Chapter 9 - The Aftermath
The kiss was fierce, desperate, and filled with the overwhelming relief of survival.
Luca froze for a fraction of a second in absolute shock before his arms wrapped securely around my waist, pulling me tightly against his massive, warm chest, returning the kiss with a deep, possessive hunger that made the rest of the world fade into white noise.
When we finally parted, our foreheads rested together, our rapid breaths mingling in the dark room.
"Daddy!"
Matteo came running out of the panic room, throwing his small arms around both of us.
Luca let out a rough, emotional breath, wrapping one arm around his son and keeping his other arm securely anchored around my waist. He pulled both of us close, burying his face in my hair.
"I have you," Luca whispered into the dark, his voice shaking with rare, raw emotion. "I have you both."
Ten minutes later, the lakehouse was swarming with Moretti security men.
Mario arrived with reinforcements, securing the perimeter and dragging the surviving Bellini hitmen—including a heavily bound Marco Bellini—into the basement for interrogation.
Dr. Marcus Vance, who had been flown in by private helicopter, sat me down on the sofa in the living room, re-examining my bandaged right hand and checking my shoulder for injuries.
"No torn stitches, thankfully," Dr. Vance said, applying a fresh sterile bandage over my palm. "Though swinging a three-pound flashlight with a fresh wound isn't what I’d call medical best practice, Miss Emma."
I gave a faint, exhausted smile. "It worked."
"That it did," Dr. Vance chuckled, packing his bag. "Marco Bellini has a fractured jaw and three broken ribs. Not bad for a housemaid."
Across the living room, Luca stood near the shattered patio doors, wearing a clean black shirt, listening intently as Mario briefed him in low tones.
When Mario finished, Luca nodded once and walked across the room toward me. Dr. Vance politely excused himself, leaving us alone in the quiet corner.
Luca sat on the edge of the coffee table directly in front of me. He reached out and gently took my left hand in his, his thumb tracing the back of my knuckles.
"Marco Bellini sang like a bird in the basement," Luca said quietly.
I looked up into his dark eyes. "What did he say?"
"His father, Antonio Bellini, ordered the strike," Luca explained, his expression turning cold and hard. "Antonio knew he couldn't win an open war with my syndicate in Chicago. So he tried to take you and Matteo as leverage to force me into surrendering the docks."
My stomach tightened. "What happens now?"
Luca raised my hand to his lips, pressing a gentle, lingering kiss against my skin while keeping his eyes locked onto mine.
"Now, Emma," Luca whispered, his tone chillingly smooth, "I go back to Chicago. And I finish the Bellini family once and for all."
"Luca..." I whispered, fear for his safety tightening my chest. "Be careful."
May you like
Luca gave a faint, dangerous smile.
"They came into my home, Emma. They threatened my son, and they put their hands on the woman who holds my heart." He leaned in closer, his voice dropping into a deep, possessive vow. "By sunrise tomorrow, there won't be a single Bellini left standing in the state of Illinois."
