CHAPTER 61 - Business

LUCA'S POV

I can’t believe Ivory threw me out of her house as if I were some unwanted garbage just for telling her the truth. She’s too naive for the path she’s determined to tread. These people are ruthless; they wouldn’t hesitate to kill her to get what they want. She needs to stop now before it’s too late. But she’s too stubborn to listen. I should have walked away the moment I felt myself catching feelings for her, but now it’s too late. I’m trapped. And now I’m automatically dragged into this mess with her. I’ll have to protect her when she’s in danger, alongside her two bodyguards, who have finally proven themselves useful.

“Good evening, Luca.” One of my father’s men greets me as I walk past him. I’m currently in my father’s mansion. Just after leaving Ivory’s apartment, I received a call from him, demanding that I come. I don’t know what he wants, but I’m here anyway.

I don’t need to ask where he is—I know he’s in his office, working as usual. That man is always drowning himself in work.

I open the office door and spot him behind his desk, exactly as I expected.

“Good evening, Father,” I say, walking toward him.

He puts down what he’s working on and focuses on me. “Evening.”

I take a seat across from him. “You called for me.”

“Yes. I hear you’ve been busy lately,” he says, voice dripping with sarcasm. Instantly, I know he’s aware of my trip with Ivory.

“Yes, very busy.” I match his sarcasm.

“I’ve asked you countless times to stay away from that girl, but you refuse to listen. Do I have to take action?”

“Father, don’t. Please. I don’t want to do this with you.” Anger begins to rise at the thought of Ivory being hurt by him. He’s been insisting I keep my distance, saying that protecting her will only put me in danger, and once I’m in danger, it affects the famiglia too, since I’m next in line. I don’t give a damn about leading the famiglia.

“What the hell do you see in that girl?” He yells, slamming his fist on his desk.

I don’t even know myself. I just know I’m slowly falling for her. She fascinates me. But it pains my heart that I can never be with her. Even though she kissed me, I know very well that her heart still belongs with the idiot that drugged her. And that aside, I am from an Italian Mafia family, and we don’t marry anyone outside the Mafia. If it were easy, I would’ve rebelled, but the family would cut her throat open if I ever attempted to marry her. And I would like her to remain alive for as long as she could. Not that she wants me anyway.

“You don’t have to worry about what I see in her.” My voice is surprisingly calm.

“If what you want is whores to sleep with. We can arrange dozens of them for you. Just not her!” He blazes.

“I don’t want that.” My voice is still calm.

“Then what do you want?” he snaps.

“To be left alone!” I finally lose control, matching his anger.

“You can’t be with her. You just can’t.” He sighs in frustration.

“Because I’m born in blood and can only marry in blood? I already know that. And I’d never risk her life by trying to force something. She wouldn’t want to marry me anyway. But please, Father, let me enjoy the little time I have with her.”

He shakes his head. “No. That’s not the only reason.”

My eyes narrow as I look at him. “Then what’s the other reason?”

“I wonder how she would react if she found out I killed her father.”

“You what?” I exclaim, stunned.

“I killed Joseph Hastings,” he repeats.

“But why? You had no business with him.” I blurt out, finding it hard to believe. I had never even seen my father interact with him before he died.

“Oh, but I did. You just didn’t know.” He sighs, leaning back in his chair. “We had a secret arrangement. He came to me, interested in getting into the cocaine business. He proposed a deal, and since it was promising, I agreed. Then he betrayed me.”

I had no idea any of this happened. I didn’t know Mr. Hastings approached my father behind my back. If I had, I would have warned him to stay away. My father is ruthless and unforgiving, feared for a reason in the Mafia world. The horrors he’s committed in the past—and still commits—terrify even me. If I weren’t his son, I’d never dare cross paths with him.

“What kind of business?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

“That’s not relevant now. What matters is that you leave the girl alone. You can’t protect her from what’s coming, and that’s what I fear.”

I don’t know what he’s talking about, who’s after her, or why, but…

“Never!” I declare, my voice clear and firm.

“Then I’ll be forced to take action,” He threatens, sparking another fit of rage in me.

I rise to my feet, leaning forward, my eyes darkening as I growl, “If you so much as touch a hair on her head, forget you have a son named Luca.”

“Stupid boy!” Every muscle on his face twitches as he groans.

Without another word, I turn and storm out of his office. I don’t know where and how I developed the balls to talk back at my father, the devil himself. All I know is that I have been a different person ever since I fell in love with that girl.