Chapter 3 Desperate Measures

I woke up with a pounding headache. The room became darkish and bloodless. Where changed into I? Then all of it got here dashing again. The fight with Luca, going for walks away, the person in the park. I tried to move, however my fingers had been tied.

"Hello?" I referred to it as out, my voice shaking. "Is all and sundry there?"

A door opened, and light flooded in. A man walked in, smiling. But it wasn't a pleasing smile. It made me feel unwell.

"Ah, our visitor is unsleeping," he said. "Welcome, Aria. I'm Antonio Bianchi."

Bianchi. The different crime families. My coronary heart raced.

"What do you need with me?" I requested, looking to sound courageous.

Antonio laughed. "You, my pricey, are going to help us take down the Rossi family. Starting with Luca."

My blood ran bloodless. "I might not help you hurt him," I said.

"Oh, I assume you'll," Antonio said, his voice hard now. "Unless you want your family to pay the price."

Tears stuffed my eyes. My dad and mom, my little sister. They failed to recognize something about this. I couldn't allow them to get hurt.

"Okay," I whispered. "What do you need me to do?"

Antonio smiled once more. "Good female. Now, let's make a smartphone call, lets?"

He untied one of my arms and gave me a telephone. "Call Luca. Tell him where you're. But if you warn him, your circle of relatives dies. Understand?"

I nodded, my hand shaking as I dialed Luca's quantity. He responded on the first ring.

"Aria? Where are you? Are you okay?"

Hearing his voice, I almost broke down. I desired to tell him everything, to beg him to save me. But I couldn't.

"Luca," I stated, trying to hold my voice regular. "I'm at the vintage warehouse with the aid of the docks. I... I want your assistance."

"I'm on my manners," Luca stated. "Don't move. I'll be there soon."

The name ended, and Antonio took the telephone. "Well achieved," he said. "Now, we wait."

The next hour was the longest of my existence. I sat there, terrified, praying Luca would somehow comprehend it changed into a lure.

Suddenly, there was shouting outside. Gunshots. I jumped, scared however additionally hopeful. Was it Luca?

The door burst open. It turned into him. Luca, looking wild and worried. When he saw me, a remedy washed over his face.

"Aria," he breathed. He started out towards me, but then stopped. His eyes narrowed. "What's wrong?"

Before I could solve it, guys with guns seemed at the back of him. Antonio stepped out of the shadows, clapping slowly.

"Well carried out, Luca," he stated. "You came by myself, much like we were hoping."

Luca's face hardened. He looked at me, and I noticed the moment he realized what had taken place. The hurt in his eyes broke my heart.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "They threatened my circle of relatives. I didn't have a desire."

Luca nodded slightly. He understood. Even now, he is trying to guard me.

"What do you need, Bianchi?" Luca asked, his voice bloodless.

Antonio smiled. "Your father's territory, for starters. And you... Properly, you are going to assist us get it."

Luca laughed, but it wasn't a glad sound. "And why would I try this?"

Antonio's smile widened. He walked over to me, placing a gun to my head. I whimpered, my eyes closed.

"Because in case you don't," Antonio said, "your little girlfriend right here dies."

I opened my eyes, searching for Luca. Our eyes met, and in that moment, I knew. Whatever occurred subsequent, we have been in this together.

And we'd either make it out alive, or not at all.

I don't know how we were given out of there. It's all a blur of gunshots, shouting, and Luca's arms round me as we run. Somehow, we made it to a small cabin within the woods. Luca said it changed into secure, that nobody knew about it.

As soon as we were inside, Luca checked me for injuries. His palms were mild, his eyes worried.

"Are you ok?" he asked softly.

I nodded, then burst into tears. All the concern, all of the stress, it all got here pouring out. Luca pulled me close, keeping me as I cried.

"I'm so sorry," I sobbed. "I did not need to assist them. I became so scared."

"Shh," Luca stated, stroking my hair. "It's not your fault. You did what you needed to do."

I looked up at him, surprised. "You're not mad now?"

Luca smiled regrettably. "How may I want to be? I'm the reason you're in this mess."

We stayed like that for some time, simply conserving every other. It felt right, like this was in which I belonged.

Finally, I pulled away, wiping my eyes. "What will we do now?"

Luca sighed, walking a hand through his hair. "I don't know. Bianchi 's own family may not prevent us from coming for us. And my father... He'll see this as a betrayal."

"Can't we simply depart?" I asked. "Go someplace they can't locate us?"

Luca shook his head. "They'd find us subsequently. And that they had harmed our families to attract us out."

I felt hopeless. "So what, we just wait here to die?"

"No," Luca stated firmly. He took my arms in his. "I promise you, Aria. I'll find a way out of this. For each other, folks."

I appeared into his eyes, seeing the dedication there. And something else. Something that made my coronary heart race.

"Why?" I whispered. "Why are you risking the entirety for me?"

Luca's hand came up to cup my cheek. "Because you make me want to be better. To be the man you deserve."

And then he kissed me. It became gentle before everything, then deeper. All the fear, all of the anxiety of the past few days melted away. In that second, it changed into just us.

When we ultimately pulled aside, I felt dizzy. Luca rested his brow against mine.

"I love you, Aria," he said softly. "I comprehend it's loopy. We slightly know each other. But I do."

Tears stuffed my eyes again, but glad ones this time. "I love you too," I whispered.

For a little while, we forgot about the hazard. We talked, genuinely talked. Luca advised me approximately growing up in the Rossi circle of relatives, how he'd continually felt trapped. I informed him about my dreams, my fears.

As night fell, we lay together at the small bed. Luca held me near, and for the first time in days, I felt safe.

But as I drifted off to sleep, I could not shake the sensation that this peace would not be closing. Tomorrow, we must face reality again.

And truth changed into coming for us, whether we had been geared up or not.