Bloody Intentions { BL SLOWBURN }

Two : Blind Jump

When Luka and Izzy were small, she had a favourite game: Blind Jump.

The rules were simple: one person wore a blindfold, while the other gave instructions. The blindfolded player had to move across the crumbling rooftop of an old, abandoned factory they liked the play in, step by step, getting as close as possible to the edge without seeing it. The one guiding would give directions, but the point of the game was trust—trust that you wouldn’t lead the other to fall. Trust that you wouldn’t be the first to take off your blindfold.

Izzy never removed hers.

She loved that game. The more dangerous it was, the more excited she seemed. She would push herself right to the edge of that rooftop, blindfold firmly over her eyes and a grin on her face while Luka’s heart pounded in his chest as he guided her. He always hated it, always feared that one day she would go too far, but she never did. She always trusted him. And maybe, back then, she trusted herself a little too much.

When he was young, Luka was cautious, nervous. When it was his turn to wear the blindfold he took small steps, constantly questioning her instructions and more often than not, would remove his blindfold altogether. But Izzy? She moved with confidence toward the ledge and would laugh at him afterward, daring him to stop being so scared. Back then, she was the brave one, the fearless one. Luka was just a boy trying to keep up to her shadow. But as they grew older, something shifted. Luka became less afraid of that edge. He’d learned to step closer to danger, to toe the edge and sometimes even wobble on it without so much as breaking a sweat whilst Izzy began to pull back.

Maybe it was the weight of the gang’s future hanging over her, maybe it was the expectations that grew heavier every year, but she seemed to avoid risks, avoid danger—avoid pushing herself the way she used to.

Luka stood in the hallway outside her father’s office, tension running through him like a live wire. Izzy had gone in alone, insisting it was a conversation she had to have face-to-face and had assured him, again, that she had this. He’d tried to stay calm, but every second that passed without a sound from behind that door had him imagining the worst.

Until it came.

A loud crash, followed by the sound of shattering glass. Luka’s heart jumped and his hand instinctively went for the knife tucked into his jacket before he relaxed it with a breath. A moment later the door swung open and there she was, standing in the doorway with her chin raised a notch. Her father, Eddie De Luca, stood in front of her, knuckles white around the door handle whilst his face was flushed red. Broken glass lay shattered by her feet, the shards scattered across the floor like a violent punctuation of her Father's rage. But Izzy… She was unshaken.

Luka felt a rush of something—pride, maybe?—as he watched her. This was the Izzy he remembered when she asked him to trust her in Blind Jump. The same daring look that told him to be brave, fearless. The girl who stepped closer to the line than anyone else would.

“Did you know about this?” Her Father demanded.

“I told you no-one knew.” Izzy said from inside, crossing her arms. “Did you listen to anything I said?”

Eddie ignored her entirely and took a step out the door, his focus locked solely on Luka. Then the older man’s hands were on him, grabbing fistfuls of his jacket and dragging him closer until he could feel hot, furious breath against his face.

“Did. You. Know?” He repeated through gritted teeth, every syllable dripping with accusation.

He wasn’t one to show fear—especially not in front of Izzy’s father—but despite his calm exterior, Luka's heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline creeping steadily through his veins. Standing his ground was instinctual, but being in the presence of this man always stirred something deeper in him. Eddie De Luca was more than just a crime boss; he was the looming figure in every dark memory Luka had. Every grueling lesson, every moment that had molded Luka into the ruthless hitman he was today, Eddie had been there. Silent, watching, orchestrating the brutality that shaped him. And now, staring into the cold eyes of the man who had created him, Luka felt the old scars beneath his skin pulse, reminding him of everything this man had taken from him and everything he had become because of it.

“Know what, Sir?” He asked.

“About her and the Novak boy!”

The name “Novak” sounded like a curse, all but dripping with disgust and anger. Luka kept his expression neutral, even as the accusation sliced through the air between them. He heard Izzy scoff, felt the hands gripping his jacket tighten, but Luka’s expression didn’t so much as twitch, his tone as flat and polite as it always was when speaking to his Boss.

“No, Sir.” He cut his gaze to Izzy. “Is it something I should know?”

Eddie’s nostrils flared and for a brief second, Luka wondered if he would lash out, whether this was the moment everything exploded as he felt the raw anger radiating off his Boss in waves. It wouldn't be the first time he was the focus of Eddie's anger and he almost hoped for it, needed it to help make what he might have to do easier.

Izzy stepped closer with a sigh. “Dad, he didn’t know—no one knew. Can you stop and come speak to me about this please.”

Her father’s eyes flickered between them, narrowing before finally locking back on Luka. Slowly, reluctantly, his grip on the jacket loosened and with a sharp push, he shoved Luka backward.

“This is far from over, Boy.” He promised, voice low and full of threat.

Without another word, he stormed back into his office, the door slamming behind him so hard that the frame groaned under the impact.

Luka exhaled slowly, releasing the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding as he steadied himself, trying to shake off the adrenaline pulsing through his veins. Behind the closed door, the muffled sound of raised voices echoed through the hall, Izzy’s voice sharp, challenging whilst her father’s was louder, laced with fury. He could picture the look on his face, the way he’d clench his fists, probably throw some things in anger. Then predictably came the sound of a glass shattering followed by more shouting and Luka took another deep breath, trying to calm the rapid beating of his heart.

But suddenly, the shouting stopped, the abrupt quiet more unnerving than the heated exchange that had filled the room moments before.

His muscles tensed even further, mind racing as the oppressive stillness settled over the hallway. He didn’t suspect Eddie would hurt Izzy—he’d never do that. But with how angry he was, Luka couldn’t help but let the doubt creep in as his mind played through worst-case scenarios, each darker than the last. Would he be able to stand by if something happened? Could he stand still if Izzy was hurt? The thought of that possibility twisted like a knife in his gut. He shifted his weight, hand brushing the blade inside his jacket as if seeking some kind of reassurance, but it didn’t help. The silence pressed down harder, suffocating.

Just as Luka’s thoughts began to spiral, the door creaked open. Eddie stood in the doorway, expression unreadable as he wordlessly gestured for Luka to enter. He stepped forward stiffly, body taut as a bowstring, trying to brace himself for whatever he was about to walk into. As he entered the room, his gaze immediately sought out Izzy and a moment of relief washed over him as he spotted her. She was standing, unharmed—but his relief was fleeting. She had her back to him, shoulders tense, arms crossed tightly. Something was off.

Luka swallowed hard, keeping his tone as neutral as possible as he spoke. “Yes, Boss?”

He waited, feeling his heartbeat in his throat as Eddie looked at him with a thin veneer of control barely masking the seething anger beneath. He motioned Luka closer with a sharp flick of his hand.

“Call Novak. Tell him I want a meeting. Tonight.”

Luka's stomach sank. “A meeting, Boss?” He repeated. “What’s the—”

Before he could finish the question, Eddie’s hand flew out, striking him across the face with a sharp crack. The blow came fast, but it wasn’t unexpected and Luka barely flinched though the sting that radiated across his cheek.

“Know your place, Boy.” Eddie hissed. “You don’t ask questions, you follow orders and keep your damn mouth shut! Call Novak and gather our best men. I want them ready for anything.”

Luka's head inclined in obedience. “Yes, Boss.”

“You’re dismissed.”

Without another word, he turned to leave the room, every muscle in his body tense. But as he walked out, he cast a final glance at Izzy. She hadn’t turned around the whole time, her back still rigid, body motionless, not offering him a single look or word of reassurance.

Reluctantly, Luka stepped out into the hallway, a sickening feeling in his gut. His cheek throbbed, but it was the least of his concerns. He had no idea what had happened, what this meeting was about and it was clear Izzy was avoiding looking at him which made him think her talk hadn’t gone well.