The phone rang just as the sun was rising.
Luca was barely awake, with one arm hanging off his side of the bed where Catalina had been only a few hours before, when Matteo's loud voice broke the silence.
"Boss, we've been attacked."
Luca sat up straight right away. "Where did it happen?"
"At the docks. It was about Shipment Forty-Two."
He felt a sudden chill go through him. His best guys were watching Shipment Forty-Two. Nobody was supposed to get near it. It was supposed to be untouchable.
"I'm coming there now," he said, already getting his clothes on.
---
The docks smelled like salt water, fuel, and dead bodies.
Five bodies were scattered around like they were just thrown away. Luca walked among them without saying anything, his face hard and serious. Every man had been killed with one precise move. There were no extra wounds or wasted movements.
The ghost had attacked again.
Matteo pointed toward the ground covered in blood. "Same killer. Same way of doing things. No fingerprints. No hesitation."
Luca knelt down next to one of his dead men. The man's eyes were still open, looking at the sky like the stars had let him down.
"What kind of person kills like this?" Matteo wondered.
Luca didn't answer right away. He held his fingers close to the wound, tracing its shape without touching it. "Someone who is well-trained," he said quietly. "Fast. Professional."
Matteo hesitated. "Some of the men said…they think it's a woman."
Luca quickly looked up. "A woman?"
"That's what they're saying. The two guards who made it out alive said they saw long hair. Small body. Fast. Almost… smooth."
Luca felt a strange shiver go down his back. He stood up, brushing dirt off his hands even though he didn't touch anything.
"It doesn't matter if it's a woman or a man," he said sternly. "Either way, she's going to die. I'll make sure of it."
But as he said the words, he felt a strange feeling he couldn't explain, a weird pressure in his chest, like a warning going through his bones.
Across town, Catalina was cleaning her knives under warm water.
The blood went down the drain, disappearing like it was never there. She did everything carefully, humming quietly like she always did after a job. It made her feel calmer and steadier.
Once the weapons were clean, she wrapped them up and put them back in her drawer, hidden among her old schoolbooks and medical papers.
Her phone vibrated.
It was Valerio.
She dried her hands before answering. "It's done."
There was a pause on the other end, longer than she liked. "You're starting to become… not dependable."
The words stung like a slap. "I did the job exactly how I was told."
"I'm not talking about your work." Valerio's voice got sharper. "I'm talking about you disappearing. Not answering your phone. Coming home late. You've never been so careless before, Catalina."
She took a deep breath to calm herself. "I'm not being careless."
Another pause, longer and heavier this time.
"You're hiding something."
Her stomach felt tight. "I'm not hiding anything."
"For your own good," Valerio said quietly, "I hope that's true."
The call ended, but she still felt worried.
Catalina gazed at her image in the bathroom mirror. The water kept flowing, but she didn't hear it anymore. Her heart pounded hard at the bottom of her neck. The cruel killer inside her stood out in the mirror, but beneath her eyes, she noticed something she didn't want to see.
Guilt.
Something she'd never felt for any job.
And she hated how it felt.
That night, Luca was waiting at their usual hotel room. When Catalina came through the door, he grabbed her close, filled with a strong and angry need.
"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, feeling the anger under his calm surface.
"No." His voice sounded rough. "I lost five soldiers."
She stopped moving. "I'm very sorry."
Luca held her face, his thumb touching her cheek. "It's not what you did."
The lie hurt her deeply.
"It's that awful killer," he went on. "She's quick. Smart. Like a ghost. My soldiers can't find her."
She, Catalina thought to herself, her heart skipping.
"She?" she asked aloud, trying to sound calm.
"That's what they think. It doesn't matter. I'll find her." Luca's eyes grew dark. "I'll destroy everything she has."
Catalina gasped quietly.
If he ever knew the truth… if he ever put together that the ghost killing his soldiers was the same as the woman he loved,
He would kill her without a second thought.
He had to do that.
It was the rule of their world.
Being loyal comes before love.
Doing what you must before pleasure.
Family is more important than feelings.
Catalina swallowed hard. "Are you sure she's the one doing all of it?"
"I'm sure." His jaw tightened. "And I'm done waiting to see what she does next."
She wished she could look away from him, but instead she got closer, her hand over his heart.
"It must be hard," she said quietly. "Wanting justice but not knowing who you're fighting."
"You have no idea."
She really did.
She knew it all too well.
His anger filled the space, so strong it was hard to breathe. Catalina wanted to tell him to stop the hunt, to go back, to forget it, but she had to stay in character. She couldn't risk any break in the act that kept her safe.
So she kissed him.
It was desperate, from her. Full of need, from him. A mix of guilt and longing that stole her breath. Luca held her hips, pulling her close as if she was the only thing keeping him sane.
"Stay," he whispered against her mouth. "Just stay here tonight."
She nodded, even though staying made things even worse.
They went to bed like two people drowning, trying to hold onto the only bit of warmth they had. Catalina touched Luca's jaw with shaky fingers. He kissed her like he needed her more than air.
But as they held each other, a truth settled deep into Catalina's heart:
She was the enemy he was trying to catch.
She was the ghost ruining his world.
And she was the woman sleeping in his arms.
Luca leaned his head on hers, breathing heavily. "I have no idea how I could live if you weren't here."
Catalina's heart broke silently and painfully inside her.
You will get over it, she thought.
And when you realize the truth about me… you'll regret ever being close to me.
But she kept it to herself.
She just kisse
d him again, wanting the affection to hide the danger she felt.
Because for tonight, the truth wasn't important.
The next day, it could be the end for them.