Perfect Storm

Nine

Luciano sat at his desk, his mind wandering far from the paperwork before him. The leather chair beneath him creaked as he leaned back, eyes fixed on nothing in particular. He should've been thinking about the company deal he was finalizing, or the logistics of the next acquisition, but instead, his thoughts drifted to her—Cashmere.

Her face, her scent, the way she moved through a room with an air of confidence and how her smile lit up any room she walked into—that tugged at something deep inside him. It was unsettling. He wasn't used to this. He wasn't used to feeling anything when it came to women beyond temporary amusement. But Cashmere? There was something about her that made him...feel.

The pit of his stomach tightened, not in a bad way, but in a way that made him sit up straighter. A sense of unease crept in with it, though. Something about how fast this was all moving, how much she already mattered to him, didn't sit right. He couldn't afford distractions, not now. Not when things in his world were starting to get complicated.

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. Luciano blinked, returning to the present.

"Come in," he said, his voice smooth but laced with an edge of impatience.

His assistant, Marco, stepped into the room. The man had been with him for years, one of the few people Luciano trusted. Dressed in a sharp suit, Marco carried a folder in his hands, his expression neutral but focused.

"Sir, the paperwork for the Rossini acquisition is ready for your review. They're expecting us to finalize the deal by the end of the day." Marco placed the folder on Luciano's desk, pausing when he noticed his boss's distant expression.

"Something on your mind, Mr. De Luca?"

Luciano cleared his throat, dismissing the question with a wave of his hand. "Nothing that concerns you. Let's get this done." He grabbed the papers, quickly flipping through them.

As he signed the final page, a presence entered the room—silent, heavy, and tense. Luciano didn't need to look up to know who it was. He could feel the energy shift. Enzo.

"Marco," Luciano said calmly, "you're dismissed. I'll call if I need anything else."

Marco gave a quick nod, his eyes flicking briefly to Enzo before he exited the office. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving the cousins alone.

Luciano glanced up, locking eyes with Enzo. His cousin's face was tight with anger, and his fists were clenched at his sides.

"What's the problem, Enzo?" Luciano asked, leaning back in his chair, his tone even but knowing that whatever it was, it wasn't good.

Enzo stepped forward, his voice low but laced with frustration. "We need to talk. About the streets, about what's been happening. There's shit coming your way, and if you don't handle it, it's gonna be a mess. I told you, Luciano, you can't just walk away from this shit."

Luciano sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. He had hoped to avoid this conversation, but it was inevitable. No matter how far he distanced himself from the past it seemed to always pull him back in.

"What's going on?" Luciano asked, his voice colder now, the businessman in him fading as the capo began to emerge.

Enzo crossed his arms, leaning against the desk. "There's a price on your brother's head. There's been word that your brother fucked up a deal and he disappeared. Salvatore and his people are pissed and they're looking for you. They partially blame you. They feel once you left, you got soft."

Luciano's jaw clenched. He had expected there to be some backlash when he stepped away, but this was more than he anticipated. The weight of his family name, his legacy, was not something anyone could just abandon and yet his brother did exactly that.

Luciano let out a slow breath, his mind racing through the implications. He couldn't afford to let this drag out. He hates complicated shit. Whether it's in the business world, and especially not in the streets. And yet, he couldn't let himself be dragged back into that life fully—not with Cashmere now in the picture.

"Set up a meeting," Luciano said, his voice firm. "Rao's. Tonight. I want to talk to Sal and the others. Face to face."

Enzo raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? This ain't gonna be a friendly conversation."

Luciano leaned forward, his eyes dark. "I didn't ask for your opinion, Enzo. Just make it happen."

Enzo nodded, a hint of a smirk on his face. "Alright. I'll handle it"

As Enzo turned to leave, Luciano sat back again, staring at the closed door. The feeling in his stomach had shifted from unease to something darker.

He was back in. Whether he liked it or not.

And now, as his mind flickered back to Cashmere, he knew he had to make a choice. How much was he willing to share with her? How much could she handle? This life, his world, was dangerous. And the last thing he wanted was for her to get caught up in his world.