Chapter 9 - ASHES
By sunrise, Naomi’s apartment was gone.
The fire department called it arson.
Luca called it a message.
Naomi stood across the street watching black smoke rise from the building where she had lived for six years.
“My mother’s photographs were in there.”
Luca stood beside her.
“Anything replaceable, I’ll replace.”
“You can’t replace those.”
“I know.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because I do.”
Naomi looked at him.
“You don’t know what it’s like to lose normal things.”
His eyes darkened.
“You’d be surprised.”
She regretted it instantly.
Luca stared at the smoke.
“My father was shot in front of me.”
Naomi went quiet.
“I was twenty-two.”
“I’m sorry.”
“He survived the first bullet.”
Luca’s voice remained flat.
“The second hit his lung.”
Naomi watched him.
“He made me promise to keep my mother safe.”
His jaw flexed.
“I thought money, guards, walls, cameras—that was safety.”
He looked at Naomi.
“You proved me wrong in thirty seconds with a broken door.”
Naomi looked away.
Police moved around the building.
A detective approached.
“Ms. Carter?”
“Yes.”
“We found something.”
He handed her a plastic evidence bag.
Inside was a photograph.
Naomi as a child.
Her father beside her.
Written across it in black marker:
HE SHOULD HAVE STAYED QUIET.
Naomi’s hands shook.
Luca took the bag.
His face turned lethal.
The detective noticed.
“You family?”
Luca answered before Naomi could.
“Yes.”
Naomi looked at him.
The detective walked away.
She lowered her voice.
“I’m not your family.”
Luca met her eyes.
“No.”
“Then why did you say that?”
“Because men like Dominic understand family.”
“And?”
“He now understands you’re mine to protect.”
Naomi’s heart stumbled.
“I’m not yours.”
Luca’s gaze held hers.
“I know.”
Something in his voice said he hated knowing it.
A car screeched around the corner.
Luca moved first.
He slammed Naomi against his chest and turned.
Gunfire erupted.
Windows shattered.
People screamed.
Luca dragged Naomi behind a parked truck.
He fired toward the speeding sedan.
Two Moretti guards returned fire.
The car disappeared.
Naomi realized her cheek was wet.
Blood.
“Luca.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding.”
A bullet had cut his shoulder.
Naomi tore fabric from the bottom of her ruined blouse.
“Hold still.”
“I’ve had worse.”
“You say that a lot.”
His mouth curved.
Despite everything, Naomi laughed.
A tiny, crazy laugh.
Then Luca went still.
His eyes shifted past her.
Across the street stood a man in a gray coat.
Dominic.
He raised a phone to his ear.
Luca’s phone rang.
Luca answered.
Dominic smiled from across the road.
“Bring me the evidence,” he said through the phone.
“Or?”
Dominic looked directly at Naomi.
“Ask your brother.”
Luca’s face changed.
He called Dante.
No answer.
Then Marco called.
May you like
His voice exploded through the speaker.
“Boss, Dante’s gone.”
