OLIVIA

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach with each step down the mansion's grand staircase. My hand traced the exquisite dress Luca had left for Katie's party tonight. Stunning, expensive, and unlike anything I'd ever worn.

Marco waited by the black Maserati. "You look lovely, Miss Taylor," he said, holding the door open for me to slide into the back seat, his usually neutral expression softer. 

"Thank you. And call me Olivia, please."

The car engine purred to life.

"As you wish."

Having a chauffeur was still so foreign. The idea of someone else driving me around always felt weird. Which was why I preferred public transport or my little Fiat over taking taxis.

Fiddling with my clutch, I searched for something to say. "I'm sorry you're stuck babysitting me tonight. You probably had other plans."

Marco glanced at me in the rearview mirror and shook his head. "It's no trouble at all."

"Still, I hope you'll at least enjoy yourself a little. Katie's birthdays can get pretty lively."

An awkward silence settled. Was he even allowed to chat with me beyond formal pleasantries? He always seemed friendly at the club, but everything was more complicated now that I wasn't just a staff member at L'Ombra.

Or maybe I'm overthinking it?

The quiet while we drove through the city only bothered me more. Finally, I worked up the courage to attempt another conversation. "Sooo...you've met my flatmate already?"

"Yes, she was pleasant."

So much for having a conversation. This felt more like squeezing water from a stone. 

"Charming, in fact," he added. 

It was a start, at least. And a surprising one. "Charming?" I'd half-expected Katie to call the police at the sight of him. 

"Si. Threatened me with a frying pan when I showed up."

"She did what?"

I shouldn't have been shocked—it sounded like a classic bold Katie move. But trying to take on a mafia bodyguard, even if she hadn't known, was impressive. By the looks of it, Marco thought so too.

"Not joking. Didn't even flinch. She was full of questions and demanded my driving licence so she knew which address to find me at if anything happened to you."

The visual sent me into a fit of giggles. Picturing my tiny best friend facing off against his hulking form was priceless. He was handsome, in a 'cross me and lose a finger' kind of way.

Shaking my head, I smiled. "That's so her. She's always been protective. How did you convince her not to clobber you?"

"It took a while, but I assured her you were safe and I was there on your behalf. Not that it stopped her warnings." His eyes crinkled.

"That's my fault, I'm so sorry. I should have explained things better in my message."

He flashed a crooked grin. "Don't be. Her loyalty is admirable. And, honestly, it was refreshing to meet someone so genuinely themselves."

"Well, I hope she didn't subject you to her disastrous attempts at making espresso."

"It packed quite the kick." His lips quirked. "Pairs well with her fiery personality."

Wait, what? If he thought that poor excuse of flavoured water was an enjoyable coffee, he totally thought Katie was hot. No one would endure it without a vested interest.

Tonight was shaping up to be interesting for this reason alone.

My phone chimed with an incoming text, Luca's name flashing across the screen, and my heart skipped a beat. "Wish I could see that dress on you. I'll make it up to you soon. Promise. Have fun tonight."

A pang of disappointment crashed over me, but I pushed it down. He had commitments, an empire to run—I couldn't expect him to drop everything for a birthday party. At least whatever had bothered him the other night seemed to have eased. 

Still, a selfish part of me wished he were here.

"Maybe I'll give a private show later at home.😉 Now focus on your work." I texted back and put my mobile away right as we pulled up outside a trendy bar in the heart of Hoxton. 

Music thumped through the brick walls while a group of partygoers smoked in the designated area outside. Not really my scene. I was hardly the party girl Katie was, but she'd never forgive me if I missed it. 

A sequined blur almost tackled me in a hug the moment I stepped onto the kerb. "Liv! You made it."

Squeezing her tight, I breathed in the familiar perfume that always clung to our flat. "Happy birthday, Kay. You look incredible."

She preened, giving a little twirl, her fitted outfit shimmering under the streetlights. "You're one to talk. This dress..." Her eyebrows wiggled suggestively. "Are you out on the pull tonight? Where's your BDSM man?"

Heat crept up my cheeks. God, hopefully Marco hadn't heard that. "Shh. It's not like that."

"Uh-huh." But her gaze had already slid past me, latching onto my chaperone with undisguised interest. "You again." 

A ghost of a smile played across his stern features. "Tanti auguri, signorina. Sei bellisima."

"Flatterer," Katie said with a playful smirk. "But I like your style."

Laughter bubbled up my throat as I watched her beam. Definitely something going on there. But, unfortunately for him, my best friend looped her arm through mine before things went any further. "Enough chit-chat. The dance floor is waiting, and there are drinks with our names on them."

Inside, the place was packed wall to wall with swaying bodies. Iridescent lights cut through the heavy air, thick with alcohol and sweat.

I jumped when Katie pressed a glass into my hand, clinking it against hers. "To another year of fabulous me and unforgettable shenanigans with you. Let's make this one our hottest mess yet."

Ha. Like my life wasn't messy enough already. "To you," was all I could say.

The burn of alcohol chased away only a fraction of the lingering unease from all the secrets I'd kept from her, and the atmosphere didn't help either.  

This was nothing like the curated indulgence at L'Ombra or the way I could let go around Luca. It was noisy, chaotic, the jostling movements and music pounding into my bones, putting me further on edge. 

Christ, when did I forget how to be a normal twenty-three-year-old? Hadn't realised how used I'd become to the calm, dark elegance Luca and the club brought into my life until now.

Across the room, Aisha's wild curls bounced as she swayed to the music, her glass raised in greeting when she spotted me.

"Going to say hi," I half-shouted in Katie's ear, who was already eyeing her first dance partner for the night.

As soon as I reached her, Aisha pulled me into a hug.  "Hey stranger. Feels like I haven't seen you in forever. You missed the life drawing class last week. Can you believe our final projects are almost due?"

Guilt stirred inside me at the reminder of how much I'd been slacking on my classes lately. "Sorry, it's been a crazy few weeks. But I'm here now."

At least physically. We dived into our usual art gossip and commiserated over uni stress, and I tried to focus on the conversation, but my attention kept wandering, nerves prickling with the weird sensation of being watched. And it wasn't because of Marco. 

Pulse racing, I scanned the crowd, my gaze darting over dancing people until it snagged on a familiar silhouette lurking along the shadowed wall.

Every muscle in my body tensed. Why was Matt here? Had he been following me?

"Hey, you okay?" Aisha's hand on my forearm startled me. "You seem spooked."

"Yeah, sorry, just need the loo." I flashed a quick apology and slipped away, pushing towards the bathrooms.

The fluorescent lights in the tiny space were harsh against the cracked tiles, but I didn't even have time to close the door when someone snuck in.

"Excuse—"

Matt's jaw was tight, eyes unreadable, as he locked the door behind him. "We need to talk." Frustration simmered beneath his controlled tone.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What are you doing?" He stepped closer, crowding me against the cold rim of the sink. "I've been calling you for days. Radio silence. And then I find out you no longer live at your place."

The words lodged in my suddenly parched throat. What could I say? "It's not—it's not like that."

"No? Then what is this?" His stare zeroed in on the necklace and instinctively, my fingers flew to the pendant. 

"I can explain."

"Explain what? That you're getting cosy with Luca fucking Moretti?" Exasperation rolled off him in waves as he dragged a hand through his hair. "Jesus, Liv. What are you thinking? This isn't what I meant when I said to use his attention."

"It's not how it looks."

"No? Then where's the camera necklace I gave you? Where's the evidence you've been collecting?"

My stomach plummeted to my toes, even though that part hadn't been my fault. "It's gone." 

"Gone?" The word cracked between us like thunder, echoing against the tiles, while his glare burned into the Moretti crest. "What do you mean gone? And why are you wearing this?"

"I didn't have a choice. There was an argument with the Irish mob at the club. Luca, he saved me. And now I'm staying with him. For my safety—"

"Safety?" Matt scoffed. "Wake up, Liv. Men like him don't offer safety. They use people and dispose of them."

The accusation knocked the air from my lungs. "I'm not blind to who he is, but there's more to him than his criminal empire."

"Do you hear yourself? He's a cold-blooded killer, and you're defending him? What happened to finding Noah? To getting justice?"

The sobering words sliced through the haze of my feelings. My brother was why I'd started down this path in the first place...and I had somehow strayed without realising.

"I'll never stop searching for Noah," I whispered, blinking back the sudden sting in my eyes. "But Luca is helping me in his own way." There was no need to tell him with what exactly.

For a moment, Matt stared at me, then, with a sigh, he deflated. 

"For everyone's sake, I hope that's true. You need to be careful because Noah needs you." Reaching into the pocket of his leather jacket, he pulled out a folded note. "In the meantime, I've got a new lead. Probably nothing, but might be worth checking out. Thought you should know."

An address scrawled in his messy script appeared when I unfolded the paper. "House of Cue?"

"Yeah, some seedy pool hall. Noah had been seen there with Albanian Shqiperi members. It might be connected to his disappearance. Can you find some information on them?"

"I could ask Luca—"

"What? No! Are you crazy? Don't give him any reason to shut you out. You'll need to find some leads yourself."

How exactly was I going to do that?

I opened my mouth, but he already pushed past me.

"Gotta go. Just watch your back. And keep me posted, alright? I'm here for you, even if I don't like this one bit."

And then he was gone, the door clicking shut behind him. I braced the fake marble counter, meeting my haunted look in the smudged mirror.

Matt wasn't entirely wrong—I had neglected our mission, allowing myself to get swept up in Luca's world. But he didn't understand the magnetic pull I felt or how Luca made me feel seen and understood in a way I never had before.

Despite the undeniable connection, cold tendrils of doubt crept along my spine. What if I was wrong about Luca? 

Was my judgement compromised by the addictive way he made me feel? Did I only see what I wanted to see?

Acid churned in my gut at the thought. No, he was helping me. His men were looking into it even when I couldn't...right?

Yet the nagging sense I was betraying Noah and myself by falling for him wouldn't go away. I was caught between versions of myself, torn between the sister determined to uncover the truth, and the woman who craved Luca's touch and promises of pleasure and protection.

"Shit." Sooner or later, I'd have to choose.

Straightening my shoulders, I tucked the paper into my clutch and rejoined the party, yet my heart wasn't in it anymore. Every laugh felt forced, every conversation an effort.

My mind was consumed with thoughts of my brother and the giant mess I was in.

As if sensing my inner turmoil, Katie appeared next to me. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. A bit tired. You know me and crowded places."

Whatever she was about to say died on her tongue as her eyes widened. "Holy mother of orgasms. Liv, don't look now, but there's a gorgeous man heading straight for you, and dear god, he is edible."

My heart leapt into my throat, and I turned to follow her gaze...only to find the smouldering eyes I'd recognise anywhere.

"Luca."

The crowd parted for him on pure instinct as he strode towards me. 

"Sorry I'm late, bella," he murmured and pressed a lingering kiss to my cheek, his hand settling on the small of my back, making my toes curl.

"What are you doing here? I thought you had business tonight."

His arm slid around my waist, tucking me against his side. The heat of his body chased away the chill of Matt's words and everything inside me relaxed.

"It finished early. And I couldn't miss the chance to meet your friends." The obvious appreciation in his gaze when he looked at me ignited a tingling awareness under my skin. "Or to see you in this dress."

A pointed throat clearing beside us shattered the intimate bubble. Katie's arched brow spoke volumes as she assessed him with open curiosity. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met."

Oh god. How could I possibly explain what Luca and I were?

But he simply extended his hand with a megawatt smile. "You must be Katie, the birthday girl."

She nodded, caught in his charisma like everyone else. How could she not be?

"Luca Moretti." His meaningful glance held something warm and possessive that made my pulse skip. "Olivia's boyfriend."