Chapter 3 The Warning

ALINA

We stepped out of the door to find Marco already turning away. He hesitated, looking at me like I was in the way. Luca caught it and waved him on. "Spit it out."

Marco cleared his throat. "Someone left us a message. Out back."

My stomach twisted. A message? I wanted to ask what kind, but something in Luca's face told me I wouldn't like the answer.

There was an edge to him now. Something sharper. Dangerous.

I knew then he'd been playing with me before. I pressed my eyes closed and sighed. I remembered the blood spilling down the man's face. I'd nearly vomited my breakfast then.

We followed Marco out to the back of the property.

The air was heavy, the kind that settles in your chest when something terrible is about to happen. I followed Luca, my heart pumping in my chest.

Thirty or so men were there, all armed. They shifted as Luca walked through, their silence saying everything I needed to know about his authority.

My breath caught when I saw the body.

Blood pooled around the man, staining the dirt a deep red. A note was pinned to his chest. I forced myself not to look too closely, not to focus on the lifeless eyes staring at nothing.

Only an hour with Luca and I had already seen two dead bodies. Was this how our marriage would be?

Even though my father had been evil, he had made sure to protect his family. Until his death, I'd known barely nothing about the Costa Mafia.

Luca bent beside the dead man, his fingers brushing the note pinned to the man's chest. He read over the words, and something shifted in him.

It wasn't anger. Not exactly.

It was colder than that. An icy fire that made his back tense.

When he stood, his jaw was tight, his eyes dark. He looked like he belonged to another world entirely.

Dangerous. Unstoppable.

Gone was the man who had calmly poured himself a drink in his office. This Luca was cold, calm, and his eyes burned with quiet rage.

This was The Monster.

For the first time, I truly understood why they called him that.

Marco stood nearby, waiting for orders. Luca didn't speak at first, and when he did, his voice was low. "Marco, take her inside."

I shook my head quickly. "No."

Luca turned to me, his dark eyes locking on mine. "Alina."

"If I'm going to be your wife," I said, forcing my voice not to shake, "then this is the sort of thing I'll have to get used to. Isn't it?"

Something passed over his face-approval, maybe? Or amusement. "You think you're ready for this life?"

I nodded, even though my heart was racing.

He studied me, and for a second, I thought he'd argue. Instead, he sighed and muttered something under his breath. "Have it your way."

He turned back to his men. "Fan out," he ordered. "Check the entire property. No one leaves until we know who did this."

The men moved, splitting into groups, guns in hand. They were efficient and strong.

And I? I felt utterly useless. I didn't have a gun. I didn't know how to fight. What was I supposed to do?

I stood there, my hands at my sides, trying not to flinch at the sight of so many weapons. This wasn't my world. But it would be soon.

Luca ran ahead of the men. "Marcel and Rock, you two stay there with her."

He was gone for five minutes. When he came back, his face was calm. One of his rivals, I was certain, had just sent him a dead body.

A dead body with a note was a death threat. And they had thrown it over his wall.

Luca's hand brushed against mine, pulling me from my thoughts. "Come with me," he said.

I followed him back into the house, unsteadily. His hand was warm around mine, firm but not rough, and despite everything, I closed my fingers around his.

We entered his office, and he let go of me to grab a bottle from a shelf. He poured two glasses of whiskey, handing one to me.

"Whiskey, drink," he said.

I took a sip, and the burn hit me immediately. I coughed, my eyes tearing as I tried to force the drink down my throat.

Luca patted my back, his dark brows lifting. "Never had whiskey before?"

"No," I admitted, wiping at my eyes.

"Then why didn't you say something?"

"Because..." I lifted my shoulders, refusing to look weak. "Whatever you throw at me, I plan to handle it. I plan to win."

"You've thought this through," he said.

"Yes."

"And you think this will work? Marrying me?"

"Yes."

He swirled the whiskey in his glass, his eyes never leaving mine. "What do I get out of it?"

I set my glass down, my hands steady even though I felt anything but. "You can sell your product in my family's territory. No one else. Just you."

His eyes darkened with greed. He wanted it. Everyone wanted it. And I knew I had his attention.

"The Costa family controls the largest territory in New York," I said. "It's worth millions. You'd have exclusive access."

"You think you can trust me with that much power?" he asked.

"No," I said honestly. "But I don't have a choice."

His lips twitched again, but this time, it wasn't almost a smile. It was the real thing. A small, sharp smile that made my stomach flip.

"You're smarter than you look," he said.

I didn't take the bait. "So, do we have a deal?"

He didn't answer right away. He drained the rest of his whiskey, setting the glass down with a soft clink.

"I'll think about it," he said finally. "You'll have my answer in three days."

Then he opened the door and nodded for me to leave.

As I stepped out into the hallway, my heart was pounding, my mind racing. Three days. That's all I had. Three days to secure the deal that could save my family-or destroy me.