Cold hit me first.
Not the sharp kind, but a deep, creeping chill that settled into my bones as consciousness slowly returned. My head throbbed, a dull ache pulsing behind my eyes. I tried to move and froze.
My wrists were bound.
Rope bit into my skin, rough and unforgiving. My ankles were tied to the legs of a metal chair, keeping me upright. Panic surged through me like a tidal wave.
I forced myself to breathe.
Slow. Quiet.
The room was dim, lit by a single hanging bulb that swayed slightly above me. Bare concrete walls. No windows. The air smelled faintly of oil and rust.
A warehouse.
Footsteps echoed.
My heart slammed violently as a man stepped into the light. Tall. Broad shoulders. Dark hair streaked with silver at the temples. His suit was immaculate, as if he hadn't dragged a woman into a kidnapping hours ago.
"Mrs. De Santis," he said pleasantly. "You woke up quicker than I expected."
I lifted my chin. "Let me go."
He chuckled. "Straight to business. I like that."
"Who are you?" I demanded.
"Victor Romano," he said, spreading his hands. "A friend of your husband. Occasionally an enemy."
My stomach tightened. "What do you want?"
Victor pulled out a chair and sat across from me, crossing his legs. "Information."
"I don't have any," I said quickly.
"Everyone has something," he replied. "Sometimes they just don't know it yet."
He leaned forward. "Tell me what does Luca De Santis fear?"
I laughed, brittle and hollow. "Nothing."
Victor smiled slowly. "Wrong answer."
He nodded to someone behind me.
Pain exploded through my shoulder as something struck me hard. I cried out, my body jerking against the ropes.
"Stop!" I gasped.
Victor sighed. "I don't enjoy this part. But you see, Elena, Luca doesn't leave weaknesses lying around. If you exist, you matter."
I swallowed, tears burning my eyes. "He married me for a contract. That's all."
Victor studied my face closely. "Is that what he told you?"
Silence stretched between us.
"Because from where I stand," Victor continued, "you're already worth more than your father's debt."
My pulse raced. "You're wasting your time."
"Perhaps," he said. "Or perhaps you're the key to ending a very long war."
He stood and walked behind me. I felt his presence at my back, invasive and terrifying.
"Luca has enemies everywhere," Victor murmured. "But he only protects what he values."
"I don't matter to him," I whispered.
Victor laughed softly. "Then why hasn't he burned this city down yet?"
Before I could respond, the warehouse doors slammed open.
Shouting erupted.
Gunfire cracked through the air sharp, deafening.
Victor swore under his breath. "He's faster than I thought."
My heart leapt painfully. Luca.
The room descended into chaos. Men shouted orders. Footsteps thundered. Another gunshot rang out closer this time.
Victor grabbed my hair, yanking my head back. "Stay very still."
A body hit the floor nearby.
Then another.
The sound of boots approached slow, deliberate.
The light shifted as a tall figure stepped into the doorway.
Luca.
His suit was splattered with blood. His expression was carved from stone.
"Let her go," he said calmly.
Victor tightened his grip. "You always were predictable."
Luca's gaze flicked to me just once. And in that instant, something in his eyes shattered.
"You touched what's mine," Luca said quietly.
Victor laughed. "Your wife? You said she was disposable."
Luca raised his gun.
"She isn't."
The shot was deafening.
Victor collapsed, blood spreading across his chest. Luca crossed the room in three strides and cut the ropes binding me. My legs nearly gave out as he caught me effortlessly.
"You're safe," he said against my hair. "I've got you."
I clutched his shirt, trembling. "You came."
He held me tightly for one heartbeat too long.
Then he pulled back, his expression hardening.
"This changes everything," Luca said.
"What does?" I whispered.
He brushed his thumb across my cheek, wiping away a tear.
"They took you," he said. "Which means the rules are over."
My breath caught. "What rules?"
Luca leaned close, his voice dark and lethal.
"The part where I pretended I didn't care if you lived."