Chapter 279 23
Chapter 279 23
Reyna POV
The clang echoes again and Luca's arm is instantly in front of me, pushing me back. His gun is steady, his body between me and the darkness. My breath is caught somewhere in my chest, and then...
A sharp beep.
I frown, confused, but Luca's eyes widen in a way that makes my stomach drop. He grabs my wrist, pulling me hard. "Run."
"What..?"
The blast cuts me off.
The warehouse explodes behind us, fire and shrapnel tearing through the air. The shockwave knocks me forward, my knees slam the ground. Luca yanks me up before I can even gasp, his hand wrapped around mine as we sprint across the dockyard.
Flames roar, lighting up the night. My ears ring from the sound but Luca doesn't slow, doesn't look back. He drags me through smoke and broken glass, yelling back at me, "Keep moving!" while bullets pop in the distance like fireworks.
I stumble once, my ankle catching on broken concrete, but he hauls me against him, half-carrying, half-pulling until we reach the gates. A black SUV screeches up, one of Dante's men leaning out with his gun already drawn.
Luca shoves me inside, then jumps in after, slamming the door. The vehicle peels away just as another explosion rocks the dockyard, turning the night sky orange.
My chest heaves, my pulse racing so fast I can barely think. Luca is right beside me, his arm still locked tight around my waist, keeping me pressed against him like he can't let go yet.
"Are you hurt?" His voice is rough, urgent.
I shake my head, breathless. "No. You?"
His jaw tightens. "Doesn't matter."
The SUV speeds through Vegas, away from the burning docks, and all I can feel is the heat of his hand still gripping my side like I'll disappear if he lets go.
We reach Dante's mansion in Vegas, filled with guards at every corner, gates locked tight. Inside the mansion, the tension doesn't ease. I and Luca are shown into one of the guest suites, and when the door shuts, the silence between them is thick.
I drop onto the edge of the bed, my legs still shaking. "That bomb... it was meant for us."
"No," Luca says, pacing near the window. His shirt is torn at the sleeve, streaked with dust and ash. He looks dangerous, raw, alive in a way that makes my chest tight. "It was meant for you."
I stare at him, my pulse jumping again for a whole new reason. "You keep saying that. Why?"
He turns, his eyes dark, unreadable. "Because everything that's happening now... they are circling you, because you know how to get to the bottom of their games and find out the men betraying Dante. They're drawing you in. And I can't.." He cuts himself off, dragging a hand through his hair.
"Can't what?" I push.
His eyes lock on mine. "Can't watch it happen."
The way Luca looks at me makes my stomach twist. His chest rises and falls like he's holding back words he doesn't know how to say.
I stand up, because sitting feels too much like surrender. My knees are still unsteady from the explosion but I force myself to move until I'm standing right in front of him. "You think I'm just going to sit back and let them scare me off?"
He shakes his head, sharp. "I think you don't know how far they'll go."
"Then teach me."
The words slip out before I can stop them. His eyes flicker, heat and frustration in the same breath, and then he moves towards me, fast.
My back hits the wall and his hands slam against the wood on either side of me. His body is close, his face inches from mine. I can feel the heat coming off him, smell the smoke still clinging to his shirt.
"Reyna," he says, low, rough, warning.
"What?" My voice doesn't sound steady.
"You keep pushing," he growls, his jaw tight, "and I'm going to..."
I don't let him finish. "Then do it."
Something breaks.
His mouth crashes against mine, hard and desperate. It's not careful, it's not measured this time like he's thirsting the waters, this time it's everything he's been holding back. My hands wrap around his back, and I pull him closer, tasting the fire still on his lips, feeling the way his body pins me to the wall.
The kiss deepens, slower and hungrier. His hand slides up my waist, under my shirt, rough fingers brushing skin and making my whole body shiver. I gasp against his mouth and he swallows the sound, pressing me harder into the wall.
It's too much and not enough. My legs feel weak, my heart racing, my body aching for more. His lips leave mine just long enough to trail down my jaw, to my neck, hot and demanding.
"Tell me to stop," he mutters against my skin.
I don't. I can't.
Instead I tug his shirt over his head, the fabric tearing where it's already ripped. His chest is hard, warm under my palms, scars scattered across skin I can't stop touching.
His mouth finds mine again and this time there's no hesitation. He lifts me, my legs wrapping around his waist as he carries me across the room. We crash onto the bed, his weight pressing down on me, and for a moment the world outside doesn't exist. Just us, fire and need and too many secrets between kisses that burn like promises.
My hands are in his hair, pulling, his lips dragging across my collarbone when my laptop on the desk beeps.
I freeze, my breath ragged. Luca doesn't move at first, his mouth still on my skin, but then the sound comes again. A sharp ping.
He curses under his breath and pulls back, his chest heaving. I push up on my elbows, my lips swollen, my shirt pushed up around my ribs. My pulse is still racing when I turn toward the screen.
A window is open and I don't remember opening it.
Lines of code run fast across the screen, scrolling like it's been triggered remotely. My stomach drops when the image sharpens into something clear.
An account appears, one of Francesca's and then it's followed by a name.
Luca.
My mouth goes dry. The name isn't vague, it isn't just initials. It's him. His full name, connected to Francesca's old accounts like it's branded there.
The heat from moments ago vanishes, replaced by ice crawling down my spine. I look back at him, and he's staring at the screen too, his jaw tight, his fists clenched.
Neither of us says a word.