Chapter 5 A Deal with Danger

The rain had stopped, but the night still clung to Elena's skin like a veil of secrets. Luca's apartment was silent, save for the steady tick of the grandfather clock in the corner, a haunting metronome for the tension thickening between them.

She sat on the velvet couch, wrapped in a towel, her wet hair leaving damp trails on the cushions. Luca stood by the window, his profile hard and unreadable as he watched the city lights blur against the glass.

"You shouldn't have followed me," he said finally, voice low.

"You left me in a warehouse with a corpse," she shot back, her tone edged with frustration. "What was I supposed to do-call an Uber?"

His jaw clenched. "You don't understand what you've gotten yourself into."

"Then make me understand, Luca. I deserve that much."

He turned to her, the steel in his eyes softened by something unspoken. There was a moment of silence-a fragile pause where the air between them crackled.

"I can't promise you safety," he said, walking closer. "But I can offer you a deal."

Elena arched an eyebrow. "A deal?"

"You stay close. You follow my rules. No questions, no wandering off. In return, I'll keep you alive."

She stood, letting the towel slip slightly over her shoulder, revealing a hint of collarbone. "And if I say no?"

Luca's eyes flicked down for a heartbeat before he mastered himself. "Then your blood is on your hands."

The room felt too small for her fury, too tight for her choices. But the truth was brutal and simple-she had nowhere else to go. She was already neck-deep in his world.

"Fine," she said. "But I'm not some porcelain doll you can order around."

His lips curved-barely. "Noted."

The next morning, Elena woke to the scent of espresso and something spiced. She padded into the kitchen to find Luca dressed in black slacks and an open shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, tattoos curling along his forearms.

He didn't look like a killer.

"You cook now?" she asked, leaning on the doorframe.

He glanced at her over his shoulder. "Only when I don't want to get poisoned."

She smirked, the tension between them slightly lighter. He slid a cup toward her, and their fingers brushed. A shiver danced up her spine.

"We have a meeting," he said. "Someone's been poking around your article."

Her brows furrowed. "What kind of someone?"

"The kind who doesn't knock before blowing up cars."

Before she could ask more, his phone buzzed. A message flashed across the screen: Warehouse 17. Noon. Alone.

He cursed under his breath. Elena read the name: Cortez.

"Who's Cortez?"

He hesitated. "An old friend turned enemy. He's trying to move up in the cartel."

"And he wants to meet alone? That's not suspicious at all."

Luca grabbed his jacket. "Which is why you're coming with me. In disguise."

An hour later, Elena sat in the back of a bulletproof SUV, her hair tucked beneath a brunette wig, sunglasses masking her features. Luca looked at her, his expression unreadable.

"You pull that off better than I expected."

"Journalists make great spies."

They pulled into the warehouse district. The building loomed, abandoned and rusted, its doors wide like a mouth about to swallow them whole. Luca stepped out first, scanning the perimeter.

Inside, Cortez waited.

He was lean, snake-like, with a grin that never reached his eyes. "Moretti," he drawled. "Didn't think you'd show."

"Cut to the point."

Cortez's gaze flicked to Elena. "Who's the pretty accessory?"

"Not yours to worry about," Luca replied flatly.

Cortez chuckled and tossed a file toward Luca. Photos spilled out-Elena's face among them. Surveillance shots. Her apartment. Her mother's house. Even her college.

Elena gasped. Luca stepped protectively in front of her.

"You've crossed a line."

"I'm offering a trade," Cortez said. "Her for the names in your ledger."

Luca's eyes darkened. "I don't negotiate with rats."

The gunshot came without warning.

Luca shoved Elena to the ground, rolling over her as bullets tore through crates around them. He fired back, precise and cold. One man dropped. Another retreated.

When silence returned, Cortez was gone.

Elena lay breathless beneath Luca, heart pounding, his body shielding hers.

"You okay?" he murmured.

She nodded slowly. Their faces were inches apart, breath mingling.

"You saved me. Again."

"Don't make it a habit."

But she could see it now-the war in his eyes. The one between duty and desire. Between a world that demanded blood and the woman he couldn't seem to push away.

He helped her to her feet, his hand lingering at her waist.

"That was a warning," he said. "Next time, they won't miss."

"Then teach me to survive."

Their eyes locked. Something shifted. A deal was no longer enough. They were bound now-by danger, by choices, by something neither of them dared name.

Luca stepped closer, brushing a strand of wig-hair from her cheek.

"You want to learn? Then stay close. Closer than this."

Her breath caught. "How close?"

He leaned in, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. "Close enough to feel everything."

And when he kissed her, it was not gentle.

It was fire.

It was a promise.

And it was the most dangerous deal of all.