Chapter 8 - A Glimpse of Warmth
The raid on Pier 7 was a devastating success. Luca’s men seized millions in untraceable weapons, crippling Julian’s remaining enforcement capabilities.
When Luca returned to the estate late that night, the adrenaline of the victory was still rolling off him in waves. He found me sitting in the kitchen, nursing a cup of tea.
“We broke his knees tonight,” Luca said, taking off his shoulder holster and setting it on the counter. He looked at me, his dark eyes shining with a fierce intensity. “He has nothing left to defend his inner circle.”
“He will panic,” I predicted, taking a sip of my tea. “Julian makes mistakes when he is backed into a corner.”
Luca walked around the kitchen island, stopping just in front of me. He reached out, his large hands gently cupping my face. The contrast between the violence he had just committed and the infinite tenderness with which he touched me made my breath hitch.
“You gave me the key to his destruction,” Luca whispered. “Why?”
“Because he never gave me a reason to protect him,” I answered honestly. “And because you gave me a reason to trust you.”
Luca leaned down, pressing his forehead against mine. It was a profound, intimate gesture that bypassed lust entirely, striking straight at the core of my heart.
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“I will never make you regret trusting me, Seraphina,” he vowed.
He didn't kiss my lips, but he pressed a soft, lingering kiss to my temple before stepping back. As he walked away to shower off the grit of the night, I realized with a sudden, terrifying jolt that my heart was no longer beating in fear. It was beating in something dangerously close to absolute devotion.
