Page 29 of Silent Night With Luca

As we stand to leave, my stomach churns. The note is out there now, waiting for Marco’s men. The plan is set in motion. It is out of my hands now, consequences be damned.

The cold bitesat my cheeks as we walk down the quaint downtown street, the snow crunching beneath our feet. My heart is still racing from the café and leaving that note behind the photo in the bathroom. The tension from this whole thing feels like a weight on my chest, pressing down harder with each step.

I finish my cappuccino and I throw my cup away as we walk.

Now, walking beside Luca, I can’t shake the urge to do something, anything to take my mind off what’s coming. I can’t go back to the lodge and watch the clock tick until three, when everything is supposed to go down.

I glance over at him, his jaw set in that familiar, serious way, and I know he’s thinking about everything, too—Marco, the plan, and everything that could go wrong. He’s always thinking ten steps ahead, always calculating. But right now, all I can think about is how much I need to burn off this nervous energy.

“Luca,” I say, my voice cutting through the bustling holiday hum of the winter wonderland town.

“Yeah?” He glances at me, his brow furrowed.

“We have to find something to do,” I say, exhaling slowly. “I need… something to take my mind off things. If we go back to the lodge I might lose my mind.”

He stops walking, turning to face me. “Like what?”

I bite my lip, thinking about the town, the holiday lights strung up on every corner, the festive decorations in the windows of the shops. It feels so out of place with everything we’re dealing with, but maybe that’s exactly what I need. “Something Christmasy.”

Luca raises an eyebrow, clearly not amused. “Christmas-y? What the fuck does that even mean?”

“You know, like ice skating or the Christmas market all the normal people are flocking to. The parade isn’t until four, but there must be things going on around here all day to get you in the spirit.”

I know it sounds ridiculous, but the idea of doing something fun, something normal, feels like the only way to stay sane right now.

“Come on,” I urge. “Just for a little while. I need it, and with that Grinch scowl you’ve got going on, something tells me you could use a little holiday cheer, too.”

He shakes his head, that hard look softening just slightly. “I’m not exactly the festive type. I’ll sit and watch while you partake.”

“Oh, that sounds like a load of fun.”

“Fiamma, why are you always pushing?”

“’Cause that’s what I do,” I say, smiling up at him. I can tell I’m slowly chiseling away at the six-inch snowpack of ice and snow he has built all around him. “Seriously, doyou think sitting there in that living room looking at each other will be good for anyone?”

“I’ll try to get in the Christmas spirit. It’s not exactly the easiest thing to do, forget about the man who kidnapped and tortured you who I am scheduled to kill in a few hours, but…”

“I know,” I say, giving him a playful smile. “But I’m not asking for much. Just an hour. I need to get out of my head before this all goes down.”

He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. I can tell he’s considering it, even though he doesn’t want to admit it. “Fine. But don’t think this means I’m putting on a Santa hat.”

I laugh, grabbing his arm and pulling him along. “No Santa hat. I promise.”

We walk toward the town square, and as we round the corner, the Christmas market comes into view. The lights twinkle in the trees, and the smell of roasting chestnuts and cinnamon fills the air.

It’s like something out of a postcard with the snow-covered stalls, the soft hum of “Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer” playing in the background, and people bundled up in scarves and mittens, smiling as they sip their hot cider.

It’s surreal, like we’ve stepped into a different world. A world that isn’t falling apart, where danger isn’t lurking in every shadow, where a hit isn’t scheduled to take place because of a meeting I put into place.

Luca grumbles under his breath, but I catch the hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as we weavethrough the market stalls. “This is… festive,” he says, his tone begrudgingly impressed.

I laugh again, the tension inside me easing just a little. “See? Not so bad. It’s just walking around, looking at all the magical decorations. It really does put you in the mood, right?”

“I guess.”

We stop at a stall selling handmade ornaments, and I pick one up—a delicate glass star with gold flecks inside. I turn it over in my hands, the lights reflecting off the surface, and for a second, I forget about everything. I forget about Marco, the danger, the fact that I was bound to a chair and made to run through the snow just yesterday. I decide to just let myself be in this moment.

Luca watches me. A slight smile spreads as I set the ornament back down. “You doing okay?” he asks quietly.

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