Chapter 44: The War Council

LUCA

“Morning, beautiful.” Luca kissed Hayley’s bare shoulder as she stirred, and she rolled over to face him.

“Morning,” she replied sleepily before he kissed her.

A few days had passed since Borroni’s “message,” and they’d been blissful ones for Luca.

He’d left Nic and Frankie in charge since they were all just waiting for what would happen next with Genovese and Borroni, and he’d spent his time with Hayley.

A decision he hadn’t regretted for a second.

Luca hadn’t ever wanted to share his world with anyone before, but he did with Hayley. They’d spent the days just walking together and talking—except when they were in bed, doing ~this~.

His hands slowly followed the contours of her perfect body, and she put her hands in his hair and pulled him closer, rolling onto her back so he lay on top of her.

They were hungry for one another constantly, and Luca had taken a new liking to morning sex.

***

“Shall we go for lunch before you go to work?” Luca asked. They’d spent the first part of their morning in his bed, and then had moved to his shower.

Hayley was sitting at the dressing table in her underwear doing her hair. He caught her eye in the mirror as he buttoned up his shirt over his inked torso.

She beamed at him. “That sounds great.”

He was glad to see her smile. Despite how wrapped up they’d been in each other, he knew the deaths she’d witnessed were still weighing heavily on her mind.

He walked over and kissed her cheek, then put on his jacket and left the room.

***

“Good afternoon, Boss,” Frankie said pointedly when Luca entered the study.

He ignored Frankie’s comment and looked at Nic, who was sitting and looking through some paperwork. “I’m going out for lunch. What’s the update?”

“Tonight.”

Luca sighed and nodded.

“They’re just working out a place to meet,” Nic added. “It needs to be semi-private, but Genovese wants people to know about it—to try and coax the detective out of hiding.”

Luca shook his head. “~Idiots~. This plan is awful already.” He sat behind his desk and lit a cigarette. Frankie was on the sofa, and Nic sat on the chair across from Luca.

“Tell them we can meet in the Venetian,” Luca said, letting out a puff of smoke as he did.

Frankie raised his eyebrows. “Is that a good idea?”

“I want this to happen where I’m in control. Plus, the feather girls and booze can make it seem less like a war council and more of an informal chat.”

“Luca?” Hayley’s voice in the hallway made him stand up—she must be ready to go.

“I’ll get everything ready for you,” Nic said, and both he and Frankie got up and walked him to the door.

And there she was, smiling at him as she stood in her work clothes. She looked sophisticated and sexy as hell in a straight black skirt and a deep-purple satin top.

Frankie called out for Ric and Dom to escort them to lunch, and Luca nodded to Nic before taking Hayley’s hand and leading her down the stairs.

***

“Thanks for lunch,” Hayley said as they pulled up outside the Dublin.

He held her face and kissed her. “Don’t work too hard.”

“I’ll try not to.”

Ric opened her door and helped her out, and Luca watched as she safely passed the two guys he had on the doors, in addition to the two bouncers. He nodded once at Tony, who nodded back.

As Dom pulled away to head to the casino, Luca’s phone vibrated.

Nic

The meeting will be at 7 p.m. We have agreed no more than six men in the Venetian per family. Meeting room one, only capo’s and their seconds.

Luca deleted the message and looked at his watch. He had a few hours to kill.

HAYLEY

“What are you doing down here?” Ava asked, hugging Hayley behind the bar at the Venetian.

“Siobhan needed someone to cover Ben on short notice, so here I am.” Hayley adjusted the emerald-green corset and featherless black mask she’d had to change into.

She knew Luca wouldn’t approve of her working here again, but Siobhan had assured her that he hadn’t been down since the night he took her to the rooftop hotel.

Plus, Siobhan needed her, and Siobhan was her friend as well as her boss.

“Well, it’s great to have you back,” Ava said. “I’d better get ready for my slot.”

“Nice to see you,” Dimitri chimed in. “I have missed the little English girl with the Russian tongue.”

“Nice to see you too. Vodka?”

He nodded, and she turned to get his drink.

***

Hayley had just returned from her break when an angry-looking Max came up to her bar.

“What the hell is going on?” he hissed.

Hayley sighed gustily and put her hand on her hip. “What are you going on about?” She pulled out a cloth and started to wipe down the bar.

“What are you doing with him anyway? Just lying on your fucking back?”

If the bar hadn’t been so crowded, she would have leapt over it and sliced this bastard.

“Luca is having some sort of council with Genovese and Borroni,” Max said furiously. “How the hell did you not know?”

She glanced up at the VIP balcony before she could stop herself. “Borroni?” she croaked.

Max nodded slowly. “You have no clue, do you?”

“No, but I’m going to find out.” She started to march around the bar, but he grabbed her arm.

“Whoa, slow down. What the fuck are you going to do?”

She yanked her arm from his grasp.

“Three of the biggest Mafia leaders are up there,” he explained. “One wrong move from anyone and that’s it—game over.”

Hayley wasn’t stupid—she knew who they were.

“I’ve been told to wait outside, so calm down and don’t do anything reckless,” he said before heading for the exit.

Hayley took a deep breath, and then another, but she was nowhere close to calm.

LUCA

“Letting the cops find out about our alliance will shake them up,” Matteo said.

Luca sat across from him, his back to the door. Lorenzo was sitting to Luca’s right, and each second stood behind their boss.

“They won’t be able to handle our combined strength.” Lorenzo scoffed, and a cloud of smoke streamed from his mouth. “By the way, I’ve found one of my rats.” He handed a file to Luca and another to Matteo.

Luca leafed through his.

“I think we should send a message.” Lorenzo had an evil glint in his eye. “Let the cops find him. Dead. Better yet, one of your families can do it—show them we mean business.”

Luca sighed and threw the file down. “My family will do it.”

He picked up his whiskey and took a sip. “I like the idea of an alliance”—he was lying—“but it could cause them to pull back. When what we really need is to destroy their leader.”

Matteo raised his eyebrows. “Coax him into a trap?”

Luca nodded, and the Genovese boss brought his cigar to his mouth and puffed thoughtfully, then nodded.

HAYLEY

Hayley was done waiting. She had to know what was going on. So she gathered her courage—and filled a tray with some whiskey and glasses—and walked across the floor to the staircase.

She was nervous as she walked past the men in the VIP lounge. Some she recognized as Marcello men, but some were obviously not.

She kept her head down, but when she reached the staff-only door, Ric stepped in front of her.

“Hayley, what are you up to?” he whispered, and she held up the tray and shrugged.

“Frankie called down.”

He just sighed and let her pass.

Inside the short hallway, Frankie was standing with two other men, guarding the door to Meeting Room One. She hadn’t been expecting this.

“Bella!” Frankie said as she walked over to him. She appreciated him not using her name. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I know.” She turned to one of the guys and smiled flirtatiously as she handed him the tray, then pretended to adjust her shoes, knowing the other guy had a nice view of her ass.

She placed her hand on Frankie’s shoulder for support. He sighed but let her anyway.

Then, in one swift movement, she put her other hand on his other shoulder and kneed him right in his manhood. She felt bad, but it’d worked so well the last time…

“For fuck’s sake, Hayley!” he cried out as he dropped to his knees, clutching himself.

“Sorry!” she called out, leaping over Frankie as the other guys tried to grab her, the one with the tray throwing it down, causing the glassware to smash.

When she threw open the door, Luca and the seconds were already standing at the ready. Her eyes flew to Lorenzo Borroni, who had the nerve to ~smile~ at her.

“Fucking bastard!” she shouted as she ran toward him.

But she didn’t get far. Luca grabbed her roughly and held her.

“You son of a bitch!” she hurled at Borroni, but he just smirked at her.

Luca carried her out of the room as she struggled in his arms, then tossed her inside Meeting Room Two.

Furious, she grabbed her knife from her pocket and launched herself at Luca, who had turned to close and lock the door. He spun around and grabbed her wrist—the one that held the knife.

“You bastard!” she spat, and he let go of her wrist and shoved her away from him.

LUCA

“Are you crazy?” he shouted. “You could have been fucking killed!”

He was the furthest thing from calm—his heart was pounding in his chest.

“Jesus, Hayley, they could have killed you!”

“You said you cared! I ~thought~ you cared!” she shouted, tears streaming down her face from under her mask.

“Hayley—” he began, but she cut him off.

“No! You were sitting there with ~him~, after what he did! I actually believed you cared about those guys he killed.”

“Hayley, for once will you listen to me?” He stepped closer, but she held out her knife.

“Back off, Marcello,” she hissed. “Two innocent men got a bullet in their skulls—right in front of me. Borroni killed them without a second thought, yet you’re here with him having a goddamn ~drink~?”

“Everything is not so fucking black-and-white, Hayley.” But…to her, maybe it was? He groaned. “I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

She just shook her head, her arm still outstretched with her little blade. He could easily take it from her, but he knew it made her feel safe.

“Look, I’m trying to protect my family.”

“Who was there to protect those innocent men, Luca?”

He sighed. He had no logical response to that. “Hayley, you need to go home. Right now. I’m busy.”

“No, Luca.” Another tear slipped down her face from under her mask. “I need answers. What’s going on?” She placed the knife down beside her on the table.

Luca approached her cautiously and gently pushed her mask over her head, then cupped her face and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears.

“I want to tell you, but knowing could get you killed.”

“Not knowing why you’re sitting with that man is already killing me. From the inside out.”

He gripped her face more tightly. In the next room sat two of the most dangerous men in New York, and he knew he had to get back in there. “Go home, Hayley.”

But she pulled her face from his hands. “I need answers, Luca!”

He took a step back from her. “You ~need~ to do as you’re told!”

She flinched as if he’d slapped her across the face.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” Her words were still defiant, but he could sense that the strength and conviction behind them were crumbling.

Luca gave her the same dark look he’d give to one of his men who was disobeying a direct order. “Hayley,” he growled, his patience wearing thin.

The men in the next room would think him weak if he didn’t sort this out quickly.

“I’m not—” she began, but he seized the top of her arm.

He was furious she wouldn’t listen to him, furious that she put herself in danger, and furious with himself for allowing her close enough to get hurt.

He dragged her to the door, and more tears streamed down her face as she fought him.

“Luca!” she cried as he opened the door leading to the hallway.

The door to Meeting Room One was still open, and Nic was looking out. So were the other bosses. ~Fuck.~

“Frankie!” Luca’s tone was sharp as he looked at his second. “Take her home—and make sure she fucking stays there.” He practically threw Hayley’s arm for Frankie to take.

Hayley tried to catch his eye, but he turned away from her and walked toward the meeting room, to the enemy. He couldn’t bear to look at her.

“Bastard!” she called after him.

He paused for a heartbeat, every type of emotion coursing through him. He wanted to turn around and shake her, beat her, throw her on a bed.

At the same time, he wanted to take her in his arms and apologize, kiss her, make her happy.

But he couldn’t lose face. ~Wouldn’t~ lose face. He strode into the room and slammed the door behind him.

LUCA

“She’s a tough one, Marcello,” Matteo said as he puffed on his cigar.

Lorenzo chuckled, but Luca refused to look at him. He just calmly took his seat and picked up his glass of whiskey.

“She doesn’t like ~me~ much.” Lorenzo smirked at Matteo, who rolled his eyes.

Luca ignored him. He wanted to pull out his gun and blow Borroni’s brains out, but he knew that right now, that wouldn’t be beneficial.

“I think we need to lure this cop out sooner rather than later,” Luca said, his voice hoarse.

“I thought you said we should wait so they don’t back off?” Matteo asked.

Luca shook his head. He couldn’t wait. And he didn’t want to have to work alongside Lorenzo—or Matteo, for that matter.

“Let him find out we’re doing something together…a casino night? We can invite some influential people, our highbrow friends.”

“I’m out on bail, Marcello,” Lorenzo hissed. “I can’t get caught in an underground casino.”

“Leave all that to me—I have an idea. And I’ll send out the invites. I think we should move fast on this. We need to flush out the cop so we know who we’re dealing with.”