Chapter 30 Amelia
Amelia
The click of the lock echoing through the door is a sound I’ve come to loathe. It is a constant reminder that for all Luca’s talk of "protection," I am still a prisoner. I stand in the center of the room, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs, and stare at the heavy oak.
I touch my jaw where he just ran his thumb. The skin there feels like it’s on fire. I want to scrub the feeling away, to erase the ghost of his touch, but my hand stays frozen by my side. He is an arrogant, overbearing prick who has spent every waking second since the raid invading my space.
What is he playing at?
Tycoons like Luca D'Angelo don't sign up for grueling military recruitment cycles for the "experience." They don't carry bleeding soldiers through corridors and they certainly don't have fortified mountain bunkers ready for a midnight escape.
I walk back to the desk and collapse into the chair. The laptop screen is a blur of blue and white, but I can’t focus on the numbers anymore. My father hit me. The memory is a cold weight in my stomach. The man I spent my life trying to impress discarded me the moment I became a liability. And Valentino, my own brother, has taken my command.
I am a ghost in my own life.
I look at the door again. Luca is out there, moving through the shadows like he owns them. He treats me like I’m a precious object he’s claimed from a wreck. He says I belong to him in this house. The dark romance of his words should terrify me, but instead, they leave me feeling a strange, sickening sense of security.
I hate him for it. I hate that he saw me at my weakest. I hate that when he looked at me just now, I didn't want him to leave.
I shake the thought away and force my fingers back onto the keyboard. If I am a bloodhound, as he says, then I’m going to find the scent. I’m going to find out who destroyed my life. And once I have the truth, I’ll find a way to break out of this fortress.
Luca D'Angelo thinks he’s my savior. He doesn't realize that a cornered soldier is the most dangerous thing in the room. I’ll play his game for now. I’ll let him "protect" me. But the moment the cage door cracks, I’m gone.
I sit in the quiet of the room and listen to the house. The wind outside is picking up and the ancient stone walls seem to hum with the pressure. I can hear the muffled sounds of life downstairs. A door closes. A heavy set of boots moves across a tile floor. I assume it is Luca or his shadow, Matteo. Every sound makes my skin crawl. I am a Captain in the Italian Army but I am sitting in a silk slip and waiting for a billionaire to tell me when to move and not to move.
I turn my attention back to the laptop screen. The blue light is harsh in the dark room. I have the secondary layer of the communication logs open. I spent years training to read people on the battlefield but reading code is a different kind of war. I scroll through the lines of text and search for anything that doesn't fit the official narrative.
The routing number I found earlier is still burned into my mind. A blind trust. It is a dead end designed to stop people like me. I lean back in the chair and rub my temples. My head is throbbing from the lingering effects of the sedative. Luca says he is protecting me but he is also keeping me in the dark. He gives me just enough information to keep me busy but not enough to see the whole picture.
I wonder what he is doing right now. He left the room with a look in his eyes that I couldn't quite place. It wasn't the look of a businessman worried about his business. It was something different. It was the look of a man who is comfortable with violence. I think back to the recruitment center. He was always too good. His aim was too steady. His movements were too precise.
"Who are you really, Luca?" I whisper to the empty room.
I stand up and pace the length of the room. My legs are still a little shaky but the strength is returning to my muscles. I need to move. I need to feel like I am still in control of my own body. I stop in front of the window and pull the heavy velvet curtain aside just an inch. The woods outside are a sea of ink. I can see the faint outline of the perimeter fence in the distance.
If I wanted to leave, I would have to go through that fence. I would have to bypass the cameras and the sensors I know are buried in the grass. I would have to outrun Matteo and whatever other guards Luca has hidden in the trees. And even if I made it out, where would I go? My father has already replaced me. My unit is gone.
The thought of my father makes my chest tighten. I can still feel the heat of his hand against my cheek. I spent my entire life trying to be the perfect soldier and the perfect daughter. I followed every rule. I earned every promotion. And in a single second, he threw it all away because I became a liability to his reputation.
I hear the lock on the door click. I freeze.
I don't turn around immediately. I wait for the door to swing open. I hear the floorboards creak as someone enters. It isn't the heavy, confident stride of Luca. These footsteps are lighter and more cautious.
I turn around and see Matteo standing in the doorway. He is carrying a tray with a glass of water and a small plate of food. He looks at me with an expression that is somewhere between pity and annoyance.
"You need to eat," he says. His voice is a low rasp.
"I'm not hungry," I reply. I cross my arms over my chest and lean against the desk.
Matteo walks over and sets the tray down on the bedside table. He doesn't leave immediately. He lingers in the room and his eyes sweep over the laptop and the scattered papers on the desk.
"Luca wants you to stay put," Matteo says. "He doesn't want you wandering around the house."
"I figured that out when he locked the door," I snap. "Does he treat all his guests like prisoners or am I special?"
Matteo almost smiles. It is a cold, thin gesture that doesn't reach his eyes. "You are definitely special. Most people don't survive a night in a military clinic when someone wants them dead. Luca went to a lot of trouble to make sure you did."
"Why?" I ask. I take a step toward him. "Why does he care? We barely know each other. He is a tycoon. I am a soldier. There is no logic in this."
Matteo shrugs. He starts to walk toward the door. "Luca has his reasons for everything. You should just be glad he decided you were worth the effort. There are a lot of people in Verona who would have just let you flatline."
He steps out and the door closes again. The lock clicks.
I stare at the door for a long time. The sarcasm in his voice bothered me. It felt like he knew a joke that I wasn't in on. I walk over to the tray and pick up the glass of water. I take a sip and look at the food. It is simple but high-quality. Everything about this place is high-quality. It is a gilded cage.
I sit back down at the desk and force myself to look at the screen again. I need to find something. I need leverage. If I have leverage, I can negotiate my way out of this house.
The lock clicks again. It is not Matteo this time. The weight of the footsteps is different. They are heavy and slow. They hold a level of confidence that only one person in this house possesses. I do not look up from the laptop screen. I keep my fingers moving over the keys even though my heart is suddenly hammering against my ribs.
The scent of expensive cologne hits me before he even speaks.
"You look busy, Captain," Luca says.
He is leaning against the doorframe. He has changed his shirt. It is black and fitted. The top three buttons are undone. It shows the hard line of his collarbone and a hint of the ink on his chest. He looks like a freaking predator watching his prey.
"I am busy," I say. I keep my voice flat. "I am trying to figure out why a billionaire spends his free time playing nursemaid to a soldier or should I say ex soldier."
Luca walks into the room. He doesn't stop until he is standing right behind my chair. He leans over. His chest brushes against my shoulder. He reaches past me and presses a key on the laptop. The screen goes black.
"Hey," I snap. I turn in the chair to face him.
It is a mistake. He is right there. His face is inches from mine. His eyes are dark and unreadable. He smells heavenly. It takes all the effort in me not to sniff him. The air in the room suddenly feels too thick to breathe.
"The data will still be there tomorrow," he murmurs. His voice is a low vibration that I feel in my teeth. "Right now, you look like you are about to pass out. Your face is pale."
"I am fine," I say. I try to push my chair back but his hands land on the armrests. He traps me.
"You are a terrible liar, Amelia," he says. He reaches out. His fingers graze the side of my neck. His skin is hot. "Your pulse is racing. Is that the fever or is it me?"
I let out a sharp, sarcastic breath. "It is the insult of being locked in a room like a high priced pet. Move, Luca."
He doesn't move. He leans closer. I can see the faint scar near his eyebrow. I can see the gold flecks in his eyes. He looks at my lips for a second too long. The silence between us stretches. It is heavy with things we are not saying. It is heavy with the fact that we should be killing each other instead of breathing the same air.
"You have a very sharp tongue," he says. He traces the line of my jaw with his thumb. "It is a wonder no one has cut it out yet."
"Many have tried," I retort. I grab his wrist. His skin is like granite under my hand. "They are all underground now. Do you want to join them?"
Luca laughs. It is a dark, rough sound. He doesn't pull his hand away. He closes the distance until our foreheads almost touch. I can feel the heat radiating off him. My body is betraying me. I want to push him away and I want to pull him closer at the same time. It is a disgusting feeling.
"I like the fire in you," he whispers. "It is going to be so much fun to watch it go out when you realize you belong to me now."
"Belong to you?" I snort. "I belong to no one," I hiss.
I move fast. I plant my hands on his chest and shove. He is solid, but I catch him off guard. He stumbles back a step. I stand up. My legs feel like lead but I refuse to show weakness. I grab the glass of water from the tray and drink it. My throat is parched.
Luca watches me. He folds his arms over his chest. His muscles ripple under the black fabric. He looks amused. "You have spirit. I will give you that. But spirit doesn't stop bullets, Amelia."
"Neither does money," I say. I set the glass down with a loud thud. "Why am I here, Luca? Give me a real answer. No more riddles. No more whatever this is bullshit. Why did you save me?"
He walks toward me again. This time he doesn't stop until I am backed against the desk. He puts his hands on the wood on either side of my hips. He looms over me. He is a giant. He is a shadow that is swallowing me whole.
"Because I can," he says. His voice is cold now. The playfulness is gone. "And because I don't like it when people touch what is mine."
"I am not yours," I remind him.
"Agree to disagree," he says. He leans down so his lips are brushing my ear. "Moreover, your father thinks you are a stain on his uniform. Your unit thinks you are a traitor. I am the only person on this planet who still gives two craps about you. That makes you mine."
He pulls back to look at me. His eyes are predatory.
I reach up and grab his collar. I yank him down until we are eye to eye. I give him my best sarcastic smirk.
"Then you better watch your back, Boss," I whisper. "Because I am a very expensive habit. And I have a tendency to destroy everything I touch."
Luca’s eyes darken. He grabs my waist and pulls me flush against him. The contact is electric. I feel the hard lines of his body against mine. I feel the holster pressed against his ribs.
"I'm a big fan of destruction," he says.
He lets go of me suddenly. The loss of heat is jarring. He turns around and walks toward the door without another word. He pauses at the threshold.
"Eat the food," he says over his shoulder. "We leave at night . You need your strength if you're going to keep trying to kill me."
The door closes. The lock clicks.
I sink back onto the edge of the desk. My heart is still thumping. I look at the black laptop screen.
With a sigh, I pick up the fork and start to eat. I need to be ready for dawn. I need to be ready for whatever hell Luca is about to drag me into.
I finish the meal because I have to. A soldier doesn't go into the unknown on an empty stomach. I spend the next few hours checking my reflection in the darkened window. The silk slip Luca provided feels like a second skin. It is too thin. It makes me feel exposed. I find a pair of boots in the closet that fit me well enough and a heavy black trench coat that smells like expensive cedar.
When the lock clicks again, the sun has long since vanished. The house is silent. Luca is standing in the hallway. He wears a dark suit that probably costs more than my annual salary as a Captain. He looks at me and his eyes travel slowly from my boots to the collar of the coat.
"Ready to see the world, Amelia?" he asks.
"I just want to get out of this house," I say. I follow him down the stairs.
We don't go out the front. We go through a side entrance where a matte black SUV is waiting. Matteo is in the driver's seat. He doesn't say a word as we get in. I sit in the back with Luca. The space between us is small. Every time the car turns, my thigh brushes against his. He doesn't move away. He just stares out the window with a bored expression.
We drive for nearly forty minutes. The city lights of Verona begin to blur together. We pull into a private alleyway behind a building that looks like a fortress. There are no signs. There is only a single neon light glowing a deep, bruised purple over a steel door.
The bouncer at the door doesn't ask for ID. He just bows his head when he sees Luca. We walk inside and the wall of sound hits me first. It is heavy bass that thumps in my chest. Then comes the scent. It is a mix of expensive perfume, sweat, and something sweet like vanilla and tobacco.
My eyes adjust to the dim light. I freeze.
The club is massive. It is an elite socialite strip club. Crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling but the light they cast is dim and smoky. Everywhere I look, there are women. They are wearing outfits that leave almost nothing to the imagination. Thin strips of leather and lace are all that cover them. Some are spinning on silver poles with a grace that is almost athletic. Others are grinding against men in velvet booths. I see a woman in the corner giving a lap dance to a man who looks like he belongs on a corporate board of directors. Another pair of women are making out on a stage in the center of the room. They are doing it without a hint of shame.
The air is thick with desire and power. It feels like a fever dream.
"What the fuck are we doing here, Luca?" I growl. I turn to him and shoot daggers with my glare. "I thought we were going to the border. I thought there was a mission."
Luca doesn't look bothered. He looks right at home. He greets a passing waiter who hands him a drink without being asked. He takes a sip and then looks down at me. He grins in the most evil and teasing way possible.
"Well, I've lived in your world, even if it was for just a short time," he says. He leans in so I can hear him over the music. "And then I thought, why don't I introduce you to my world? This is where the real business happens, Amelia. This is where secrets are traded for a touch."
"This is a circus," I snap. I look away as a woman in a sheer bodysuit walks past us. She winks at Luca. "I am a soldier. I don't belong in a place like this."
"You were a soldier," Luca corrects me. He puts a hand on the small of my back. The heat of his palm through the coat makes me jump. "Prepare yourself Amelia. It's going to be a lonngggg night."
He winks at me. It is a gesture that is both playful and mocking.
He leads me toward a private booth on a raised platform. It gives us a perfect view of the entire floor. A bottle of champagne is already waiting in a bucket of ice. Luca sits down and stretches his arms across the back of the velvet seat. He looks like a king surveying his kingdom.
"Sit," he commands.
I sit. I keep my back straight. I feel like a fish out of water. Across from us, a girl is dancing on a small stage. She is wearing nothing but a pair of high heels and some glitter. She looks at me and smiles. It is a predatory look. She starts to move slower, her eyes locked on mine as she slides down the pole.
"She likes you," Luca says. He sounds amused. "Maybe you should give her a tip."
"I'm going to give you a black eye if you don't tell me why we are really here," I say.
"Look at the man in the corner," Luca says. His voice drops its teasing tone. "The one with the grey hair and the red tie. That is the Minister of Defense. He is the man who signed the order for your unit to be disbanded. He is the reason your career is a smoking ruin."
My heart stops. I look at the man. He is currently laughing while a girl whispers in his ear. He looks happy. He looks like he doesn't have a care in the world while my entire life is in pieces.
"What is he doing here?" I ask. My voice is low.
"He likes the girls," Luca says. "But he also likes the influence. He is meeting someone tonight to finalize the sale of the land where your base used to stand. He thinks he is untouchable because he has the government behind him."
"And what am I supposed to do?"
Luca looks at me. He reaches out and unbuttons the top of my trench coat. I try to swerve away but he is faster. He pulls the coat open to reveal the silk slip.
"You are going to be my distraction," he says.
"I am not going out there," I say. I feel my face heating up. "I am not a dancer."
"You don't have to dance," Luca says. He leans closer. His hand moves from the coat to my thigh. He squeezes gently. "You just have to be Amelia. You just have to be the beautiful woman on my arm. He thinks he can walk over people like you and suffer no consequences. When he sees you here, with me, he will realize he made a very dangerous enemy."
"You are using me as bait," I say.
"I am using every tool I have," Luca replies. He pulls me closer until our noses touch. "Does it bother you? Being seen? Being wanted?"
"It bothers me that you think you can just order me around," I say.
"I saved your life," he reminds me. "Now it's time to help me dismantle a man who doesn't deserve his title. Take off the coat, Amelia."
I look at him. I see the challenge in his eyes. He wants to see if I will break. He wants to see if the Captain can handle the heat of the business world. I reach for the buttons. I slowly slide the coat off my shoulders.
The air hits my skin. I feel the eyes of the room shift toward our booth. I am wearing a slip that is barely there. It shows every curve. It shows the strength in my legs and the scars on my arms. I feel naked, but I refuse to look down.
Luca’s eyes change. They aren't teasing anymore. They are dark. They are heavy with a look that makes my blood turn to liquid fire. He reaches out and traces the strap of the slip.
"Beautiful," he whispers.
I ignore the way my heart is racing. I look toward the Minister. He hasn't seen me yet.
"Let's get this over with," I say.
Luca stands up and offers me his hand. I take it. His grip is firm. He leads me down from the platform and into the crowd. We walk past the poles and the dancers. I can feel the heat of the bodies around us. The music is a physical force.
We stop a few feet away from the Minister's table. Luca pulls me flush against his side. He leans down and kisses the side of my neck. It is a slow, lingering kiss that makes my knees weak.
"Now," he says against my skin. "Look at him."
I turn my head and lock eyes with the Minister. The man freezes. The glass in his hand slips. It shatters on the floor with a loud crack. The girl in his lap jumps, startled by the noise. The Minister’s face goes from red to a ghostly white as he recognizes the woman he tried to discard.
"Amelia?" he stammers.
"Hello, Minister," I say. I give him a sharp, sarcastic smile. "I heard you were having a busy night. I didn't want to miss the party."
Luca laughs and pulls me even closer. He looks at the Minister with a look of pure coldness.
"She's with me now," Luca says. "And I think you and I have some business to settle regarding that base of hers."