Undressed By The Mafia God-Chapter 142: You’re A Weird One

Luca looked genuinely confused. "What? Of course she is safe."

But Veronica wasn’t satisfied. Her arms folded tightly across her chest. "It didn’t sound like it. because I heard the threat in your brother’s tone."

"Vee..." Luca stepped closer, his expression softening.

"when I say your sister is safe and so are you, believe that its true because I would give my very life to keep you safe. I would defy the heavens itself to ensure it stays that way. Listen to me." His hands came up to her shoulders, turning her slightly so she had no choice but to face him directly. His blue eyes locked onto hers.

And suddenly the anger in her chest didn’t feel quite as solid.

Her shoulders relaxed a little despite herself.

"You don’t have to worry about a thing, Bambola. I’m sorry I snapped at you."

The hug came suddenly, wrapping around her with a surprising gentleness.

"You’re safe love. You’re safe."

His chin rested lightly against the top of her head, his hand sliding slowly up and down her back in a calming motion.

Veronica closed her eyes for a second. She wanted to stay angry. She really did. The things he had said inside the restaurant still bothered her deeply.

But standing there in his arms... it was harder to hold onto the anger.

Because for all his flaws, Luca believed every word he had just said.

And he was definitely going to make sure of it.

Even if it meant going to war with his own blood.

*****

Valentina stood at her door that night when Ricardo came over. It was late enough that the street had grown quiet. She had known it was him before she even opened the door.

The man had been relentless in calling her all week, and each time her phone lit up with his name she had stared at the screen with a stubborn self-preservation before letting it ring out.

She really didn’t have anything to say to him.

Or at least that was what she kept telling herself.

In truth, she wasn’t exactly mad at him. Not really. The anger she’d shown the night she kicked him out had been dramatic.

She was trying to do the sensible thing.

Protect herself.

Guard her emotions for when he would eventually leave.

"Hi, Val." Ricardo said, hands in his pockets. He looked slightly sheepish standing there.

"Hi. I thought you would have left back to Vienna."

"That’s why I have been trying to call you, Val. Luca got me a job at the club. I started a few days ago. Tonight is the first night I had to come see you."

Valentina’s stomach butterflies returned instantly.

Traitors.

They fluttered wildly against her ribs, making her pulse jump in a way she absolutely refused to let him notice.

He stayed.

He actually stayed.

But Valentina had spent too much time learning how quickly good things could disappear. So she locked her expression down, crossed her arms loosely against the doorframe, and forced her shoulders into a careless shrug.

"Okay." She said. "So what do you want?"

Ricardo blinked. "What do you mean what do I want?"

"Exactly what it means, Ricardo. Why are you here?"

He looked at her as if the answer should have been obvious. "To see you!" he said.

Valentina leaned lightly against the doorframe, pretending to examine her nails as if his answer hadn’t made her heart do a small, embarrassing somersault. "I’m here. You’re seeing me. Had your fill?"

"Why the hell are you still being so difficult?" he asked. Ricardo’s frustration finally slipped through the cracks of his patience. He had come here prepared for resistance—he knew Valentina well enough to expect a little stubbornness—but the calm, almost indifferent way she was questioning him was slowly driving him insane.

"I’m not being anything. I just want to know what you want." Valentina answered.

"What do you want me to say, Val?" he said, exasperation creeping into his voice. "That I missed you? That...that when I realised I was staying, I have never been happier?"

"What do you want?"

Ricardo stared at her for a long second.

Then he groaned in pure frustration.

"Ughhh...fuck me!" He reached forward, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her away from the doorway.

And then his mouth crashed into hers.

Valentina’s brain scrambled to catch up with what had just happened. Then instinct took over. Her hands shot upward, gripping the collar of his shirt as she pulled him closer, kissing him back with equal intensity.

They stood there on the porch like two people who had completely forgotten the world existed beyond that small patch of light.

His hands slid around her waist, pulling her flush against him, while her fingers curled into his shirt.

The quiet street remained blissfully empty as they consumed each other like two people who had been holding their breath for far too long.

Eventually they had to break apart.

Both of them pulled back slightly, breathing harder, their foreheads nearly touching.

Valentina smiled up at him. "I want that too."

A low chuckle escaped him. "You’re a weird one."

He leaned in again, and kissed her slower, exploring instead of conquering. His palms slid upward, cupping the sides of her neck, his thumbs brushing lightly along her jaw.

Valentina melted into the touch, her earlier defenses dissolving embarrassingly fast.

He pulled back just enough to look at her again. "Do you want to take this inside?"

"God yes..." Val whispered.

*****

While in bed that night, Luca was running his fingers through Vee’s hair as she laid her head on his chest, both of them naked, basking in the afterglow of another session of mind-blowing sex.

Even though their dinner date had been temporarily disrupted by Julian, as usual, they found their way past their issues right into each other’s arms.

Her fingers traced lazy circles against Luca’s stomach, feeling the hard planes of muscle beneath warm skin. The man was unfairly built. Even now, after everything they had done tonight, just the feel of him beneath her palm made a slow heat coil in her stomach again.

Honestly, it was ridiculous.

The man had completely ruined her sense of dignity.

She shifted slightly, stretching one leg across his, enjoying the low rumble that vibrated in his chest at the contact. Luca always reacted to her touch like she was some rare indulgence he couldn’t get enough of. It was flattering.

"I’ll be leaving on a trip, Bambola." He felt her stiffen instantly.

Her body reacted before her mind even caught up.

"No! No! I’m not going to Vienna. I swear!"

Veronica relaxed once more. She exhaled slowly, the tension draining from her shoulders as she sank back into his chest. "Where are you going?"

"To visit a family member. I have business to discuss."

"Where?"

"Singapore." He said calmly.

"How long will you stay?"

"I’ll leave as soon as my business is conducted."

"I’m going to miss you." She said.

"I’ll miss you too and Vee...you can trust that I will keep my word."

"Whats that?"

"You don’t have to stiffen everytime I say I am going on a trip." He said.

"I..didnt..." she started to say but he cut her off.

"You did. You never have to lie to me, love. Like I said, I will keep my word. No one else."

Vee nodded. "I believe you."

In truth, she did.

He had never lied to her. Not once.

Even when the truth would make her furious. Luca always chose honesty, and then left the reaction entirely up to her.

It was infuriating. It was also one of the reasons she trusted him.

"When are you leaving?" she asked quietly.

"As soon as I can get a flight out."

"You didn’t plan this trip, did you?" she murmured.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He hummed in response not wanting to reveal much.

The events of tonight had made him restless.

Luca wasn’t afraid of Julian. He knew better than to come after him directly. That would be suicide, and Julian was many things but he wasn’t stupid.

No, Julian wouldn’t attack him.

But Veronica?

Valentina?

That was a different story.

Luca’s fingers slowed in Vee’s hair as the thought pressed heavier on his chest. He had sworn to protect them.

And right now, he wasn’t certain.

Which meant he needed help.

Advice.

From the one person in the world who would rather throw themselves in front of a moving train than speak to him.

"Come back to me in one piece," she murmured distractedly.

He nudged her up to sit astride him and pulled her close. "I will always come back to you," he said quietly. "I’ll defy every odd to come back to you and if it happens that I don’t, know that I did everything and your name was the last word on my lips."

"Do you always have to be so dark?"

Luca smirked, entirely unapologetic. "I’m a dark man with a dark heart currently with dark intentions." He winked at her as his palm went to cup her ass.