Athena
I placed the file on Luciano’s desk, satisfied with completing the task at hand. As I turned to leave, a sudden warmth enveloped my waist, pulling me back into his embrace.
Well, that was new.
Surprised by his touch in the professional setting, my body tensed for a moment before I relaxed into the sensation of his hands gently caressing me. I looked down at his face and was even more surprised.
A playful smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as our eyes met, exchanging a silent invitation for teasing banter.
“Looks like someone’s in the mood,” I chuckled, reaching for his hair so I could run my hands through it. He closed his eyes and hummed softly. I had found out how much he loved it the day before. My face reddened as an image of his face buried between my thighs. He had such a wicked, cruel tongue.
I loved it.
We always danced on the edge of boundaries though. It was a delicate balance, a secret language shared between us. As if neither of us wanted to take things further, but we couldn’t resist coming back for more.
He sighed, the sound vibrating against my belly as he placed his head against it. His fingers continued their soothing exploration, palming my backside lightly. “Only for you, Raven,” he replied, his voice laced with a hint of mischief. “Consider it a special privilege reserved solely for our encounters.”
“Aye,” I sighed, gasping when he pinched my ass and pushed me away from him. “Don’t do that you jackass!”
“Oh please,” Luciano grinned, rising to his feet and pulling me back into his arms. “You want this, Cara. I swear I can hear your nipples scream.”
Oh, he was a fucking full of himself. And I told him exactly that. The dolt laughed and placed a kiss on my jaw as if it was the most natural thing to do.
“Of course I am. That would explain why you kept choking yesterday-”
“Don’t you dare!” I hissed and he laughed again. Hell, the rate at which he laughed lately, you would think I was a fucking clown. We bantered back and forth, our words a dance of playful exchanges and coy remarks. It was in these moments that we allowed ourselves to shed the weight of our responsibilities and embrace the intoxicating allure of our connection.
But just as Luciano leaned in to capture my lips with his own, the door to his office was abruptly thrown open, and Giorgia stormed in with an air of fiery determination.
Fuck!
I had never wanted to bash someone’s head so fucking hard! Our playful bubble burst, replaced by a surge of tension and the realization that we were no longer alone.
Giorgia’s eyes blazed with a mixture of anger and disbelief as she took in the scene before her. I could practically see the thoughts racing through her mind, the questions and accusations forming on the tip of her tongue.
At that moment, the air in the room grew heavy with unspoken tension, and I braced myself for the storm that was about to unfold.
When I pulled back, Luciano’s hold on me tightened, a bored look on his face. His gaze locked with Giorgia’s as if somehow he had been expecting her.
“You had someone tail me?!” Giorgia’s voice resonated with a mix of shock and anger, catching me off guard.
That was unexpected.
I glanced at Luciano who remained silent, his face betraying no hint of emotion. The weight of the accusation hung in the air, and I couldn’t help but wiggle my way out of his hold, waiting for his answer.
As if on cue, Luca stormed into the office, his eyes blazing with fury. His presence only heightened the tension, adding another layer of complexity to the already charged atmosphere. Reluctantly, Luciano’s hands slipped away then and I instinctively took a step back, allowing the unfolding confrontation to play out.
“Luciano, what the hell is going on? You had better offer an explanation!” Luca demanded.
The foreboding man took his seat as if he didn’t care much what they wanted. Scrutinizing Giorgia’s face as if looking for something, he finally broke his silence, his voice filled with regret. “I suspected something was amiss. I needed to protect what was important to me.”
“Protect?” Giorgia scoffed. “Is that what you call it? By having someone spy on me? How could you, Luciano? I thought you trusted me.”
Giorgia’s voice trembled with hurt as she demanded an explanation from Luciano. Her eyes, brimming with tears, sought answers to why he had resorted to such drastic measures of suspicion. I listened intently. This was fucking juicy and I would be damned if I missed out on it.
Luciano’s jaw tightened and when he spoke, he sounded rather dark and defensive. “You have been snooping around my men. Gathering information. Every time we talk about someone who could-” he paused and somehow I knew he had just realized I was in the room as well. “Leave us Raven,”
“Okay,” I whispered meekly and made my way out of the office. There was no way I could eavesdrop, the doors were slammed shut by Luca. For some reason, that man seemed to hate me. He was always scowling like he swallowed something really bad despite his playful persona.
As I sat in the reception room, waiting for the heated argument between Luciano and Giorgia to come to an end, my mind raced with thoughts and speculations.
Luciano’s suspicion seemed to be directed at Giorgia as if he believed she could be the mole who had betrayed us. But deep down, even I couldn’t fathom the idea of Giorgia betraying Luciano. I had seen the way she looked at him, the love that radiated from her eyes whenever she was around.
Giorgia had always been loyal to Luciano, fiercely devoted to him and his cause. I had witnessed her unwavering support and dedication firsthand. Hell, the woman kept snooping around my stuff.
It was evident in the way she stood by him, the sacrifices she had made, and the genuine affection she showered upon him. It was difficult for me to believe that someone so deeply in love could turn against the person they cherished.
But amidst the doubts and conflicting emotions, I knew better than to jump to conclusions. In this world of secrets and deception, even the most unexpected betrayals could occur. However, my instincts told me that Giorgia’s love for Luciano ran too deep.
It wasn’t long before the doors were thrown open and Giorgia stormed out of Luciano’s office with Luca running after her.
“Giorgia!” He called and halted abruptly when she stopped before me.
“It’s you, isn’t it?” She spat as she glared at me.
“Me what?” I asked, batting my eyes as innocently as possible. If I faked not knowing shit, she would get off my case.
A loud thwack sounded across my face and I closed my eyes at the slap.
“I know what you are!” She yelled, “I know you’re not worthy of his love and I don’t know what you have done to cloud his mind, but I’ll fix it! If anything happens to Luciano,” she leaned forward, her breath carrying my ear..”You’re dead meat.”
“Let’s go, Giorgia, all of this won’t help,” Luca urged.
“He’s sending me back to Italy!” Giorgia cried. “I came here for that bastard and he’s all wrapped up in this bitch! She’s the reason I’ve been snooping around his men. She’s not natural! Not fucking natural-”
“Luca get her out of my building or I’ll have the security do it!” Luciano bellowed from his office.
Giorgia turned to give him a haunting sad look, gave me one last sneer, and walked away.
“Giorgia’s saying the truth, isn’t she?” Luca asked, his playful eyes were somber and fierce and it made me gulp. “I’ll find it. And you had better pray long and hard Raven Gonzalez, that Luciano would want to save you then.”
As Luca’s words reached my ears, a spark ignited within me. Bring it on bitch!
I watched as he and Giorgia walked away, and climbed into the elevator, their words ringing in my ears.
A win was a win, right?
A mischievous grin spread across my face, a glimmer of excitement dancing in my eyes. It seemed that the tangled web of secrets surrounding Luciano and his empire was far from unraveling. Luca’s determination to dig deeper only fueled my thirst for the truth.
I knew the risks involved, the danger that awaited those who delved too deeply into the shadows. But I couldn’t deny the exhilaration that coursed through my veins. I had come too far to turn back now.
Giorgia was out of the fucking way.
Uncovering the truth about Luciano, about his role as the Lord of the mafia, was a personal mission. And I would get rid of anyone who got in my way.
Perhaps it was for a good cause. I had no idea who the mole was. But whoever they were, they had just helped get rid of my nemesis.