Chapter 2 Shadows in the Dark

Luca's POV

The moment the crash reverberated around the house, I could sense the air changing. It was the sound of someone invading my space, testing me, and subverting the delicate control I had over this scenario, not only the sound of things breaking.

I told Valentina to stay still, so I turned not looking back. She had to know where she fit in. Her conflict was not this one. But she never pays attention, does she? Her tenacity is her weakest point as well as a strength. And if she doesn't pick things up quickly she will die.

With heightened senses, I went about the home. Every shadow, every flutter of motion drew my eye, but I didn't see him until I rounded the corner.

Gianni.

Naturally, it was him.

"You're slipping, Luca," Gianni remarked, his voice low and sloshy with hubris. "You have become soft over this whole marriage process. Who would have imagined the great Luca DeLuca would tie himself down for a woman?

I kept silent. Gianni was not worth the breath it would have required to explain anything to him. Enzo Romano, a dog that had been smelling my heels for years, was sleeping in my house. He felt he was being cunning, but he had no idea who he was dealing with.

"How did you enter this? My voice was quiet but deadly, I asked.

Grinning, Gianni leaned sloppily against the wall as though he owned the house. "I have my ways." Thought I would drop over to wish you well on your marriage. Must be a hell of a woman for you to go through all this hassle.

I wasn't about to offer him anything; he was hunting facts. He was here for Valentina, or at least what I was supposed to understand. But this transcended her as well. It dealt with power. Order. And Gianni lacked both as well.

I moved forward, the strain between us growing. " Leave. Now."

The smile of Gianni got bigger. "What's the urgency, Luca? Terrified, I might tell your newlywed the truth? You know she will soon learn, right? Not too far off. The falsehoods, the blood on your hands-all will surface.

I tightened my hands, my endurance running thin. Leave.

But Gianni remained still. He simply stood there, that haughtiness on his face, challenging me to start. He was ready for a struggle. And some of me wanted to present it to him.

I spotted movement from the corner of my eye before I could act. Valentina." Of course she had disobeyed me. Her eyes wide and full of terror, she was peering beyond the door. She was not aware of how perilous this planet may be or of the game we were playing.

Before Gianni spotted too much, I had to get her out of here.

I snatched him by the collar one fast step and pushed him toward the door. "You want to engage in games, Gianni?" Take it somewhere else. I will deal with you later.

Gianni stammered but did not rebel. He knew better than to challenge me right in my house. Still, he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes darting to where Valentina was hidden.

"Careful, Luca," he sneered. The truth cannot remain buried for very long.

And he was gone, vanishing into the night as fast as he had arrived. Heart thumping in my chest, I locked the door behind him. That he had seen Valentina and that he had come this near disgusted me. This was not included in the agenda. Here, concealed from Enzo's reach, she was supposed to be safe. But Gianni's arrival had dashed that fantasy.

Valentina was standing in the corridor, her arms encircling herself as if she were attempting to prevent disintegration as I turned back.

Her voice shaky, she asked, "What was that about?"

I looked at her for a time, considering how much to say. She was brittle enough as it was. She might be totally broken if I toss her into the deep end of my life. She still had to grasp, though, what was on line.

"Nothing you need to worry about," I responded, my voice sharp.

Her eyes blazed with rage, the fire I had seen in her before flickering to life once more. "Don't tell me, Luca. You lie. I am entitled to know what is happening. Whose was he? Why was he present?

I tightened my mouth, deciding whether or not to let her in. Though she wasn't ready for this, keeping her in the dark could be more damaging. Knowing she was here, Enzo knew Gianni had seen her. Things were going to become disorganized quickly.

At last, I crossed my arms, "He's one of Enzo's men," I said. "He won't be back; he came here to cause disturbance."

Valentina's eyes grew terrified, and I watched her realize something. "Enzo is aware I am here?"

You nodded. He does now.

She paled, her body stiff as she worked through what that meant. She was clearly developing stress and anxiety about what was next. She cannot, however, break down right now. not during times of this instability.

Steering closer, I continued, "I told you I'd protect you." Still, you have to believe me. Keep away from this. Let me tackle it.

Valentina shook her head and spoke with a shaky voice. "Luca, I cannot only watch and do nothing. Though I am in it now, I did not ask for any of this. I have to know what is happening.

I grumbled and frustratedly ran a hand through my hair. Her being entangled and pushing herself farther into the turmoil exactly what I did not want. She was indeed correct, though. She was in this now, whether or not she enjoyed it.

My voice low, I said, "There's more to this than just you." "This marriage, the agreement we reached goes beyond only ensuring your safety. It's about preventing the breakdown of all I have created. Enzo wants control of the city, hence he will have advantage against me if he gets his hands on you.

Valentina looked at me, her brow wrinkling in perplexity. "Leverage? Why would he show concern for me?

I stammered, considering how much to expose. Though the reality was dangerous, she had to grasp the stakes.

"You're not just some hapless woman, Valentina," I remarked gently. "You link to something more than just yourself." Your family...you know the Romano family has a background. A past Enzo intends to leverage to his benefit.

Her eyes went wide with disbelief, and I could see the bits beginning to fit her. She had no idea how deep this went or what she had been fleeing over all these years.

"My family?" She murmured, her voice scarcely audible. "What do they have to do with this?"

I released, feeling the weight of the secrets I had been carrying. "Your father long ago was close to the Romano family. Before birth. He crossed Enzo's father, and today Enzo seeks retribution. He believes he can use you to write an ancient debt.

Valentina's face lost all color, and I could see terror in her eyes. This went beyond her now as well. It concerned something far more than each of our own capacities.

Her voice quivering, "I didn't know," she said. "I knew nothing about any of this."

"I know," I whispered softly. Still, you have to use caution now that you do. Enzo won't stop until he has what he is after. And right now that denotes you.

Valentina is thrown into a deeper web of mafia politics and risk than she could have ever dreamed as she discovers the truth about her family's relationship to the Romano family. Her brittle confidence in Luca is shaken as she discovers exactly how much he has withheld from her; the threat of Enzo grows more real with every second. The last tense, stressful scene in the chapter leaves the reader wondering what Valentina will do next and how she will negotiate this dangerous new reality.