Athena
I woke up to the comforting warmth of the bed, realizing that Luciano must have just left not long ago. His side of the bed still had a huge ass dent. The sound of running water from the nearby bathroom indicated that he was taking a shower. As I blinked away the remnants of sleep, a wave of confusion washed over me. Why was I in his bed? What had transpired last night to lead me to this moment?
As I lay there in the bed, the memories of the previous night flooded my mind, causing my face to burn with a mix of embarrassment and desire. Luciano and I had shared an intimate and passionate night, exploring each other’s bodies and indulging in pleasures that were both thrilling and forbidden.
A memory of a furious Luciano stomping towards me like some crazy man flashed in my head and I sat up quickly, clutching the bedsheet to my chest, a frown on my face.
The hell?!
I groaned, shook my head, and forced myself to go over what happened the night before. Pants and moans rang in my ears and it took me a damned while to figure it was a memory of me and Luciano.
“Fuck!” I swore then clasped a hand over my mouth.
The sound of the running water from the shower reminded me that Luciano was just a few steps away, hidden behind the bathroom door. The temptation to join him in the steam-filled enclosure tugged at my thoughts, tempting me with the allure of his touch and the familiar warmth of his embrace.
Get a hold of yourself, Athena! How the hell could you have allowed that to happen?
My mind raced with conflicting emotions. I yanked the bed sheet to see if I was naked underneath and sighed with relief when I saw my underwear was intact.
Fuck I was a mess. Giving in to him just like that, like some cheap ass whore. What if the bastard decided he was done with me and tossed me out like trash?! The mission was gone! For good.
But he felt so good.
“Good or not, I need to keep my senses or I’m dead,” I hissed at myself.
I couldn’t afford to get too attached to Luciano, no matter how strong the connection between us felt. And the connection was pretty strong if you asked me. But that wasn’t the point and it didn’t matter. The goal would always be to get rid of him. A simple connection springing from lust and falsehood would not last. He was the mafia lord I was sent to investigate. I needed to get close but not too close. Getting too close could jeopardize everything I had worked for.
A faint buzz interrupted my thoughts, drawing my attention to Luciano’s phone lying on the bedside drawer. My brows raised as a thought formed rapidly in my head. Whoever texted him was connected to him somehow. And that person had to know about the shootout that night before. It was barely six in the morning! There was no way that text was from an investor or a client.
I cautiously reached for it, a glimmer of hope igniting within me. Perhaps this could be an opportunity to gain some valuable inside information that would prove his involvement in the mafia.
With trembling hands, I picked up the phone and stared at the locked screen. The familiar pattern of dots stared back at me, a digital barrier guarding the secrets that lay within.
“Of course,” I whispered dryly. A fucking password. if that wasn’t tiring as hell. I knew attempting to unlock it would be risky, but the desire to uncover the truth pushed me forward.
Desire or plain fucking vengeance.
Carefully, I attempted a few combinations, hoping to guess the password. One after another, my attempts proved futile, and frustration started to mount.
On my fifth attempt, just as I was about to give up, the bathroom door swung open, and Luciano emerged, his presence commanding the room. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of me holding his phone, his gaze fixed on me with a mix of surprise and suspicion.
“What the hell are you doing, Raven?”
Caught off guard, I quickly placed the phone back in the bedside drawer, my heart racing with guilt and apprehension. The realization of my trespass dawned upon me, and I struggled to find an explanation that wouldn’t give away my true intentions.
Something that didn’t scream I was a fucking spy and the beginning of his end.
“I… I was just… curious,” I stammered, my voice betraying my nervousness.
His eyes narrowed, a flicker of mistrust evident in his expression. It was clear that my actions had raised suspicions, and I knew I had to choose my next words carefully.
“I couldn’t resist the urge to take a peek, but I couldn’t figure out the password.”
Luciano’s gaze bore into me, his expression a mix of suspicion and amusement. I felt like a mouse trapped in a predator’s gaze, desperately searching for an escape.
“Well, Raven,” he said, his voice laced with an air of authority. “Curiosity can be a dangerous trait, especially in my world. Remember that.”
His words hung in the air, a reminder of the delicate balance I had to maintain in this dangerous game. As I met his piercing gaze, I vowed to myself that I would be more careful, more calculated in my actions. The stakes were high, and my mission demanded unwavering focus.
After what felt like an eternity, a hint of a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, his eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and something else I couldn’t quite decipher. He reached over, grabbed the phone, and unlocked it effortlessly, all while keeping his gaze locked on mine.
“You have nothing to worry about, Cara,” he said, his voice laced with a hint of mischief. “If you’re that curious, I’ll show you what’s inside.”
As he scrolled through the messages, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions flooded my mind. Did he suspect my true intentions? Or was he merely playing a game, testing the limits of my loyalty?
At that moment, one thing became clear: Luciano Moretti was a master of intrigue, and navigating his world would require more than just wit and cunning. It would demand unwavering determination and the ability to adapt to the unexpected.
The bastard was cunning. I had to accept that quickly or it could very well be my doom.
Sagging against the bed, I pouted and watched him hold the phone screen to my face. The header of the message read Luca. I had no idea who that was. I couldn’t read the rest of the text because Luciano oh-so-valiantly took the phone away before I could.
“Who is Luca?”
He tossed the phone on the drawer and leaned closer to brush strands of hair out of my face. For a minute, I sat still and frozen as his fingers ran over my face, caressing my lips lightly before gripping my jaw.
“My brother,” he replied, shocking me even more. “This must be the last time, Cara.”
“What?” Did he mean the last time he would touch me? Because that sounded like he was done with me and there was no way in hell I would allow that to happen!
“This must be the last time you touch my phone… Si?”
Noting the intense look on his face, I knew a threat when I got one.
Swallowing, I nodded, masking my fear with a careless look on my face. “I’ll shove my curiosity down my throat. Just wanted to be sure I wasn’t competing with anyone.”
He chuckled, bopping my nose with his finger like I was some silly little twang with shit for brains.
“Oh I’m not done with you yet Raven,” he rasped before stepping away, a maddening glint in his eyes. “Not yet.”
I couldn’t help but fake a laugh at Luciano’s words as if they didn’t really faze me. I wanted to appear carefree, to hide the trembling nerves that threatened to betray my true feelings. With a quick, teasing kiss on his lips, I mustered a confident smile and turned away, making my way to the bathroom.
As soon as I closed the door behind me, I leaned against it, feeling the weight of my racing heart against my chest. Turning on the shower, I let the water cascade over me, brutal and cold. If I hadn’t gotten caught… if he knew who I was…
Come on, breathe Athena. Fucking breathe. You’ve got this. He didn’t suspect shit.
Wrapping myself in a soft towel, I emerged from the bathroom with newfound determination. The trembling nerves had given way to a flicker of anticipation. It was time to get the plan moving! If I delayed any further, Luciano would come for my throat next. And there was no telling when that would happen.