Chapter 10 Ten
Luca's POV
I was insane. I was insane for going after her. For wanting her, for trying so hard to rile her up, for wanting her attention.
I walked out of the bathroom, drying the wetness out of my hair. I was supposed to be doing better things, I was supposed to be strategizing and trying to get ahead of her, of the other mafia families in Nightshade. I was distracted while she was making efforts to get ahead of me, to get better than me and possibly to kill me.
I headed to the window and pushed the blinds aside. Staring outside, I was watching the guards patrol when I thought about something. I could make her fall apart and give in to me. I always got what I wanted. No matter how long or delayed the process was, I always got what I wanted.
I had realized that there was no way I could make her like me or look at me as a person when she had all that power and all those people surrounding her. She needed to be weak. Alone, cornered and stripped of power.
So I was going to bring down her rogue group and offer her a hand of help. No matter how much she would not want to take it, she wouldn't have a choice.
I walked to my desk and opened a folder I had started preparing a day before. I had done it in a panic. It was a list of contingency protocols, in case the Syndicate became too strong.
It was still difficult to believe that a woman I had rejected because of her weakness and the disadvantages she could bring to me was a threat to me now.
I leaned back in my seat. She had the confidence to raid the Kordova warehouse. She was not scared of anyone. She was ready to take on any one or even all of the other Mafia families in Nightshade. That basically meant that she was competing with me. That spoke a lot about the strength her rogue group had built over time.
I ran my hand through my wet hair. I was going to crack all of it. It was going to take time and effort, but it would be worth it when I had her looking up to me for help.
I looked over the list. She did not have any allies at the time, but I had letters I could send to families that would want to lean towards her as allies. I could destroy parts of her territory. It would cause a major setback for her.
I could also exploit the weaknesses of her trusted officials. I had two names. Aria and Thorne. I had a feeling that if I could get Aria with sufficient effort.
Thorne, however, would be a pain in the ass. The image of his face came to my mind. The scar at the corner of his mouth, his bleached buzz cut, his permanent frown and the aggressively loyal way he guarded Elara. They all made him easy to hate. But it was the way he looked at her that made me want to break something.
I hated it. I hated him. I did not like the thought that his interest in her could go beyond being a loyal official.
I was just about to get up from my seat when my door swung open.
I immediately knew it was Caspian. He was the only one daring enough to do something like that. I turned around and glared at him.
“Swung by earlier. You weren't here,” he said casually, meeting my gaze. I did not miss the undertone of his words. He wanted to know where I had gone. He didn't like Elara, so he would not like to hear that I had gone to spy on her. Not that I gave a single fuck.
“I went somewhere,” I simply said.
He grunted in response and tucked his hands in his pocket.
“I just confirmed. She has a new member. Cyric. He defected from the Kordova family. Still trying to get information on why.” he said. I thought about it for a moment.
“He’s arrogant and he seems to have caused some trouble already. He challenges her,” Caspian continued.
“You think he's a mole? Sent by the Kordovas?” I asked, leaning back in my seat and thinking the new information over. I had seen someone new among her trusted officials and some other men back at the Kordova warehouse.
Why was she doing something as risky as trusting the new guy from the Kordova family to help her rob the Kordova warehouse?
I chuckled. She was not so smart after all.
“I don't think so. It would be too obvious. At the same time, they might be taking advantage of the rationale that it would be too obvious,” Caspian responded.
I nodded. “I need you to look into it more. If he's working his way into her community, we need to know if he's our enemy or we can use him,” I told Caspian and he nodded.
I stood up from my seat and headed towards the mini refrigerator in the room. Caspian lingered. I immediately knew where this was going.
“You sure this isn't personal?” he asked.
I turned slowly, uncapping the bottle of water I had grabbed. “What?”
“This thing with her. You don't seem to be thinking straight. You're—”
I took a big step towards him before he could finish speaking. He stopped talking.
“It's not personal, I gave him a small smile. It's psychological warfare,” I maybe have been lying to both him and myself.
He nodded, not looking convinced. I could understand that. I didn't sound convincing. Not even to myself.
“I'm gonna go now,” Caspian excused himself. I said nothing as he walked through the door and shut it behind him.
I sighed and sat at the corner of my bed. This was the first time that I was putting myself ahead of the interests of my pack and mafia. Even when I had rejected Elara, it had been because I did not want someone that would weaken me and reduce my efficiency and productivity.
I was going to go all out in getting her back. No matter what it cost me, or her.