have a choice."

* * *

Luca's estate looked different in daylight. Less fortress, more palace. The gardens were perfectly kept, the fountains running, sunlight glinting off the honey-coloured stone of the villa.

Matteo met her at the entrance, his expression unreadable.

"He's in his study. And Miss Valenti?" He paused. "Tread carefully. He's in a mood."

Wonderful.

She found Luca standing by the window, hands clasped behind his back, staring out at the gardens. He did not turn when she entered.

"You were supposed to stay low today," he said.

"I had coffee with a friend."

"A friend who works for The Broker. In a public café. Where anyone could see you." He finally turned. His eyes were cold. "Do you have any idea how reckless that was?"

Aria's spine went rigid. "Excuse me?"

"Dante knows you're working for me now. Which means he has people watching you. And you decided to meet with another operative in broad daylight?" He moved closer. "That's either arrogance or carelessness. Which is it?"

"Neither. It's called keeping myself sane."

"Your sanity?" His voice dropped dangerously. "You don't have a private life anymore. You have a contract. And that contract means you follow my orders."

"I didn't sign up to be a prisoner."

"You signed up to stay alive. And part of staying alive is not painting a target on your back." He was close now. Too close. "Dante doesn't just kill people, Aria. He makes examples out of them. Have you heard about Ricci? They found him in seven different locations. It took forensics three days to identify all the pieces."

She did not flinch. "I'm not Ricci."

"No. You're more valuable. Which makes you more of a threat. Which makes you more of a target." His jaw was tight. "So when I tell you to stay low, you stay low. Understood?"

Every part of her screamed to back down. To nod and apologize and walk away. But she did not.

"No." It came out of her faster than she thought.

Luca went very still. "What?"

"I said no. I'm not your dog, Moretti. You don't get to summon me here and scold me like some incompetent new recruit." She stepped forward, matching his energy. His masculine scent engulfed her, making her shiver, but no she had to say what’s on her mind.

"I've been doing this for five years. Zero failed contracts. I know how to watch my back."

"Clearly not, if you're meeting contacts in public."

"Jade is my friend. Not a contact. And I needed to talk to someone who isn't you." She crossed her arms. "You want me to be effective? Then I need to decompress; to clear my head and rest my mind. I need some normality. Otherwise, I burn out. And burned-out operatives make mistakes."

Something flickered in his eyes. Surprise, maybe.

"You're arguing with me."

"Yes."

"People don't have the guts to argue with me."

"Maybe they should." She held his gaze. "You hired me because I'm the best. Not because I'm obedient."

For a long moment, neither of them moved. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut.

Aria quickly began to regret everything she had said.

Then Luca exhaled slowly and stepped back. "Get out."

"Gladly."

She turned and walked out, her heart pounding, her hands shaking from the rush.“ I just argued with Luca Moretti,” her thoughts ran.

Behind her, she heard him mutter something in Italian.

It sounded like: What on earth have I gotten myself into?

* * *

Aria drove straight to the Casa della Speranza. She needed to see Elena. Needed the reminder of why she was doing all of this.

Helen let her in with a knowing look. "Rough day?"

"You have no idea."

Elena was in the art room, painting. The same bird. Wings spread. Flying toward freedom.

She looked up when Aria walked in, and her smile was immediate and genuine.

"Ari."

Aria sat beside her and watched her paint. "Hey, piccola."

They did not talk. Elena rarely spoke during art. But she leaned against Aria's shoulder, a quiet offer of comfort.

Aria closed her eyes and breathed.

This... This was why she did it.

An hour later, she kissed Elena's forehead and left. The sun was setting and traffic was a mess. By the time she reached her apartment building, she was exhausted.

She parked her motorbike in the alley, helmet under her arm, and froze.

Someone was leaning against her building's entrance.

Tall. Dark hair. A designer suit. An expensive watch.

Damian Russo.

He smiled when he saw her. That charming, polished smile that used to make her heart skip.

Now it just made her tired.

"Hello, bella," he said.

Aria's hand moved instinctively to her Glock. "What are you doing here?"

"Is that any way to greet your boyfriend?"

"Ex-boyfriend. And you need to leave."

"We need to talk."

"No, we don't."

He pushed off the wall, hands in his pockets. Casual and unthreatening. "I heard you're working for Luca Moretti now."

Her blood went cold. "How do you know that?"

"I know a lot of things, Aria. I know you met with Jade this morning. I know you went to see Moretti this afternoon. I know you visited your sister at the Casa della Speranza." He stepped closer. "I know everything."

"Stay away from me, Damian."

"I can't do that." His smile widened. "We're not finished, you and I."

"Yes, we are. The moment I found you in bed with that b***h, we were done."

"That was a mistake."

"No. Dating you was a mistake." She pulled out her keys. "I'm going upstairs. Don't follow me."

His hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. "Aria."

She had her Glock out and pressed against his ribs before he could blink.

"Touch me again," she said quietly, "and I put a bullet through your spleen. Understand?"

Damian raised his hands slowly. But he was still smiling.

"There she is. The Aria I fell in love with." He stepped back. "I've missed you, bella."

"Go home, Damian."

"I will. For now." He straightened his jacket. "But we will talk soon."

He walked away, whistling.

Aria stood there, Glock still in her hand, watching until he disappeared around the corner.

Then she went inside, locked every bolt, and sank down against the door.

Dante's men were watching her.

Luca was furious with her.

And now Damian was back.

She pulled out her phone and stared at Luca's last message.

She should tell him. Damian knowing her movements, knowing about Elena, knowing about Luca, that was a problem.

But telling Luca meant admitting she had more complications in her life. More vulnerabilities.

And she had already shown him too much.

She locked her phone and closed her eyes.

Six months.

She just had to survive six months. How hard could it be?