Page 20 of Devil’s Embrace (31 Days of Trick or Treat: Biker & Mobster #10)

"You're brushing this off." I moved closer to him. "Acting like it's just another security issue."

His jaw tightened. "It is a security issue. One I'm handling."

"No. It's more than that." I stepped closer, refusing to be intimidated by his height or his power. "Mateo may be dead, but his influence isn't. His men are coming for my daughter. To use her against you. That means some of your people still answer to a dead man."

"I'm aware of the complexity of the situation." His voice remained maddeningly calm.

"Are you?" I moved even closer, near enough to catch his scent—expensive cologne mingled with something uniquely him. "You have to choose, Luca. Your family's twisted empire or the little girl who trusts you."

His eyes darkened at that, flicking briefly to Mina before returning to mine. "You speak as if they're mutually exclusive."

"Aren't they?" I challenged. "Mateo's men wouldn't be coming if some of your lieutenants weren't supporting them. Your house is divided, and my daughter is caught in the middle."

His fingers drummed against the edge of his desk, the only outward sign of his tension. "What would you have me do? Abandon everything I've built? Everything I was raised to become?"

"I don't care about your empire. I care about Mina. She matters. Nothing else."

Something flickered in his eyes—respect, perhaps, or understanding. "You think I don't know that?”

The question hung between us, unanswered. We both knew he hadn’t killed Mateo only for Mina. It wasn't just for me, either. It was more complicated than that—a twisted knot of loyalty, betrayal, desire, and power that neither of us fully understood.

"Thirty-seven!" Mina announced proudly from her chair. "There are thirty-seven blue books, Mama!"

I forced a smile. "Good counting, sweet pea."

Luca's expression softened fractionally as he looked at her. "Very impressive.” He turned from her to look at me once more. “I made my choice the moment I kept you both alive after you witnessed my kill. Every decision since then has been in service of that choice."

Before I could respond, a harsh blaring sound cut through the air—alarms screeching through hidden speakers. Luca's head snapped up, his body instantly alert.

"They're earlier than expected." He moved swiftly to the far wall.

Mina's eyes widened with fear at the noise. I hurried to her side, pulling her into my arms. "It's okay, baby. Just a loud noise. Like a fire drill at school, remember?"

Luca pressed his palm against what looked like a regular panel in the wood.

It clicked, then slid open to reveal a hidden safe.

His fingers flew over a keypad, and the safe door swung silently open.

Inside gleamed an arsenal that made my breath catch—pistols, knives, even what looked like grenades, all arranged with military precision.

He withdrew two handguns, checked them with practiced efficiency, then turned to me. "Can you shoot?"

I hesitated. "Yes. Not well, but yes."

He nodded once, then held one of the pistols out to me, handle first. "Safety's on. Don't take it off unless you intend to fire. Don't point it at anything you don't intend to kill."

I stared at the gun, suddenly hyperaware of Mina watching us with wide, frightened eyes. Taking a weapon meant acknowledging the reality of our situation—that we might have to kill to survive the night.

"Mama?" Mina's voice quavered. "Why is it so loud?"

"It's just a warning system, sweet pea. Nothing to worry about."

Luca's phone buzzed. He checked it, his expression hardening. "North gate breach confirmed. At least eight men. Heavily armed."

Just as I'd predicted. Just as Maria had warned.

I reached out and took the gun from him, our fingers brushing for a heartbeat. The metal was cold against my palm, heavy with deadly promise. The contact of our skin sent an unwelcome spark through me, inappropriate given our circumstances but impossible to deny.

"Stay behind me." Luca moved to the door and checked the corridor outside. "I'll get you both to the panic room in the east wing."

I tucked the gun into the waistband of my jeans at the small of my back. "I'll protect my daughter with or without you."

His gaze locked with mine, and for a moment I thought he might argue. Instead, a slight smile curved his lips. "I would expect nothing less."

He crouched down to Mina's level, his movements surprisingly gentle for a man I'd watched kill without hesitation. "Mina, we need to play a game. It's called 'Stay Quiet and Follow Me.' Can you do that?"

She nodded, solemn and trusting. "Like hide and seek?"

"Exactly like that," he agreed. "And your mama and I are going to keep you safe. I promise."

The tenderness in his voice struck me like a physical blow.

This was the man who had tortured people and killed his own uncle, who had dispatched Mateo's men with cold efficiency. And yet here he was, speaking softly to a frightened child, promising her protection he seemed determined to provide. It was moments like this I remembered he was more than the devil they called him. And it’s why I felt so conflicted when it came to Luca Moretti.

Luca straightened, returning his attention to me. "Stay close. If we get separated, head for the east wing, third door on the left. Antonio will be there, and he has orders to protect you both with his life."

I nodded, gathering Mina into my arms. She wrapped her legs around my waist, her face buried against my neck.

"I'm scared, Mama.”

"I know, baby. But we're going to be okay. Mama's here."

Luca checked his weapon once more, then opened the study door. The alarms seemed even louder in the corridor, bouncing off marble floors and high ceilings. He pressed a button on his phone, and his voice echoed through what must have been the mansion's intercom system.

"Code Black. All security to positions. Protect the north and east corridors at all costs."

Men appeared from side passages, weapons drawn, expressions grim. They nodded respectfully to Luca, their eyes widening slightly at the sight of Mina and me.

"Sir?" One of them approached, his gaze darting between us. "The family room is secure. We can move them there."

"Change of plans. East wing panic room. Double the guards on that corridor."

The man hesitated. "Sir, Russo is asking for parley. Says he just wants to talk."

Luca's expression hardened. "Russo can talk to my bullet. Get moving."

Together we strode into the corridor, Luca's voice sharp as he barked orders to his guards. I kept Mina pressed against me, one hand supporting her weight, the other ready to reach for the gun at my back. I scanned every shadow, every doorway, every corner for potential threats.

For the first time since this nightmare began, Luca and I were aligned completely. Whatever complicated feelings existed between us, whatever history we shared, we had one goal now: keep Mina safe.

And God help anyone who got in our way.