For Luca (Chicago Syndicate Book 2)

by Naomi, Soraya

  I need to get to a phone, but mine is in my purse in the Maserati. Turning my head, I spot Luca’s jacket in front of the hearth.

  Please let his phone be inside the jacket!

  I check the pocket, and thank god, I’m touching the cold surface of Luca’s smartphone. I haven’t heard Ashton drive away, so I crawl to the back of the cottage and call Adriano, trying desperately to keep the phone from slipping out of my trembling hands.

  “What up?” he greets cheerily.

  “A- Adriano…help me.”

  “Fallon? What’s wrong? What’s going on? Where’s Luca?” He’s instantly on alert.

  “…Don’t know.” My chest rises and falls while I desperately try to concentrate and give him useful information.

  “I’m tracking his phone right now. You’re at Cottage Woods in Lake Forest? Take a deep breath and then tell me exactly what happened.” I hear him giving out orders. “Damian, go to Cottage Woods. Now! I want someone there within fifteen minutes.”

  “Yes, cottage. Ashton is out front…I-I think he and Luca fought in the woods, and I heard gunshots. I don’t know where Luca is,” I cry and sniff.

  “Fallon, where are you right now?”

  “Inside the cottage, by the back door.”

  “You need to leave the cottage, okay?”

  “Nooo! Don’t make me go out there again; it’s so dark.” I wipe my nose with my arm.

  “Ashton could come inside at any moment, and it’s going to take me twenty minutes to get to you. I need you to be brave and sneak back out, okay? When you get outside, cover the phone with your hands, run toward the woods, and hide behind the first tree you see. But don’t disconnect our call unless you see him following you; then you must disconnect it so the light of the screen won’t give you away.”

  I nod through my trembles.

  “Talk to me,” he coaxes in a gentle tone, laced with concern.

  “Go back outside, and run to the woods?” I ask hesitantly.

  “Yes, but don’t go too deep into the woods,” he warns. “Hide behind the first large tree you see. Now run away from the cottage.”

  I take off as Adriano instructed and round the first tree I see. He stays on the phone with me, consistently calming me down, until he finally tells me that he’s arrived.

  “I’m inside the cottage now. Ashton is gone, and I’m going to walk through the back door. Three other soldiers are with me, so don’t panic when you see us. Do you see me, Fallon?”

  A tall shadow appears in front of the back door of the cottage.

  “I’m waving now. Do you see me? Come to me.”

  I dash back toward Adriano, who meets me halfway when he spots me, and I jump into his arms.

  “You’re fine now. Breathe.” Adriano strokes my hair and pulls back. “Where did you last see Luca?”

  Other men holding guns and flashlights are behind Adriano.

  “He hid me.” I distinctly remember that when I left my hiding place, I walked toward the cottage in a straight line, so I pull Adriano forward, and we find the open lid of the underground space quickly.

  Flashlights are scanning the area to try to find any trace of Luca.

  With quivering lips, I inform, “They were fighting near where I was hiding. I could hear them, Adriano!” I point my unsteady fingers to my ears as tears pour down my face. “I heard gunshots!”

  “Adriano,” a male voice shouts. “Over here.”

  He takes my hand in his, and we run toward the other man. My heart drops to my feet as I fall to my knees.

  “NO! Luca, you can’t leave me alone!” I scream and cry uncontrollably when I see Luca’s body on the ground with blood covering his face and chest. Adriano picks me up before I can touch him and holds me against his chest. His arms and sheer exhaustion immobilize me. “Is he alive?”

  “He’s in bad shape. We need to get him out of here,” he answers me and barks orders to his men. “You know the drill. Doc and an ambulance. Doc will take care of everything at the hospital. I’m taking her myself. Bury the other body.”

  There’s another body? I didn’t even notice that. “I want to stay with him,” I whisper so softly, but he hears me.

  “We need to let the others do their work. We’ll go straight to the hospital, and you can see Luca there.”

  ***

  I sit on the white bed in the emergency room at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital and wait for Adriano to return with an update on Luca while a young doctor removes glass splinters from my palms. The wait seems to take forever as my gaze is focused on nothing in this sterile room. I’m feeling numb, not because of the horror Ashton has inflicted on me and my loved ones, but because I have no idea what’s going on with Luca.

  Tears keep streaming down my cheeks as I wait and wait after the doctor is done with my entire examination while not even knowing if Luca is still alive.

  Adriano finally enters with an unrecognizable look. “He’s in surgery.”

  What is with these guys and always being in control of their emotions and expressions? “Was he breathing? Where was he shot?”

  “He was breathing, but he lost a lot of blood where two bullets penetrated the chest wall and damaged his lung. However, we transported him to the hospital fast, so the doctor said that at least the chance of infection is minimal.” I start to cry again, so he joins me on the bed and throws his arm around my shoulder. “The most important thing is that we got him medical attention quickly. The human body is much more resilient than you think, and gunshot wounds are usually not fatal, Fallon. Only shots to the heart or a major artery are potentially lethal when not treated immediately.”

  “Is Doctor Calderone operating on him?”

  “No, he’s not a chest surgeon, but I called him in so that he can take care of the hospital’s legalities: hospitals are required by law to contact the police when a bullet wound victim is brought in. Luca won’t be in any trouble because there will be no report of his admittance here; Doc will take care of that part.”

  “Do you think he’ll survive?”

  He snorts and locks eyes with me. “Of course. He would never leave you.”

  CHAPTER 33

  Luca

  “Has he woken up?”

  “Not yet.”

  Slowly, I open my eyes and blink to adjust to the severe lighting.

  “Mr. DeMiliano, welcome back,” a doctor greets.

  “Fallon?” I inquire in a hoarse voice and swallow, hurting my sore throat, but he doesn’t hear me.

  “How do you feel, Mr. DeMiliano?”

  “Sore throat.” I move my body slightly and experience severe pains.

  “You were out for a day; it’s now evening. You were brought in last night with two bullets in your lung, but I removed them and had to remove a lobe, a section, of the injured lung. You have a thoracostomy tube in place. It’s a plastic chest tube that is attached to a suction device to withdraw air, residual blood, or any body fluids from the chest. This helps to keep the lung inflated and once it heals after a couple of days, I’ll pull it out.” He checks my chart, and he continues, “You’ve been on the ventilator all night and are now being given antibiotics to prevent lung and wound infections, along with pain medication. I would like to see you walk around a little today to prevent pneumonia, and we’ll start respiratory therapy as soon as possible. Therapy will offer you deep breathing exercises to help the lung heal steadily. You don’t have any rib fractures, but the extensive bruising on your body will hurt while healing.”

  All I want to know is whether she survived and is unharmed, so I repeat, “Fallon?”

  With a kind smile, the nurse answers, “Oh the beautiful brunette who wouldn’t leave. She’ll be right back, sir. She just stepped out.”

  I feel the breath ease out of me. “I want to see her.”

  “I’ll tell Fallon if I see her before you do,” she replies.

  The doctor starts speaking again. “Since you’re otherwise healthy and in perfect condition,
I believe you’ll have a speedy recovery.”

  That’s good news because I can’t afford to be bedridden or physically weak for a long period of time.

  “We’ll come back later,” the nurse informs after she checks my vitals.

  She and the doctor leave just as a furious James enters and starts talking without saying hello. “My underboss almost gets killed because of a woman?” Gritting his teeth, he closes the distance between us, and a look crosses his face that I’ve never seen before: a mixture of regret and pain. For the first time ever, I see remorse flash across his eyes, and I realize right away that he’s here to kill me because he knows I’m putting Fallon before the Syndicate. Her survival was my only concern last night.

  “Don’t make me choose, James, because I will choose her,” I answer his unspoken question and cough.

  A vicious glare is thrown at me. “Don’t be ignorant. You know damn well there isn’t a choice. What are you going to do? Be on the run with her forever?”

  “Did you talk to Adriano? Did he bring you up-to-date? This wasn’t solely about her. It was about Ashton Banks who’s a huge liability against our organization.” It fucking hurts to talk this much, and my throat is extremely dry, but I need to defend myself so I can take advantage of the doubt I sense in James. I didn’t survive last night to be easily offed in this hospital room. James becomes disconcertingly quiet and turns away from me, gazing out the window, so I play my last card. “I’ve seen Camilla.”

  His body pivots around quickly. “When?”

  “Last week.” What the hell is his interest in Camilla? I’m seriously starting to think these two had an affair. “You need Adriano and me to find her again and, James, deep down you must realize I wouldn’t jeopardize the Syndicate. Adriano and I took care of everything. Don’t make a decision in anger that you’ll regret later. Adriano isn’t only loyal to you, but to me too. If you lose me, you’ll lose him as well.”

  Rubbing his fingers over his mouth, he scowls at me first then softens his look. “You two handle everything with the hospital because I’m not lifting a finger to interfere with this mess.”

  I nod in promise because I’m positive Adriano has already done that.

  “I need Camilla found, Luca.”

  “Tell me why.”

  His chest rises, and he blows out a troubled breath. “I’ll tell you both later. Do not disappoint me like this ever again. You scared me last night; I think I aged ten years in one day, son.”

  Mission accomplished because he’s gone back to referring to me as ‘son’. “Lo prometto.” I promise.

  “Luca!” Her voice makes me forget about everything else, and I’m instantly appeased when I see her in the doorway with Adriano. Fallon, my positive counterpart in everything, comes at me and kisses my forehead while looking back and forth between James and me.

  “Hi,” she greets him timidly.

  “Miss Michaels, I’m glad you’re okay. Luca, we’ll talk later.” James heads out and takes Adriano with him.

  Fallon sits on the chair to my left and rests her head beside mine on the pillow.

  “Ashton?” I quickly mouth to Adriano.

  Adriano nods and leaves with James as Fallon strokes my jaw.

  “Dolcezza, what happened to your hands?”

  “It’s fine, just some cuts.” She looks up, and tears wet her cheek.

  “Don’t cry. I just heard that I’m going to be fine.”

  “I know. I was so scared to lose you.”

  “You’ll never lose me. Come lie in bed with me.”

  And she climbs in.

  CHAPTER 34

  Fallon

  Luca has recovered quickly, and after a month, he’s back to his old controlling and dominant self as we sit around his kitchen island, and he demands answers from me.

  “Stop overthinking every little thing. Do you know what I want? You. You, just the way you are. I want us to live and love together and to create new memories because today is our chance to live. Not tomorrow. Live in the present with me, and stop fighting your love because I’m not waiting around forever. Do you want to be with me? It’s a simple question.”

  We loved each other, then hurt one another by being apart, and nothing, nothing broke our bond – our invisible tie. Sometimes the course of your life is determined when you’re at your absolute worst. The worst moment of my life led me back to the love of my life. Since the day my parents died, Luca hasn’t left my side. He fought for me, he protected me, and he put me back together, broken piece by broken piece. And the defining moment in my life was when I decided to call Luca on the day that I lost the two people I will forever miss. That day brought us back together. That day sparked a love that we so desperately suppressed. That day shaped me into the person I am today. There isn’t a doubt in the depth of my heart and soul that I want to be with him.

  “Yes,” I answer.

  “I want you to move in with me permanently because I want you to be at our house when I come home at night,” he explains and comes up behind me, warming me in a cuddle while his hands find their way under my shirt, searching for bare skin to touch.

  Happiness is right within my grasp as I look over my shoulder into Luca’s piercing green eyes. I’m tired of always worrying, and he’s the one that protects me. He deserves my commitment. He deserves to have the love we shared when we met a year ago, and I deserve it as well.

  “I want that too.”

  His lips curl up. “Bene.” Good.

  However, there’s something else I want to discuss with Luca, but I’m not sure how to start. “Luca…”

  He kisses my neck. “Yes? You can tell me anything.”

  “The police called today. They pretty much told me that the investigation is going nowhere. Nothing has led them to Ashton, even though I’ve dropped his name several times. They still treat me like I’m an annoyance. I-I’ve been living with this…this longing for revenge, and I didn’t tell you because it’s scaring me somewhat to admit it to myself, let alone to someone else.”

  He turns the barstool I’m perched on and cups the back of my head reassuringly.

  “I just want justice for my parents, and it’s eating me alive that Ashton’s still out there after everything he’s done to me, my parents, and to you.”

  “I told you the police won’t give you justice.”

  “I’m starting to understand that.”

  “What do you want? Do you want me to take care of it? Because all you have to do is say the word,” he offers, unaffected by my admission, probably because he’s detected this change in me.

  “Yes… No.” I palm my forehead, but Luca takes my hand and entangles our fingers.

  “You’re not an evil person because you want retribution for all that’s been done to you. Do you want me to take care of him without giving you the specifics?”

  I nod an approval, and Luca’s mouth turns up into a devilish grin.

  “This is kind of turning me on,” he admits in a deep voice, laced with yearning.

  I shake my head. “You’re crazy.”

  “Crazy to get inside you.”

  His lips trail kisses across my collarbone and up my throat as he takes my hips in his hands. I hook my legs around his waist, and my skirt rides up, exposing my naked thighs.

  “I’m happy that you’re moving in,” he comments.

  My hands come around his neck, pulling our bodies close together as his mouth claims mine. I’m absentmindedly playing with the hair at his nape as he massages my hips and his hands move over the rounded curves of my behind, making me writhe into him. His grip becomes more solid as I feel him hardening quickly through his pants, and I relish in his taste as our tongues push and pull roughly. Luca’s hands stroke down my arms and position my hands, palms flat, on the granite top.

  “Keep them there,” he commands.

  He nuzzles my neck, kneading my breast with one hand, and quickly unbuttons his pants. Then he slides his knuckles up the inside of my bare th
igh, nudging my panties aside to rub the head of his arousal against me. My hips jerk forward as just the tip moves inside, and he bites my lip, groaning.

  “You are always so wet for me.” He bunches my skirt in one hand to watch himself sliding slowly inside me, making us one.

  Locking my feet behind him, I lean back, whimpering and arching from the exquisitely delightful sensation of him filling me completely. “Luca…”

  “I love it when you scream my name,” he mutters through short breaths and thrusts in hard.

  No more slow. He takes my hips in his hands and drives into me, rattling the barstool and almost tipping us back, but I keep a firm grip on the island behind me as his eyes hold mine.

  “I love you,” I pant. My husky voice not holding back any emotion, and I meet his passionate thrusts as he growls and leans forward to bite and suck the bare skin of my shoulder.

  “Ti amo così tanto.” I love you so much.

  He circles his hips, and I immediately explode with pleasure traveling from my core to the tips of my toes as Luca keeps up his brutally rough thrusts until I feel him swelling inside me and releasing with a low groan, collapsing against me. I cradle his head against my breasts as our chests rise and fall rapidly.

  “Do you have time for a shower together?” he whispers and bites my nipple through the fabric of my shirt, causing me to shriek.

  “It will have to be quick because I’m meeting Wade in the park. Just to catch up.”

  He lifts me up and heads to the bathroom.