Page 23 of Tormented Hearts

“On my mark,” Luca orders, his voice low and commanding. “We take them down. No survivors.”

Gabriel nods, his grip tightening on his gun as they prepare to breach the warehouse. Luca’s heart pounds in his chest, not with fear, but with anticipation. This was it—the moment he had been waiting for. The moment he would end this war once and for all.

Luca raises his hand, signalling to his men, and then—without warning—he charges.

The doors of the warehouse explode inward as Luca and his men storm inside, the sound of gunfire immediately filling the space. The Romero’s were ready for them, their men positioned behind crates and shipping containers, but Luca doesn’t care. His fury islike a tidal wave, washing over him, drowning out everything but the need to end Enzo.

Gabriel fires off several shots, taking down two of the Romero men who had been guarding the entrance. Luca follows close behind, his eyes scanning the room for Enzo. The air is thick with dust and smoke, the warehouse dimly lit by flickering lights overhead. But Luca doesn’t need light to find his target—he can feel the presence of his enemy, like a shadow lurking just out of reach.

The gunfire was deafening, the clash of metal and screams of pain echoing off the walls, but Luca pushed forward, his eyes locked on the centre of the warehouse where he knew Enzo was waiting.

Finally, he spotted him.

Enzo stood near the back of the warehouse; his face twisted into a sneer as he watched Luca approach. He was flanked by two of his men, their guns raised, but Enzo didn’t seem worried. He looked confident—arrogant even—like a man who believed he still had the upper hand.

But Luca knew better. He had already won this war, and Enzo’s time was running out.

Luca raised his gun, aiming it directly at Enzo’s chest, his finger hovering over the trigger. “It’s over, Enzo,” he growls, his voice low and menacing. “You lost.”

Enzo’s smile widens, his eyes gleaming with malice. “I haven’t lost yet, Luca,” he says, his voice calm despite the chaos surrounding them. “You’ve underestimated me. You always have.”

Luca’s jaw tightens. He had no interest in playing games, no interest in hearing Enzo’s excuses. He just wanted this to be over.

“You’ve already lost everything,” Luca says coldly, his finger tightening on the trigger. “Now, you’re going to pay for what you’ve done.”

But before Luca can fire, Enzo’s smile twists into something darker, something more sinister. “You really think killing me is going to end this?” he sneers. “You think I didn’t plan for this?”

Luca’s eyes narrow, a sense of unease settling in his chest. Something wasn’t right. Enzo was too calm, too sure of himself. And then it hit him—this was a trap.

“You’re too late, Luca,” Enzo says, his voice filled with cruel satisfaction. “By the time you get back, your little songbird will be gone.”

Luca’s heart stops.

Phoenix.

The words barely register before Luca’s entire body goes cold. His mind races, a thousand different thoughts crashing together all at once. Phoenix. The Romero’s had planned this all along. The attack on the docks—it was a diversion.

Luca’s grip on his gun tightens, his heart pounding in his chest as Enzo’s words sink in. If the Romero’s had sent men after Phoenix, she was in danger. Real danger. And Luca wasn’t there to protect her.

Enzo’s smile widened as he watched Luca’s expression change. “You see? You’re not in control here, Luca. You never were.”

Rage unlike anything Luca had ever felt surged through him, blinding him, consuming him. He stepped forward, raising his gun, and without hesitation, pulled the trigger. The shot rangout, echoing through the warehouse as Enzo’s body jerked and collapsed to the ground, his smirk still frozen on his face.

But Luca didn’t care. He didn’t even look at Enzo’s lifeless body. His mind was already racing back to Phoenix, to the penthouse, to the danger she was in. He had to get to her. Now.

“Gabriel, take care of this,” Luca barked, his voice cold and sharp as he turned on his heel and stormed out of the warehouse. He didn’t have time to explain, didn’t have time to think. All that mattered was getting back to Phoenix before it was too late.

Luca’s car tore through the streets of Palermo like a bullet, the engine roaring as he pushed it to its limits. His heart was pounding, his breath coming in ragged gasps as his mind raced with fear and fury. Phoenix. She was all he could think about. She had to be safe. She had to be alive.

He gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his jaw clenched as the city blurred past him. He couldn’t lose her. Not like this. Not after everything.

The thought of the Romero’s getting their hands on her, of them hurting her—it was enough to drive him mad. Luca’s chest tightened, the fear clawing at him in a way he hadn’t felt since he had taken over the Tempo family. He had faced enemies, rivals, even betrayals, but nothing had ever shaken him like this.

Nothing had ever threatened what truly mattered to him.

As the penthouse loomed in the distance, Luca’s heart pounded even harder. He was almost there. He would get to her. He would protect her, no matter what it took.

And when this was over, the Romero’s were finished.

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