Page 6 of Depths of Desire (The Emerald Dagger Mafia #3)

CHAPTER FIVE

T he steady hum of the boat lulls me, my body sagging against Nico’s warmth.

I’m so damn tired. Every muscle in my body aches, heavy and sluggish from the swim, the adrenaline crash hitting me like a freight train.

The smell of salt and smoke clings to my skin, the cold air biting through the damp fabric of my clothes.

I should move. I should be thinking. But the idea of sinking deeper against him is too tempting, and I ignore everything I should be doing to just take comfort in him.

Nico’s arms stay wrapped around me, his chest rising and falling in an easy rhythm beneath my cheek. His warmth is solid, safe. A dangerous illusion, but one I let myself believe—just for a moment.

The boat rocks slightly as it slows, the gentle lap of water against the hull sounding different now. The engines cut back, and I force my heavy eyes open. The city’s waterfront stretches ahead, dimly lit by streetlights casting long shadows across the wharf.

We’re here, wherever here is. I blink up at Nico, but his gaze is already on the docks, his jaw tight, his expression unreadable. The moment the boat bumps against the wooden dock, Adolfo moves to tie it off.

"Time to go," Nico murmurs, his voice low, a vibration I feel more than hear.

I sit up, immediately regretting it. My limbs are leaden, my body stiff and aching from exhaustion.

I barely suppress a groan as Nico stands, easily hauling me up with him.

I step onto the dock with shaking legs. The wooden planks feel too solid after so long in the water.

I sway slightly, but Nico settles his hand on my lower back, steadying me.

Adolfo unties the boat and gives Nico a short nod before stepping back aboard. No goodbyes, no questions. He just reverses the boat and pulls away from the dock, disappearing into the night as if he were never there.

I take a slow, shaky breath. I need to be like that. Invisible. Moving before anyone realizes I’m gone. One problem at a time.

Nico’s hand doesn’t leave my back as he steers me up the dock. A massive warehouse looms ahead, dark and imposing. Its metal siding is dented and worn from years of use. A single security light glows above the entrance, casting sharp shadows against the building. A Valdici warehouse.

I should be more wary. My father used to have a lot of pull back when the Giordano family was in charge.

But when Mia married Renzo, that all changed, just like the famiglia name.

Now the Valdici family. I shiver. Yeah, that name really does instill terror in people.

I should be able to handle the fear. I grew up in la famiglia, but the Validicis were a different breed, and right now, I am just excess baggage that I know Nico doesn’t want to deal with.

I shiver again. I just want warmth. Dry clothes. A place to think. I am happy to stay out of the way and then disappear altogether.

Nico pulls open a side door, guiding me inside. The air smells like metal and machinery, the scent of oil and something sharper—something illicit—hanging beneath the industrial sterility. A few men move through the space, but none of them look at us. They know better.

I keep my head down anyway as we pass through the warehouse, heading toward a metal staircase leading up to an office overlooking the floor.

No need for anyone to pay attention to me.

My father still had loyalists everywhere.

I start to stumble. One step at a time. I remind myself to focus, but my body feels sluggish, my limbs screaming for rest.

The office door closes behind us with a soft click.

The light Nico flicks on casts a low glow within the room.

It’s functional—stark and utilitarian—but at least it’s warm.

A worn leather couch sits against one wall, a desk covered in papers and files takes up the opposite side.

A small kitchenette, a mini fridge, an old metal cabinet.

Nico moves first, disappearing into what looks like a closet. When he returns, he has a first aid kit in one hand and a towel in the other. "Sit," he orders, nodding toward the couch.

I hesitate, just for a second. Then, exhausted, I drop onto the worn leather, the cushions swallowing me up. God, it feels good to sit. Nico kneels in front of me and sets the first aid kit on the floor. He reaches for my arm, but I jerk back instinctively.

His gaze snaps up to mine, sharp and assessing. "Luna." His voice is soft but edged in warning.

I hesitate, then exhale sharply and let him take my arm.

His fingers are gentle, but his grip is firm as he inspects the gash on my bicep. "You should’ve told me it was this bad."

"I didn’t realize."

"You didn’t realize," he repeats, his mouth pulling into a tight line. "Or you didn’t want to admit you needed help?"

I don’t answer. Because he isn’t wrong. Once he pointed it out on the boat, I knew it was bad. It started throbbing, and blood had oozed out of the jagged cut the entire boat ride in.

He shakes his head, grabbing antiseptic and gauze from the kit. "This is going to sting."

I bite my lip as he cleans the wound, his movements precise, controlled. He’s done this before. Probably too many times.

"You should get some rest," he murmurs as he wraps the bandage around my arm. "You’re dead on your feet."

That snaps me out of my haze. I sit up straighter. "I’m not staying."

His hands still, his gaze darkening. "Yeah, you are."

"No, I’m not." I meet his eyes, willing him to understand. "Nico, this doesn’t change anything. I still have to leave."

His jaw tics. "You don’t get it, do you?"

"Oh, I get it," I snap. "You think you’re obligated to keep me here because my best friends are married to your brothers. But you don’t. You really don’t.

You can just let me go, and you will never see me again.

I won’t tell a soul that I saw you, and if you keep your mouth shut, no one will be the wiser.

It’s a win-win for you and me.” I thump my chest for emphasis, and the gash on my arm stings.

"This isn’t about what you or I want, Luna. It’s about what’s coming for you."

The air shifts between us, thick with something unspoken. I hate how steady he looks. How calm. Because it makes me feel reckless. Unstable. Like I have no control over this at all.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.

” I stand, ignoring the dizziness. “You don’t want me around, trust me.

I know you have no interest in being forced to protect me.

Just let me go, and no one will be the wiser.

You keep your mouth shut, and my father won’t even know to come ask you about me. ”

Nico leans on the desk, his legs crossed out in front of him. “Luna, this isn’t about your father.”

“Not for you,” I agree, “but it is for me. It’s all about my father.

I’m not staying. I will not be forced into some loveless marriage so he can maintain some kind of relevance in la famiglia .

I just won’t. I will not sacrifice my life for his ego.

” The last sentence comes out as a snarl.

I’ve been hiding my true feelings for weeks, months…

years really. I will not ‘be a good girl’ and ‘do the right thing’ by my family. No fucking way.

Nico’s eyes narrow, assessing me. I force myself to stay still under his gaze, but my pulse hammers against my ribs. Maybe, just maybe, I have him convinced.

“Did you see any video cameras on the ship?”

The question completely throws me for a loop. “What?” What the hell is he on about now?

“Cameras on the ship. Did you see any?”

I frown. “I don’t know…no…I wasn’t looking for any.”

“That’s what I thought. When you were with me moving about the ship, didn’t you wonder why we were taking the long way to get anywhere?”

I didn’t even realize we were, but I’m not about to admit that to him. “I?—”

“You didn’t even bother to look at the schematics before you boarded that ship, did you?” His tone was both accusatory and dismissive.

“Listen, asshole, I?—”

He talks over me. “Luna, there were a lot of cameras on the ship. I avoided all of them when you were with me, with the exception of maybe one on deck. I’m pretty sure it was blocked, but I can’t be one hundred percent certain.

You, on the other hand, wandered aimlessly around the ship before I rescued you on the catwalk. ”

“Rescued might be a tad overstating it,” I counter. This man’s ego is already big enough.

“Luna,” he says through gritted teeth, “my point is anyone looking at those cameras would know you were on board. Someone just blew up the ship. The way they targeted the explosives suggests to me that they didn’t want anyone getting off alive.”

“So?” I shiver. I am too fucking tired and pissed off to play anymore games with this asshole. “What is your fucking point?”

“My fucking point is that you should be dead. You shouldn’t have been there in the first place, but you were, and now they’re gonna want to make sure you’re dead. If your body doesn’t turn up, then they’re gonna know you’re alive. That’s not going to sit well with them.”

I stare at him. Is he for real? “Whatever was happening on board that ship has nothing to do with me. Those people aren’t going to care about me. Besides, they’ll just assume I’m dead. My body just as easily could’ve been washed away in the sea.”

Nico crosses his arms over his chest. “We opened the door.”

I huff. “And?”

“I cannot be sure that there wasn’t a camera there, but beyond that, the door opening set off an alarm, which means they know someone got off the ship. When they don’t find your body, they’re going to rightly assume it was you, and then they’re going to come looking for you.”

I snort. “They will not.”

“They will,” Nico insists. “You are a loose end. All loose ends must be taken care of. I would search for you if it were me.”

“Not everyone is as anal retentive as you are,” I snarl.

“These people are.” Nico’s confidence is driving me crazy.

“How do you know?” I demand.

“Because you don’t blow up a ship in the middle of the Ligurian Sea if you aren’t fully in control of the situation. It was a message to someone, a big message, and they aren’t going to want anyone around who might have information they don’t want to get out.”

Fear strikes my heart, making it pound. He’s right. I want to argue with him. I want to tell him he’s wrong, but I’ve been around too long and seen too much with l a famiglia to bother. We both know he’s right.

“Then me disappearing makes even more sense. I disappear and they’ll assume I’m dead. It’s a win-win-win for everyone.”

“They will never stop looking for you, and they have serious resources. You know that. You would spend the rest of your days looking over your shoulder.”

He didn’t have to say the rest. I know it. The rest of my days would most likely be less than a week if I was on my own.

I close my eyes. “Fuck,” I mumble. “Fine,” I say as I open my eyes. “I’ll stay, but just until we know more about what’s going on, and you can’t tell anyone that I’m here. Promise me.” I fix a hard glare on him.

Finally, he exhales and straightens. "Agreed. For now." He watches me a second longer, then gestures toward the kitchenette. "There’s food in the fridge. Take what you want. There’s a shower through that door. Towels are inside."

I push to my feet, swaying slightly before catching myself.

"One more thing," I say.

He raises an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"I need clothes. Dry ones."

His lips twitch. "I’ll see what I can find."

I nod, rubbing my arms, the exhaustion dragging me down again. But at least I still have my passports, tucked safely in the waterproof pouch I wear beneath my clothes. I might be trapped with Nico for now, but I’m not stupid enough to think I’ll stay that way. Because the second I get the chance?

I’m gone.