Luca had witnessed death many times before, in many different ways. Nothing shocked him anymore, not the blood, not the screams, not the mess that came from leading a world based on violence. But as he stood in the dark watching room of his property, arms crossed tightly, he felt something he hadn't felt in a long time.
A cold feeling.
The room was quiet except for the quiet noise of computers and the occasional sound of a hard drive being swapped out by one of his workers. Earlier that day, one of his deliveries had been attacked, again. Another group destroyed. Another message left behind. The same careful planning. The same cruel, unforgiving nature. Each attack hurt his pride more, and made him angrier.
"Boss," Marco said quietly, holding out a tablet. "We got this from a street camera near the attack. It's the best view we have."
The video started badly, blurry, flickering, low quality. But it didn't matter. He could always see things others missed.
A person moved across the screen. Tall. Elegant. Deadly.
A woman. Blonde, hair tied back, face hidden, wearing all black. She moved with control, with purpose, with a calmness that didn't belong in battle. Each attack was planned out. Every shot was perfect.
Luca leaned closer.
Then the camera caught a quick side view of her face.
Just a quick moment.
But it was enough.
The world didn't just stop, it broke into pieces.
"That's…" Marco hesitated. "Is that, [Name]?"
"Leave," Luca said, voice barely there.
Marco didn't argue. He left the room quickly, closing the door behind him.
Luca replayed the video.
Once.
Twice.
Ten times.
He didn't blink. Didn't breathe. Didn't move. He just watched the ghost he'd been searching for, his ghost, cut through his men like a silent death.
Catalina.
His Catalina.
His sunshine.
His comfort after a hard day. The soft smile that made him forget the weight of his world. The woman who touched him, kissed him, held him like he deserved kindness. The woman who felt like peace.
She was the killer he had promised to destroy.
Luca set the tablet down slowly, fingers shaking, not with fear, but with something darker. Something tied directly to his heart. Something that felt like obsession waking up from a long sleep.
He expected rage. Betrayal. The kind of anger that usually took over him when someone tricked him.
But that wasn't what filled him.
No… what grew in his chest was fascination.
A strong, clear fascination.
He should have been furious. He should have already ordered a hit squad. He should have been planning revenge.
But he just wanted to watch the video repeatedly, because he had never seen anyone move in that way before. Not a male person, and not a female person either. Not a fighter, and not someone who is a killer. She was a thing of beauty made from something dangerous. She was perfect aiming made into a real person.
She was beautiful.
More beautiful than she had ever looked when they sat down together, or when she was with him, or when she was right next to him in the quiet darkness.
"Catalina…" he spoke quietly, touching the screen where her face quickly appeared. "What exactly are you?"
He sat down slowly and touched his face with his hand. He thought again about all their time together, her smiles that didn't show very much. How she touched him like she was figuring out how his bones felt. How her eyes became sharp when danger was mentioned. How she always looked toward the exits when she was sitting.
He should have realized it.
He cursed quietly.
The happy girl who made him not think about anything else… was also the scary shadow that made everyone scared.
He played the video one more time.
This time he noticed every little thing, her steps, her breathing, how her head moved before she shot, how she hid using bodies.
She was amazing.
Dangerous.
His.
But also not his at all.
He leaned back and slowly let out air, making a quiet, deep sound in the room.
"Of course it's you," he said, almost laughing a little. "Of course the ghost I can't seem to find is the woman I can't stop thinking about."
Before he could stop himself, he picked up his phone.
He touched her name.
She answered quickly, her voice warm and soft as it always was when she talked to him.
"Luca?"
He closed his eyes tightly.
Her voice didn't sound like the killer from the video. Or maybe that was the issue, it sounded too perfect.
"I can't do dinner tonight," he said. His voice was deeper than normal, rougher, with the heavy feeling of what he knew in every word he spoke.
There was a short silence.
"That's okay," she said softly, but he could tell she wasn't sure, her quiet worry showing. "Are you doing okay?"
He almost told her right then. Almost said, I am aware. Almost confronted her about it. Almost demanded she tell him the truth.
But he didn't do it.
Because he wasn't ready to do it.
Because even knowing everything, he didn't want to mess up what they had just yet.
"Just a long day," he told a lie.
Another short silence.
"Okay," she whispered. "Be safe out there."
He almost laughed out loud.
Safe.
What a strange word to use for them.
"Goodnight, Catalina."
"Goodnight, Luca."
After he hung up, the silence returned, thick and powerful and closing in. Luca got up and placed his hands on the table, eyes down.
He should dislike her.
But he did not.
He had a powerful urge. A force he couldn't fight. A weird, shadowy feeling that shouldn't exist.
His expression showed that he was happy.
The weather was chilly outdoors.
Also, he did not want to share her with anybody.
He watched the video again just before he left.
"I have found where you are," he quietly said to the device. "We'll see how much longer you can stay hidden from me."
Because knowing what was actually true changed everything entirely.
But even if that was absolutely right… it didn't change an
ything at all.
His emotions for her stayed the same.
He still really missed her.
His love for her was still very strong.
Now his intense feelings were for all of her, even her dangerous side.
And Luca De Luca was not the kind of guy to quit until he got what he wanted.
Not even once ever.