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Bruno Caruso has identified Lucia Romano as Marco Santori’s primary vulnerability. Sources indicate active preparation for extraction or elimination. He plans to complete his objective within two weeks.
I set the tablet on the desk and peer out the window at the compound under the pale light of dawn. None of this feels real. The threat, the otherwise normal morning, and the fact that Bruno has written her name into his plans…everything reads like a storyline ripped from my worst nightmare.
“You need to see the rest.” Nico brings up another file on his tablet, his fingers swiping with practiced efficiency. “He doesn’t just want to take her. He’s planning to use her to get to you. He’ll offer her life for your surrender to Volkov custody.”
“He’s finishing what he started.”
Nico nods. “That’s how I see it. He tanked your career to isolate you and planned to reform you into his own personal weapon. When Enzo got to you first, Bruno lost his investment. Now he wants it back.”
He swipes to another screen.
“His Volkov connection goes back further than we thought. Bruno’s been their medical asset for at least six years, running organ procurement through clinics they finance. He’s their contractor, not a partner. They fund his operations, while he delivers product and occasionally people. Right now, the person they want delivered is you.”
“Why? What use am I to the Volkovs?”
“You’d be a former Benedetti enforcer with intimate knowledge of Enzo’s security infrastructure. The most valuable defector the Volkovs could ask for. Bruno reclaims his investment and hands it straight to the people who bankroll him, all in one fell swoop. And he gets you gift-wrapped by leveraging the one person you’d trade yourself for… The woman you love.”
The word “love” hangs in the air between us like a live grenade then lands on my chest with a precision Bruno would admire. The worst part is that Nico isn’t wrong. However, acknowledging that would mean facing the trauma I’ve been trying to avoid.
“We need to move preemptively,” I clench my fists, working to keep my voice steady, “so we can hit Bruno before he executes his plans. He’ll show up wherever this exchange is supposed to happen. I know he’ll want to see to it in person.”
“Enzo agrees on assembling a strike team.” Nico pauses. “Bruno will be ready for that, though. He’ll have countermeasures and traps. This only works if we do the one thing he hasn’t accounted for.”
“Which is?”
Nico exhales. “He’ll expect you to stash her away and do your best to protect her and keep her safe instead of taking the fight to him.”
“Taking Lucia to Italy was a mistake.” I close my eyes. “He clocked us together at the clinic, even when he acted like he hadn’t. That's when he decided she’s the right screw to twist to hurt me.”
“Don’t beat yourself up about that.” Nico’s voice softens. “With Greco’s info, Bruno would’ve found out about her eventually. He knows our tactics, our numbers, and our typical approach. I’d bet Bruno’s doing this because he wants to find out what you’ll do when he threatens her. Do you know what you’ll do?”
The office door swings open.
Lucia appears in the doorway, cocooned in the throw blanket from the couch, my shirt visible underneath, her hair tousled from sleep, and her green eyes bright with concern. “What’s happening?”
My first instinct is to shield her. To lie and send her back to bed where she’s safe.
She crosses the room before I can, her bare feet silent on the hardwood. She’s already clocked the tension in my shoulders, and she reaches for the tablet in Nico’s hands too quickly for either of us to intervene.
She pales as she reads, but seconds later, she shutters her expression with steel. I’ve come to recognize that determination.
“When I woke up and didn’t see you, I knew the situation had changed, and not for the better. Marco…what are you planning?”
“Lucia, please. Let me handle this.”
“You have to tell me what’s going on.” She holds up a hand. “And I won’t accept that it’s not my business. I’m not going to just sit here while you put yourself in danger.” Her voice cracks. “I’ve already lost all my family. I’m not losing you too.”
The words hit me like a physical blow.
“This isn’t your fight.” I infuse my voice with steel. “Bruno is my past. My demon. Let me deal with this.”
“No.” She inches toward me enough that I catch the faint jasmine of her shampoo. “My brother died in my arms because he was trying to stop men like Bruno. I’ve spent two years hunting the people who killed him. This is my fight too.”
Nico quietly excuses himself, leaving me alone with the woman who’s become essential to me, though I can’t articulate why or how.
“You don’t understand.” My voice comes out as a deep, emphatic rasp. “I won’t survive if he hurts you because of me. Not because I’m noble, but because you’ve become…”
When I trail off, she picks up the thread.
