Chapter 564: Step Away From Her

"Had a nice talk?"

Valentina spun around in fright. He stood behind her, hands in his pockets. His face was calm. Her heart nearly tore through her ribs. "Are you following me now?!"

Luca’s mouth curved faintly. "You know what they say. Keep your friends close and your annoying family members closer."

"You are insane."

"Yes, we covered that during your little betrayal arc." His eyes moved briefly to the building behind her. "Is this how Voss plans to protect you?"

"Get away from me!" She shoved him.

Luca barely shifted. His hand moved faster than her next breath. He snatched the keys from her fingers, caught her arm, and pulled her towards the passenger side.

"Let go of me!"

"Get in the fucking car."

She fought him anyway, twisting against his grip, her breath coming hard. Luca opened the passenger door and stuffed her inside. "Luca!" she shouted, scrambling upright.

He leaned in, eyes blazing now. "You have five seconds to stop acting like a child." He stepped back and slammed the door.

Just then, Voss came out of the building with his gun drawn. "Step away from her, Luciano!"

Luca turned around. His eyes were filled with fire. He marched towards Voss. The gun did not slow him.

"Stop or I shoot!" Voss shouted.

Luca ignored the warning. Voss adjusted his stance, grip tightening.

Val shoved at the passenger door, panic returning full force. "Luca, stop!"

He reached Voss, drew his hand back, and punched him in the face. Voss staggered, his gun dipping before he caught himself against the side of a parked car.

"My sister-in-law?!" Luca roared.

Voss wiped blood from his mouth, breathing hard.

"You son of a bitch," Luca spat. "My sister-in-law?!"

Voss straightened then he laughed. "I got you good, uhn?" he chuckled. "If I had known she would be my big break," he continued, blood on his teeth, "I wouldn’t have spent so much time on your wife."

Luca stepped closer. Voss lifted the gun again. Luca did not even look at the gun. "This is how you protect her?" he asked, voice low now. "You fucker."

"Step back."

"If anything happens to her, Voss..."

"Step back, Luciano."

Luca stepped closer instead, his violence barely agreeing to remain inside skin. Valentina’s breath came in tiny, useless pieces. Luca leaned close enough that the barrel of Voss’s gun touched him. "If my wife spills one tear because of her...I’m going to chop you into small, tiny pieces."

"You’re going down, Luca," Voss threatened.

Now, it was time for Luca to smile.

"You would think that, wouldn’t you?" Luca turned away from him without another word and got into Valentina’s car.

Val sat stiffly in the passenger seat, breathing hard, one hand braced against the dashboard. Luca started the engine and sped off, leaving Voss standing in the street with his gun lowered, his face bruised.

The silence inside the car was furious. Valentina stared straight ahead, every part of her shaking with rage. She hated him, she was finally now realising that.

Luca drove with one hand on the wheel, expression hard, eyes fixed on the road. Eventually, he turned into a quieter street and parked at the end, behind the car he had left there while following her.

Valentina turned on him at once. "What is the plan here, Luca? Threaten me again?"

He shut off the engine. For a moment, he sat still, his hand resting on the wheel. Then he looked at her. "I am giving you your final warning."

She laughed.

"Before, I was trying to save you from yourself. Now I am trying to save my wife from you."

Val’s mouth tightened. "I am doing this for her."

"You keep saying that, but everything you do brings a new knife to her door."

"You are the knife."

"I am the wall between her and the knives."

"You are delusional."

"And you are reckless."

She shook her head, eyes burning. "You think because everyone fears you, you are untouchable."

"I think because I understand the laws of the famiglia, I know exactly where this road ends. If you understood those laws, you would realise you are doing more harm than good."

Val looked away because there were too many things trying to claw their way out of her.

"So I am going to say this once and only once, Valentina," Luca said. "Drop this."

"Or what?"

He unlocked the car and stepped out. He leaned back into the car, one hand on the roof. "Good luck."

"Fuck you, Luca."

He straightened, walked away and headed to his own car. He was done. Whatever happened from here on out, he did not care anymore. His duty was to protect his wife. His child. He owed her nothing.

Val watched him drive off before she moved. Only when his car disappeared down the street did she climb over into the driver’s seat, her hands shaking as she started the engine. She drove home still fuming.

By the time she reached the house, rage had wrapped itself around her throat. She parked badly, slammed the car door, and entered through the garage.

She headed straight up to Matteo’s room, where he was supposed to be with the nanny. But when she opened the door, she found her husband instead.

"Marco!" she gasped.

Marco looked up with a smile. "He’s crawling?"

"Uh... yes. Yes." Valentina forced a smile, though it felt as if someone had stitched it onto her face with a shaking hand. "Did I not tell you?"

Unease crawled up her spine. Marco looked at her from where he sat on the nursery floor, one knee bent. Matteo was in front of him.

"No, you didn’t," Marco said. He got to his feet slowly and walked over to her.

"You didn’t tell me you were coming home," Val said, trying to sound light.

"I booked a ticket the moment Vee called me." Marco pulled her in and kissed her.

Val closed her eyes and let herself have it.

(Powered by 100 golden tickets)