In the Arms of the Enemy

The gala was just like other events: a fancy gathering in a decorated room, filled with beautiful dresses, tailored suits, and the scent of quality wine. Izzy Moretti wished she could escape every minute of it.

She could see her brother Giovanni, far across the room, engrossed in an animated discussion with several of the family's associates. She could guess already what the topic was going to be: more business, more threats, and more deals sealed with a handshake. Her family existed in a constant realm of power, betrayal, and an unspoken understanding that if you didn't play the game, you were dead.

Promising herself that she would never be like them was the one vow Izzy kept. But there she stood, surprisingly at such a place as no one else ever anticipated in a black gown of value surpassing the annual salaries of most people, playing the role she had never wanted to play.

One of the men in the group stood with his back to the far wall scanning the crowd and when she looked up, fixing their gaze at once, his own recognition hit her like an electric shock.

Santino DeLuca.

The heir to the DeLuca crime family. A name she had heard spoken in both fear and respect. He was a shadow in her life for as long as she could remember-always there, never too far from the chaos her family was involved in. Still, she'd never seen him face to face.

Izzy quickly turned back to her glass, pretending not to notice the way his eyes seemed glued to hers. But there was something hypnotic in Santino, something perilous that made her feel simultaneously safe and insecure around him.

A soft voice pulled her from her thoughts.

"Izzy," came the low murmur from her side. Turning, she found Sofia Romano, Santino's enforcer, and a childhood friend of his. Sofia was everything Izzy wasn't: cold, calculating, and completely loyal to the DeLuca family.

"You're staring at him," Sofia said, her keen gaze not leaving Santino for a second. "Be careful, or you might give a wrong impression."

"I wasn't staring," Izzy lied, forcing a smile. "Just... noticing."

Sofia raised an eyebrow. "Awareness of his presence or awareness of his gaze on you?"

Before Izzy could answer, a familiar voice called out her name.

"Izzy!" Giovanni burst out of the crowd, his presence impossible to ignore. He was tall and had their father's dark eyes, as well as the same defined jawline. But where their father had wielded sheer brute force, Giovanni had mastered the art of domination by cleverness. A very dangerous combination.

She forced a smile. "Giovanni. Enjoying the party?"

"As much as I ever do," he said dryly, glancing toward Santino. "What are you doing over here with Sofia? Stay away from him."

Izzy frowned. "From Santino? Why?"

"Don't play dumb. The DeLucas are our enemies, Izzy. Even looking at him is a problem." Giovanni lowered his voice to a growl. "He's been trying to encroach on our territory. We need to steer clear of him and his family."

"I'm not a kid, Giovanni," Izzy shot back, her voice angry. "I can choose who to talk to."

"Not in this world," Giovanni snapped, his eyes ice. "In this world, your choices are taken from you."

Izzy gritted her teeth, wanting to shout back. Being called a kid was the last thing she wanted, especially when it involved stuff she knew all too well. But before she could say anything, the room changed somehow. A faint shift, a species of tension that simply couldn't be ignored.

And then, Santino DeLuca was standing right before them.

"Izzy," he said smoothly, his voice a velvet whisper sending a shiver down her spine. He wasn't looking at Giovanni. His eyes were all for her.

It's been a while. She took a deep breath to stay calm.

"Has it?" she asked, her tone calm while inside her chest raced.

Santino smiled slightly, then the glint of amusement appeared in his eyes. "You don't remember when we last met?"

Izzy tried to remember, but the only hazy memories she had of the DeLucas were just that, vague and distant - whispers of deals, threats, power struggles. Her family had always kept her away from those dealings. But Luca, the infamous heir, was a different story.

She said, "I don't think we've met before," even though she knew she was lying. She remembered his name from a tense, fearful night many years ago.

But it's not like she was about to tell him that.

"Funny," Santino said, his smile deepening, "I remember you."

Giovanni tensed beside her, his body suddenly brimming with hostility. "What do you want, DeLuca?"

Santino's gaze shifted to Giovanni, and his face grew more frigid. "A conversation only. Nothing more. Nothing less."

Izzy's stomach churned. She knew Santino's type; he didn't do anything without an agenda and her brother was not the type to entertain any such conversation.

"We don't have time for your games, DeLuca," Giovanni said sharply. "You are not wanted here."

Unperturbed, Santino raised his hand. "I am not here for your business, Giovanni. I am here for hers."

Izzy's chest tightened. "For me?" she said, in a voice which was barely above a whisper.

His gaze never left her. "Yes, I want to speak with you, Izzy. Alone."

The statement hung in the air, pregnant with meaning. Giovanni tightened his jaw, but before he could retort, Izzy turned to him and spoke in a steady yet emphatic tone.

"I'll be fine, Giovanni. You don't have to worry."

Giovanni warned her, "You don't know what you are getting into," his eyes showing his worry. She looked at him in a way that made him quiet; she was no longer a child.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," she said to Santino, her voice harsh but tinged with interest. "Not like this."

Luca's expression softened ever so slightly. "Fine. I'll wait until you're ready. But just know, Izzy, it's not if you're coming it's when."

As Luca turned to go, he left a single business card, folded into the drapes of her dress, a reminder that the DeLucas weren't simply an aspect of her world; they were already part of her destiny.

Izzy used the tip of her fingers to trace the edge of the business card that Santino had slipped into her palm, its sharp corners slightly pricking her skin. She stared at it for a moment, a weird sensation stirring in her chest somehow, she felt connected to him on some level, though she also acknowledged some red flags that screamed warning.

Giovanni's acute voice interrupted her thoughts. "You aren't seriously considering what he said, right?" His tone was thick with disbelief and irritation.

Izzy pulled her gaze from the card and looked at her brother. "I'm not hiding anything, Giovanni. I don't know why he called me but I won't let him use me." She was convincing herself more than him. Her voice was confident but in his head, she was sure that Santino DeLuca was a hell of a lot more dangerous than her brother was letting on.

Giovanni's face darkened with intensity. "You are missing the point, Izzy. The DeLucas are playing a game and obviously they don't give a damn who happens to get hurt in their way, most particularly you."

She clenched her jaw, patience thinning. "I can take care of myself, Giovanni. I don't need you to protect me from some man I don't even know." she managed to say.

Giovanni grabbed her wrist, tightening his fingers around her flesh. "You don't have the choice to pick when you participate in this mess. It's your birth-right, Izzy. You can't just walk away like it's nothing. You can't" he said.

Before she could reply, a familiar voice interrupted them.

"Giovanni, let her go." it echoed

Izzy turned to find Sofia a few feet away, standing poised and purposeful, her eyes darting between the two siblings. An unreadable look crossed her face as she stared at Izzy, then looked back at Giovanni.

"Izzy's not a kid," Sofia said, keeping her tone low and calm. "She doesn't need you to protect her. And if Santino truly wants her, there's really nothing, absolutely nothing the two of us can do about it."

Izzy's heart skipped a beat hearing Sofia's words. She didn't know what shocked her more, the truth of what Sofia had said or the numbness in her voice as she spoke.

Giovanni released his grip on Izzy's wrist, his jaw tight with frustration. "I'm not involving her in this mess. Not like you were."

Sofia's lips twitched, but she did not say a word. Instead, she spun on her heels and went away, her heels clacking against the marble floor like the clock tick.

Izzy felt guilty about the deal for a moment, but that feeling passed when she understood what was really going on. The DeLucas weren't after her family's power, they were after her. And no matter how much she tried to deny it, she could not ignore the way Santino had looked at her. He was magnetic in more than one sense, provoking her in a manner she could not possibly explain.

She looked at the business card again, her eyes still holding onto it.

Later that night, long after the party had ended and her brother had retreated to his study to attend to some family affairs, Izzy found herself pacing the living room of their family estate. The card had burned a hole in her pocket to make her decide.

Why was she even thinking about it? She had declared herself done with that world. Done with chaos, constant watches, and the crime little by little. So why did the idea of Santino DeLuca, a man she hardly knew seem like an irresistible force?

Her mind flashed back to when he had looked at her across the room, his intense gaze freezing on her like a predator about to pounce. There was no denying it: Santino DeLuca was dangerous, but he was something else too irresistible.

The phone vibrated on the coffee table, pulling her back to reality. An annoyed she sighed and reached for it. It was a message from Giovanni.

Giovanni: I'm coming over. Don't make any decisions without me.

Izzy rolled her eyes. There was no way her brother was going to control her every move. She shot off a quick reply.

Izzy: I'm not a child, Giovanni. You can't control me.

She hit send then, before she could perhaps change her mind, tossed the phone aside. She needed some clarity, needed to stop feeling so torn. She stood up and walked over to the big window that overlooked the city, her mind still racing.

A loud knock at the door interrupted her again. This one seemed more urgent. Her heart missed a beat.

She opened the door to be met by Sofia, who was standing there, stiff as a post and her look betrayed nothing.

"You're not here to give me a warning, aren't you?" Izzy asked, her voice was sharp.

Sofia stepped inside, not waiting for an invitation. Her eyes flicked over the room as if to make sure they were alone. "I have a message delivery. From Santino."

Izzy's pulse quickened. "I thought he wasn't interested in my family."

Sofia's lips twisted into a little, sour smile. "Santino doesn't do things like other people. You should have realized that a long time ago." She paused, eyes drifting around the room till they landed on Izzy. "He wants to see you. He says it's time you found out what's really going on."

Izzy's breath caught in her throat. "What does that mean?"

Sofia's expression tightened. "I don't know. But if it's Santino, nothing is ever just a conversation."

Izzy felt her legs weaken, a knot twisting in her stomach. She had known Santino for less than an hour, and already it was driving her into a game over which she had no control. Was this the life her brother wanted for her?Was this the world she fought to be part of, no matter how hard she had fought?

"Why come to me?" Izzy whispered. "Why not just let him do what he does best, take over, frighten and manipulate?"

Sofia's eyes got narrowed and her voice grew harder. "Because Santino is not like your brother. He doesn't want to use force, not yet. He's trying to create something. And as much as you may hate it, Izzy, you're in that plan now."

Izzy clenched her fists at her sides, racing thoughts in her head. "What if I don't?"

Sofia didn't flinch. "You have no choice; he's already made the decision."

The sound of a revved car engine came from afar. Izzy glanced out the window and saw just enough of a sleek black car that was propping itself at the front of the estate. Her heart quickened because she realized Santino was closer than she had thought.

Turning to the door, Sofia's expression was one you could not fathom: "You'll meet him, won't you?"

Izzy hesitated, fear and curiosity battling in her mind. "I'll think about it."

But Sofia was already gone, leaving Izzy alone with the haunting sound of an approaching destiny.

The air of the night was cool, Izzy stood in the doorway as her eyes rested on the shiny black car that was coming to a stop at the front of the estate. The headlights broke through the darkness and cast long shadows across the driveway. Her chest throbbed with her heart. She wanted to turn around, close the door and act like nothing of this sort ever happened-part of her. But another part, the part that had always been drawn to danger, to power wanted to step outside and face whatever was coming

Of course the challenge was not something she could shy away from. But it was not just any challenge for that matter. This was Santino DeLuca.

There were footsteps coming up the hallway behind her and she turned around to see Giovanni standing at the top of the stairway, his face full of worry.

"Izzy, what are you doing? You can't" He cut off as he caught the resolute expression on her face. "Are you meeting him?"

Izzy was silent for a while. She simply took a deep breath and walked out of the doorway. Her brother's voice followed her, but she did not break.

"Izzy!" Giovanni's voice was louder now, laced with frustration and fear. "This is a mistake. You don't understand what you're getting into. You"

"I know exactly what I'm getting into, Giovanni." Her tone was strong, her spine rigid as she turned to look at him one last time. "I'm not hiding anymore. I need to know what this is all about."

"You don't have to prove anything," Giovanni said sharply. "This is not a game, Izzy. Luca is dangerous. His family is not based on the same rules as we are."

Izzy felt a sharp pang of irritation. "I know how the DeLucas play, but I'm not scared of him."

"If Santino wants something from me, I'll find out what it is on my own."

Giovanni's eyes darkened with worry but nothing more came from him. He simply turned his back and went upstairs again. Izzy heard him mumbling, but she couldn't catch the words. She was already walking toward the driveway, thinking about the meeting ahead.

The car door opened, and Santino DeLuca emerged, tall and imposing in a dark suit that almost vanished in the night. His gaze fell on hers instantly, a faint smile curving his lips.

"Miss Moretti," he said, his voice silky and tranquil as if the whole history between them wasn't ruled by blood feuds and power struggles. "I'm glad you could come."

Izzy didn't return the smile. "I didn't come here because I wanted to. I was because you wouldn't stop until I did."

Santino's smirk widened a little more. "I'm persistent. I always get what I want." He stepped closer, his aura palpable. "You don't mind taking a drive with me, do you? I promise I won't bite." he said.

"I don't think so," Izzy said, crossing her arms and not budging. "I stand badly being manipulated, Luca. And if this is some sort of game to you"

Santino's face hardened for a second, but then the glimmer of amusement returned to his eyes again. "If I were into playing games, Izzy, you'd be in my bed by now. This is business. Well, actually it's more than that. But I think you'll get it once we talk."

Izzy hesitated. She was already out of her front door, and part of her knew that this conversation, whatever it was, was inevitable.

"Fine," she said, nodding toward the car. "Let's talk."

Santino directed her to the rear of the vehicle, where a black SUV was waiting. He opened the door for her in a show of exaggerated courtesy, and Izzy hesitated for only a moment before climbing into the seat. The door shut behind her, and she looked out the window to see Giovanni watching from the front door. She could feel his eyes on her, filled with warnings and unspoken threats. But this wasn't his decision anymore.

Santino slid in beside her and the car began to glide pretty smoothly down the street.

It was a silent drive for the next few moments. Izzy could feel and sense the tension building between them, the weight of his gaze never leaving her. The gentle thrum of the engine was not enough to drown out the moment until Santino finally spoke.

"Do you know why I called you tonight?" he inquired, his voice low and velvety like the type that made it impossible to refuse.

Izzy flicked her eyes to him for a second and then looked straight back at the road. "I guess it has something to do with my family or maybe just me."

Santino chuckled under his breath. He replied in the same tone. 'It's more than just that. But it's more than that'. Santino stood up a little moving closer to her still sitting on his seat. 'I think you've been given the wrong story about DeLucas or let me say about me. Your family has painted us as the enemy, but the truth is far much more complex'.

Izzy's brow furrowed. "Complicated? How?"

She felt his eyes on her and she waited until his look moved away to the screen before he talked once more. "You see, Izzy, this conflict that exists between our families? It is not power sharing. It is not even territory. You know what it is? It is survival. For a long time now the DeLuca family has been in a ceaseless battle just to retain their positions in this city, now it has reached its breaking point and your family whether you realize it or not is part of the equation."

Izzy looked at him, trying to grasp his words. "What does that supposed to mean? Why are you telling me this?"

"Because, Izzy, I think you have the power to change things," Santino said, his voice getting serious now. "I've been watching you. You're not like the others. You're clever and very determined. Most importantly, you do not hesitate to challenge your brother and the family's thought process. That makes you pretty important."

Izzy's pulse quickened. "You're not asking me to join you, are you?"

Luca's lips curled into a smile, but it wasn't funny. "Not yet, but I'm asking you to help me. To ensure your family doesn't keep me at war because if that happens, there won't be a family for anyone. Your brother is blind to that, but I guess you see it."

Izzy shook her head, trying to take in all he was saying. "Why should I help you then? After everything the DeLucas have done to my family?"

Santino's gaze softened for a split second. "Because, Izzy, the enemy is not always what you think it is. Sometimes it's the people you thought you could trust the most who are just holding you back."

A shiver ran suddenly down her spine. She turned to face him fully now, and her breath was slightly faster than usual. "What do you mean by that?"

The faint smile of Santino was almost too knowing "You will understand it later on."

The car slowed while taking a turn into an unrecognized alley, the atmosphere inside inarguably dense with tension. Santino didn't speak anymore as the car finally stopped before some non-public premises, its windows obscured. The air was electric, tinged with something she could not quite identify.

"Where are we?" Izzy asked, her voice tight with uncertainty.

Santino turned toward her, his eyes hot. "You'll see what I mean. Just follow my lead."

The door opened, and in its light a figure moved out of the shadows and stood before them.