Luca

17 - He cares about me

Sofia

I do not look back as Luca leads me outside. I rest my head against his chest as he carries me effortlessly. I must be in shock. I truly believed the gun was loaded, but I should have realized it was only a cruel game.

But when does anybody think clearly when they’re terrified?

That’s right. No one.

The moment I pulled the trigger, I braced for agony, for oblivion, for the end. When only silence answered, I thought the gun had jammed and tried again, my scream echoing off the walls. Then Luca was there, gathering me into his arms, holding me so tightly I could feel his heart pounding. Relief flooded me, but beneath it simmered his rage. Luca’s fury was unmistakable, a storm for all to witness. In that instant, I knew he had been as blindsided by Dray as I was.

Dray barely registered Luca’s words. He shrugged off his cruelty as if it were routine, as if breaking people was just another part of his day. Maybe, for him, it is.

Luca’s fury toward my brother burned even hotter. Marchello might have stepped in, but we both understood the rules of survival. Dray would have killed him without a second thought. In moments like these, silence is our only shield. I do not blame Marchello. Still, I worried Luca’s anger might spill over and hurt him, too. I begged Luca to stop, and, to my relief, he listened.

Luca’s hold grows almost painfully tight, but I let him. In his arms, I find a safety I never expected.

How strange is that after everything I’ve been through today?

But I do. For the first time in my life, I feel safe, like nothing can hurt me when I’m with Luca.

I have no idea what awaits us at the estate. One thing is certain: Luca will not let this go. He plans to face his father, and I cannot predict what that means for me. I do not want to be the cause of a rift between them, but nothing I say will change Luca’s mind. His anger is a living thing, and he will make sure everyone knows why.

Outside, I sense Marchello trailing behind us. Words hover on my tongue, but exhaustion roots me in silence. I am tired down to my bones.

Marchello murmurs something to Luca, who answers in a low voice I cannot decipher. A car door slams, and Antonio’s car disappears into the night. Only Luca’s black sedan remains, its driver’s door flung wide as if he’d leapt out before the car even stopped. The keys dangle, forgotten, in the ignition.

A strangled laugh escapes me. "You left the car running."

Luca doesn’t smile. “You were more important.” His words make my heart pound. He cared about me enough to leave his car running, even though someone could have stolen it.

Luca settles me gently in the passenger seat, his hand hovering protectively near my head, as if I might shatter. He slides behind the wheel, and the engine roars to life, gravel spraying as we speed away. I watch the warehouse shrink in the mirror, vanishing at last. Only then do I let out the breath I’ve been holding.

I lean my forehead against the window, the chill grounding me in the present. I am alive. Still, the click of the gun haunts me, echoing in my mind. I know I’ll never forget that sound, loaded or not.

Luca’s voice is rough when he says, “Look at me.”

I keep my gaze fixed on the window. I am not trying to defy him; I am simply too tired to move.

His hand finds my chin, turning my face to his. The car veers, my stomach lurches, but Luca seems oblivious to everything except me.

“Sofia.” His eyes are dark with anger, but his thumb moves gently along my jaw, making my skin burn. “If you ever—” He stops, jaw tight. “You don’t get to die for anyone. Not even me.”

“He asked me that,” I whisper. “If I would die for you.” I swallow hard. “When I thought about things, I knew that I would.”

Luca shakes his head. “Why, Sofia? Dray was testing you.”

“I know that. But I meant it, Luca. No matter what, we’re getting married. You’ll be my husband, and my loyalty is to you. Above everyone else, it is, Luca.”

Luca exhales slowly. “Sofia,” he whispers. “I appreciate your loyalty, but I cannot accept that you willingly put a gun to your head. Dray would not have killed Marchello. For my brother, it was only a game.”

My breath catches. There was no way I could have known that for sure.

The truth claws up my throat. “I thought it was real.”

A raw, broken sound escapes Luca. He jerks the wheel, sending us skidding onto the shoulder, dust swirling around the car. In one swift, violent motion, he unfastens my seatbelt and pulls me across the console. His mouth finds mine—not a kiss, but a desperate claim, all teeth and need.

What the hell?

I gasp, my fingers knotting in his hair. He tastes of fury and relief, a storm I cannot escape.

When he finally pulls away, his lips are red. “It’s never real,” he says. “Not with them. You survive. That’s the only rule. If anything ever happened to you, if you were taken from me, I don’t know what I’d do, Sofia.”

How can he say such things to me?

He cares for me far more than a man forced into marriage should.

I brush my fingers over my swollen lips. Tears spill, hot and silent, no matter how hard I try to hold them back. Luca wipes them away, his thumbs trembling against my skin.

Luca rests his forehead against mine. “I’m so sorry, Tesoro. I’m so sorry.”

Sobs wrack my body, wild and unstoppable. Luca cradles me, pressing kisses to my hair, whispering that everything will be alright. But pain radiates through me, every inch aching until I feel sick.

“I don’t feel well.” I sniff. “My whole body hurts.”

“I’ll kill him,” Luca whispers.

I close my eyes. Oddly, I believe him. I do not want Luca to go to war with his brother for my sake, but his fury tells me I am right to trust him.

When Luca says we have to go, I slide off his lap. He will not rest until the family doctor has seen me. I want to protest, but exhaustion steals my voice.

The steering wheel groans beneath Luca’s grip as he guides us back onto the road. His jaw is clenched, tension carved into every line of his face. I clutch the edge of his jacket, still heavy on my shoulders, its warmth both a shield and a shackle.

Soon, we pull up to the house. Before I can move, Luca sweeps me into his arms. I bury my face in his neck, desperate to avoid Dray if he’s inside. I am not ready to face him.

I keep my eyes shut until I feel the edge of a hospital bed beneath me. Only then do I realize we never entered the house. This must be the private hospital on the Vidal estate, the one Luca said Draven built for Amber.

“What happened?” A tall man, wearing glasses and a doctor’s white coat, asks as soon as he walks through the door.

“Keaton,” Luca tips his head at the doctor. “I need you to take a look at my fiancée.” He lowers his voice when he says, “Dray put her through hell at the warehouse.”

Keaton, as Luca called him, sighs. “Because she’s a Romano? Or because she’s with you?”

“Both.” Luca huffs. “Please, just make sure she’s alright.”

I swallow hard when Keaton stands in front of me. I look up at him, and he smiles. “Hello, Sofia. My name is Keaton, and I’m going to check you over.”

He is thorough, examining every bruise and cut. I catch the flash of anger in his eyes when he sees the wounds on my thigh and stomach. Thankfully, they are shallow, needing only ointment and care.

He examines my knee, assuring me the bruises will fade soon. There is no lasting harm from Dray’s attempt to drown me. My eyes, ears, and lungs are all clear.

When he’s done, Keaton turns to Luca. “I can’t believe Dray would go this far. What was he thinking?”

Luca huffs. “My father told him to do it.”

Keaton instantly shakes his head. “No, I don’t believe that, Luca. I’ve known the Don my whole life, and he would never order something like this done to the fiancée of a family member. Yes, perhaps the Don asked Dray to scare Sofia, to test how far she would go for you. But drowning and cutting her? No.”

“Huh.” Luca scratches his jaw with his thumbnail. “Can I take her home now?”

Keaton nods. “I’ll give you some painkillers. Sofia needs a hot shower, painkillers, and sleep.” He walks over to a cabinet on the wall, unlocks it, and then hands Luca a bottle of pills. “Two every six hours for the next forty-eight. They could make her drowsy, so keep an eye on her. This ointment,” he hands Luca a tube of cream. “Apply it to the cuts after she’s showered. It will help.”

Luca nods and then lifts me into his arms.

“Thank you.” I smile at Keaton, who returns the smile and nods.

Luca carries me straight to my room, not letting me down until we reach the bathroom.

I stand on shaky legs. All I want is to lie down and sleep. My head is pounding.

“Take a shower, sweetheart. I’ll wait in the bedroom for you.” With that, Luca leaves me alone in the bathroom.

I rush through my shower, desperate to scrub away the day. I avoid my reflection, unable to face the bruises and marks. My body feels like a map etched in pain.

Afterward, I brush my teeth and hair, braiding it down my back. With no clothes in reach, I cling to the towel for modesty.

I draw a steadying breath and step into the bedroom, where Luca waits on the edge of my bed.

“I picked out some pajamas for you.” He tells me while pointing to the white pajamas on the bed.

"Thank you," I whisper, taking the pajamas and slipping back into the bathroom to change. I return to the bedroom a few minutes later.

I take the pills Luca offers, washing them down with water. He takes the glass from me and sets it aside.

I blink when Luca wraps his arms around me. I smile and wrap my arms around his back. I love the way Luca holds me; it makes me feel so safe.

“I won’t let anything happen to you again, Sofia. I promise.”

I nod against him. “It’s okay, Luca.”

“It’s not okay, Sofia. I’m going to speak with my father now about keeping my brother on a damn leash! You’re going to be my wife, and that means something, Tesoro. It means everything.” He whispers.

I try to speak, but my body surrenders to exhaustion. My eyes refuse to open. I feel Luca gather me up and settle me into bed. The last thing I sense is the sheet pulled over me, and Luca’s gentle kiss on my forehead before sleep claims me.