Page 19 of Devil’s Embrace (31 Days of Trick or Treat: Biker & Mobster #10)

Chapter Twelve

Emory

I paced the perimeter of my gilded cage, fingers trailing along damask wallpaper that probably cost more than my yearly salary.

Three days had passed since Luca had killed his uncle in the foyer downstairs, three days of careful politeness and watchful eyes.

The room was beautiful—all cream and gold with a bed so soft it felt like sleeping on a cloud—but the locked door reminded me we were still prisoners, just in prettier surroundings.

Mina sat cross-legged on the massive bed, coloring in a book one of Luca's staff had brought her.

Her blonde head bent in concentration, tongue peeking out between her lips as she carefully filled in a unicorn's mane with every shade of marker she owned.

She'd been remarkably resilient, all things considered.

Children adapted. It was their superpower and their curse.

"Mama, look! I made his horn rainbow!" She held up her masterpiece, beaming with pride.

"It's beautiful, sweet pea." I forced a smile, crossing the room to kiss the top of her head. "The prettiest unicorn I've ever seen."

My fingers itched with the need to do something, anything, to get us out of here.

The violence three nights ago had shaken me to my core, but not nearly as much as my reaction to it.

I'd watched Luca kill his uncle without flinching. Worse, I'd helped him do it. It wasn’t something I’d ever thought myself capable of, but in that moment, I’d reacted instinctively.

Voices in the hallway drew my attention. I tiptoed to the door, pressing my ear against the ornate wood panel.

"—already here. Six of them at the north perimeter." A man's voice, tight with urgency.

"Mateo's lieutenant?" A second voice, lower, harder to catch.

"Yeah. Russo. He's saying the old man had contingencies. Something about using the kid as leverage if anything happened to him."

My blood turned to ice. Mina. They were talking about Mina.

"Moretti won't let them near her," the second voice replied, confident.

"Depends which Moretti you mean. Some of the inner circle are saying Luca's gone soft, that he should've seen Mateo's move coming. They're not sure where their loyalties lie."

The voices faded as they moved down the hallway. I stepped back from the door, my heart hammering so hard I feared Mina would hear it.

"Mama? Are you okay?" Her little voice cut through my panic.

"Just fine, baby." I smiled again, this smile so tight it felt like my face might crack. "Keep coloring, okay? I'm going to check something."

I moved to the window and tested its latch for the hundredth time since they had brought us here. It stayed remained shut. The glass was probably bulletproof, given everything else in this fortress. Three stories up anyway—no escape there without breaking something vital.

The main door to the hallway was the only exit, and I'd already heard the tell-tale click of the lock engaging after Maria had brought our breakfast earlier.

Trapped. With Mateo's men coming for my daughter.

I pressed my palms against my eyes, forcing back tears of frustration. I wouldn't cry. Crying wouldn't save Mina. Thinking would. Planning would.

A soft knock at the door made me jump.

"Miss Scott?" Maria's gentle voice called. "I've brought fresh towels."

I opened the door, surprised to find it unlocked. I knew she’d locked it earlier. How had I missed someone coming by since then? Maria stood there, arms full of fluffy white towels, her gaze darting nervously down the hall before meeting mine.

"Thank you.” I took them from her.

As I did, I felt something slip between the folds—a piece of paper. Maria gave the smallest nod, then turned and hurried away.

I closed the door, carried the towels to the bathroom, and unfolded them. A small square of paper fluttered onto the marble countertop. I snatched it up, unfolding it with trembling fingers.

Mateo's lieutenant Russo has breached security. Six men at the north gate, more expected. Coming for the child as leverage. Moving at midnight. M.

My hands shook as I read the note again. Maria—the M must stand for Maria. She was helping us. But why? Questions for later. What mattered now was Mina.

I flushed the note down the toilet, watching it disappear in the swirling water. My fear was hardening into something else, something cold and sharp and deadly. I'd felt this once before, when the doctor had placed newborn Mina in my arms and I'd known I would kill to keep her safe.

Time to make good on that promise.

I scanned the room, looking for anything I could use as a weapon.

My gaze fell on the desk by the window, its surface holding only a leather blotter, a crystal paperweight, and a silver letter opener shaped like a miniature sword.

I moved to it, testing the letter opener's edge against my thumb.

Not razor-sharp, but pointed enough to do damage if necessary.

I slipped it up my sleeve, feeling the cool metal against my skin. It wasn't much, but it was something. Better than empty hands.

"Mama, can we go downstairs soon? I want to see the fountain again." Mina looked up from her coloring, blue eyes wide with hope.

"Not right now, sweet pea. Maybe later." I sat beside her on the bed, smoothing her hair behind her ears. "Mama needs you to be extra good today, okay? Extra quiet and extra brave."

She nodded solemnly. "Like a ninja unicorn?"

I choked back a hysterical laugh. "Exactly like a ninja unicorn."

The door opened without warning, and Luca stepped into the room. His presence filled the space immediately, his tailored suit immaculate as always. His gaze swept the room before landing on me, something unreadable flickering in the blue-gray depths.

"Emory." He gave me a slight nod. "Mina." His voice softened slightly when he addressed my daughter.

"Mr. Luca!" Mina bounced on the bed, her face lighting up. "Look at my unicorn!" She held up her coloring book, oblivious to the tension crackling between the adults.

"Very nice." He gave her a small smile before turning back to me. "I need to speak with you. Privately."

I stepped closer to him, so we could speak without Mina paying attention to our every word.

“Security concerns have arisen. I'm moving you both to a more secure location within the compound."

"Security concerns. You mean your uncle's men coming to take my daughter."

Surprise flashed across his face before his expression smoothed back to careful neutrality. "You've been busy."

"Walls have ears.” I paused. “And some people still have consciences."

Mina had returned to her coloring, humming softly to herself, unaware of the dangerous currents swirling around her.

I went were toe-to-toe. The letter opener pressed against my forearm, a cold reminder of what I was willing to do.

"Your uncle wanted to hurt my daughter, and now his men have come to finish the job. What are you going to do about it?"

His gaze searched mine, and I refused to look away. In them, I saw calculation, consideration, and something else—something that might have been admiration.

"What I've been doing since you arrived. Protecting you both."

"Not good enough." I stepped even closer, my voice dropping to a whisper so Mina wouldn't hear. "Choose, Luca. Choose right now whose side you're on. Your uncle's legacy or my daughter's life. Because I promise you, if you choose wrong, I will end you myself."

The letter opener had slipped down into my palm. Luca's gaze flicked to it, then back to my face. He didn't look afraid—if anything, the corner of his mouth twitched as if he might smile.

"You have fire. You'll need it." He turned away, moving to the door with fluid grace. "Pack nothing. I'll send someone for Mina's things later. We leave in five minutes."

I grabbed his arm, forcing him to face me again. "You didn't answer my question."

Luca looked down at my hand on his sleeve, then back to my eyes. His voice, when he spoke, was soft and deadly serious. "I killed my uncle for threatening you. What do you think my answer is?"

The letter opener suddenly felt tiny in my hand.

I followed Luca through the winding corridors of the mansion, the letter opener still clutched in my palm.

He moved with predatory grace, his broad shoulders tense beneath his tailored jacket.

Guards nodded respectfully as we passed, but their gazes betrayed uncertainty—they'd heard the whispers too.

The Moretti empire stood on shifting sand, and my daughter had somehow become the focal point of a power struggle she couldn't understand.

Mina walked between us, her small hand held securely in mine. Luca had insisted she come with us rather than remain in the room, and for once, I agreed with him completely. I wasn't letting her out of my sight.

"Where's Maria taking my unicorn book?" Mina glanced back at the maid who carried her few belongings.

"She's putting it somewhere safe, sweet pea." I squeezed her hand reassuringly. "We'll get it later."

Luca led us to his study—the same room where we'd first... No, I pushed that memory aside. This wasn't the time for complicated feelings. This was about survival. The study looked different in daylight, less intimidating but no less imposing.

"Wait here." Luca moved to his desk and lifted the phone. He barked orders into it, his voice hard and cold—the voice of a man used to being obeyed without question.

Mina tugged at my hand, her voice a worried whisper. "Mama, why is Mr. Luca angry?"

I crouched down to her level, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "He's not angry, sweet pea. He's just busy. Why don't you sit on that nice chair over there and count all the blue books you can see on the shelves?"

She nodded solemnly and moved to the leather armchair, her legs dangling above the floor as she began counting in a soft voice.

I straightened and turned to Luca, who had finished his call and was watching us with that unreadable expression.