Saint Or Sinner?

Forty Eight.

We all sat on the black sofa in Luciano's office, silence resting thickly between us until he finally spoke.

"Ava," he called.

She stood immediately. "Yes, Don."

"You said something about Dylan Chris being connected to Lago Othello?"

Lago Othello? Dylan?

Confusion tightened my chest. My brows furrowed as questions swirled in my head.
What has Ava really been hiding?

I said nothing—just kept still, waiting for her to speak.

"Yes, Don."

"I need you to explain why you think that."

She poked the inside of her cheek with her tongue, hesitating for a moment before finally speaking.

"The day after Camila left for Italy, I had to drop Kira off at Dylan's place—I was going to be out of town for the week. I thought he wasn't home, so I was about to send him a text, letting him know Kira would be staying. But then I heard his voice coming from his bedroom."

She paused, looking conflicted. "I know I shouldn't have eavesdropped, but... he was speaking in Italian. That caught me off guard. He's English—I never even knew he spoke another language."

Wait—what? That's completely new to me."

Luciano's jaw tightened slightly as she continued.

"He ended the call and said something like, 'I did everything he asked, and now he wants me to give him the only person I've loved.' He looked... furious. I didn't know who he was talking to or what the call was about, but I was sure it involved Camila. And when I returned to pick Kira up, he asked me a strange question."

Everyone leaned in slightly. I raised my brows.

"What question?" I pressed.

"He asked if Camila had any other man in her life aside from him. I was shocked because we never told him about Don Luciano. Then Arturo called and told me about his suspicions regarding Lago Othello and a conversation he overheard between Don Claudia and another guest at the party."

She finished, and I tried to process it all.
Dylan? Connected to Lago? That couldn't be. He wouldn't betray me like this. Would he?

"Ava, are you sure Dylan—" I started.

"I had doubts too, Cammie," she said quickly, "but lately he's been acting strange. Even Kira noticed."

I shut my eyes, inhaling a deep, steadying breath.

"He doesn't love you, Camila. He's obsessed," Sandro said flatly.

"And from the report my team gathered, it's likely Lago is the one who's been stealing from our ships," Luciano added, his hand fisting, jaw clenched hard.

Ava nodded. "The good news is—he has more than one shipment arriving next week. The goods are expensive. We either need to capture or destroy them. The problem is... we don't know which sea route they'll use or where they plan to dock."

"That's not a problem," Lucien said, drawing all eyes to him.

"And how exactly is that not a problem?" Andrew asked.

"Camila can help."

Everyone turned toward me, visibly confused. Luciano's fist slammed against the table.

"I won't let that happen," he growled. "Someone else can do it."

I looked between them, even more confused. "Lorenzo, can you explain how I'm the solution here?"

He smirked. "Look, you've got a body that could make anyone fall to their knees, and those eyes—damn—they could sweep that womanizer off his feet. All you need to do is seduce him. Get close enough to get information out of him."

I immediately shook my head. "Lucien, as much as I want to help, I can't do that. What if he figures it out? What if I ruin the plan... or worse, he kills me? I'm sorry. Let someone else do it."

"Yeah, Ava, you can do it," Luciano cut in, voice sharp with annoyance.

"Luciano, don't be a dick right now. Think with your brain," Lucien snapped.

"From everything Ava told us, Lago seems to be interested in using Camila. He knows she's with you, which means nothing would please him more than having her. That gives us leverage. And don't worry, Camila—we'll train you. Teach you how to handle a gun and a knife."

I bit my lip, torn. Luciano was furious but said nothing. I knew he saw the logic. Lucien was right.

"Don't worry, tesoro, I know you can do this," Russo added with a wink. "And I'll be the one to teach you."

"Thanks for the offer, Russo," Luciano deadpanned, "but I'm still breathing."

Russo just smirked.

"What about Dylan?" Ava asked.

"He'll be easier," Lucien said. "He's already in love with her. So amoré, you'll need to brush up on your acting skills."

I nodded slowly. The first time I'd ever get to give Dylan what he wanted... and it had to be under false pretenses. It hurt a little. But why should I feel guilty for deceiving someone who hid his true self from me?

^^^^^

Everyone left, and it was just the two of us in the office.

"Come here," Luciano ordered, his voice low and commanding.

I obeyed without hesitation.

He pulled me onto his lap by my waist, settling me across his thighs. A gentle tap on my thigh and I instinctively parted my legs, straddling him.

"Gemma," he said, his voice dark with need, "I want your eyes on mine."

I tore my gaze away from the bland wall and met his heated, possessive eyes.

"Whatever you do, make sure they don't get to feel your body like this. Understood?" His voice was soft, but it made my knees weak. He leaned in, his breath brushing my ear.

"What if that's the only way to make them talk?" I whispered.

"Camila," he growled, eyes burning into mine, "I don't care if it is the only way. What I know is this—only I get to feel your soaked pussy on my dick. Only I get to have you this close. Use whatever tricks you need, but know your limits.

Because they're not the ones I'll punish in the bedroom... you are. And you already owe me more punishment than I can count."

His voice rasped over my chest, and his fingers pinched my hips, making me shiver.

Grinding slowly against him, I felt his grip tighten. He crushed our lips together with a groan, and my body melted into his.