Steamy Brews and Sinful Desires

Chapter 8: Discovering the Truth

*Italics and bold indicates speech in Italian

Lorenzo stepped out of his car and approached the warehouse, the coordinates Nicholas had sent leading him here. The building was grim, a crumbling façade hiding the reality of what went on inside. It had been an exhausting day, but the adrenaline pumped through his veins, rekindled by the sight of his men waiting for him.

He entered through the heavy steel door, and the smell of damp and iron filled the air. Inside, several of his men stood in a circle, a low buzz of murmurs falling silent as Lorenzo made his entrance. At the center of the circle, tied to a chair, was a man he had been waiting to meet again—a traitor, someone who had dared to cross him. The man's face was bruised, blood streaking down from his split lip, his eyes wide as Lorenzo approached.

"Boss," Nicholas greeted him with a nod, standing a few feet away, arms crossed. The tension in the room was thick as the others stood back, waiting for orders.

Lorenzo slowly made his way forward, his footsteps echoing through the empty space. He paused, taking in the sight of the broken man before him, eyes narrowing as his patience wore thin.

"You've been very busy, haven't you?" Lorenzo's voice was quiet, laced with a dangerous edge. "You thought I wouldn't find out?"

The man whimpered, attempting to speak, but the gag in his mouth muffled the words. Lorenzo gave a slight nod, and one of his men ripped the gag off, leaving the man gasping for breath.

"I-I didn't mean to—"

"Shut up," Lorenzo cut him off, his tone ice-cold. He grabbed the man by the chin, forcing him to look up. "You made your bed. Now you'll lie in it."

With a swift, calculated movement, Lorenzo let go, the disdain in his eyes unmistakable. He wasn't here to talk anymore. His men knew what was coming, and the unfortunate soul tied to the chair began to tremble.

Lorenzo stepped back, reaching into his pocket for his phone. He didn't need to stay for the rest. His attention had already shifted, and his mind wandered to Mia. A quick text from Nicholas buzzed his phone—coordinates for another problem to handle. It was going to be a long night.

Without another word, Lorenzo turned on his heel and left the warehouse. His men knew what to do. There were no loose ends in Lorenzo's world, only consequences.

// // // // // // // // // // // // // // //

It was Saturday, and Mia was feeling a bit more relaxed as she dialed Liam's number. They had plans for dinner later, and she wanted to confirm. Liam answered after a few rings, sounding unusually cheerful. "Hey babe, about tonight... My date from last night went really well. Actually, he's taking me out again tonight." Mia couldn't help but smile, genuinely happy for him. "That's amazing, Liam! I'm so happy for you," she replied, though her mind quickly shifted to her own evening.

As she hung up the phone, the reality of her situation hit her—Lorenzo would be arriving tonight, and now she didn't have an easy way out. Part of her was nervous, desperately thinking of excuses, but another part of her, the part she wouldn't admit out loud, hoped she wouldn't find a way out at all.

The knock on the door startled her from her thoughts. Her heart raced as she moved toward the door, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Could it be him already? She hesitated, a small part of her hoping, and another part dreading, that it was Lorenzo. But as she opened the door, she found a young man in a suit instead, holding a large branded box in one hand and a striking bouquet of red flowers in the other.

"Hello, ma'am. These are addressed to Mia?" he said with a polite smile.

Mia blinked in confusion but quickly realized who had sent the gifts. There was only one man who could've done this. She took the box and flowers, thanked the man, and closed the door, her heart pounding. She headed toward her bedroom, placing everything carefully on the bed before shutting the door behind her.