Page 40 of Tormented Hearts

“She’s wrong,” Luca says firmly, his voice low and filled with intensity as he looks up at Phoenix. “She’s doing this becauseshe’s scared, because she knows she’s lost. You belong here, with me.”

Phoenix shakes her head, “But what if she’s right, Luca? What if I’m not strong enough for this? I’m not like her. I’m not like you.”

Luca steps closer, his hands cupping her face as he forces her to look at him. “You don’t have to be like her. I don’t want you to be like her.” His voice softens, filled with emotion. “You’re strong in ways she could never be. Bianca is just trying to tear you down because she knows she can’t get to me.”

Phoenix’s heart swells at his words, but the doubt still lingers. “I just… I don’t know how to fight this, Luca. She’s always there, always trying to undermine us.”

Luca’s grip on her tightens, his eyes filled with determination. “I’m handling it. She won’t come between us; I promise you that.”

Phoenix looks up at him, her heart aching with a mixture of love and fear. She wants to believe him, wants to trust that he could protect their relationship from the darkness that seems to surround them. But Bianca’s words had struck deep, and Phoenix wasn’t sure how to shake the feeling that no matter what she did, she would always be an outsider in Luca’s world.

Luca’s heart clenches as he pulls her into his arms, holding her tightly as if he can shield her from everything. “She won’t win,” he promises, his voice raw with emotion. “I won’t let her.”

Luca’s arms snake around Phoenix’s waist pulling her hard against him, his hands sliding down, over her ass to pick her up against him. Phoenix gasps, just before his lips take hers in a blistering kiss that has all thought rushing out of her mind.

“No one compares to you Bella, no one can ever compare.” Luca states as he steps towards the wall, leaning her against it he lifts one of his hands to slide his fingers into the collar of the dark blue silk shirt she is wearing, Luca tugs forcefully, the sound of the buttons popping, and the fabric tearing is loud in the silent room. Her breasts tumble out, the dark blue bra also torn in the middle allowing for his eyes to gorge on the perfection of her body.

“Beautiful” he rasps as his head lowers to take a nipple into his mouth. His tongue flickering over the pebbled nipple. “Ohhh,” Phoenix murmurs in pleasure just as his hand slides up her thigh, the black skirt has ridden up around Phoenix’s waist when Luca picked her up. This allows for him to pull urgently at her thong which resists, but it’s no match for his strength.

“Luca” Phoenix gasps as his thumb rotates over her hungry clit, her body vibrating with a hunger that only Luca can ease, “Please.”

“Tell me, what you want?” Luca asks, his eyes opening to look deep into hers.

“You,” Phoenix’s voice is husky with lust as Luca slides one finger into her depths, her legs tremble as they tighten around his hips pulling him closer, trying to feel his hard cock against her hungry pussy.

Luca suddenly growls as he pulls his hand away, “Lu…ca” Phoenix cries as her body tenses with the need to orgasm. His hand urgently unzips his trousers, pulling his engorged cock out, and in one motion he is plunging deep into her depths.

“Fuck,” he groans, “you make me so horny.”

He rides Phoenix hard against the wall, one hand behind her back to keep her back protected while the other holds her hips ashe thrusts hard into heaven. Her gasps grow louder as her body rushes to hights that they have never been before.

As they both climax, their breathing harsh, their bodies vibrating with the aftermath of their passion. “You’re mine, only mine, only you.” Luca’s husky voice whispers against Phoenix’s ear, appeasing, calming, Phoenix’s turbulent sole.

***

Later, Phoenix is sleeping calmly as Luca slips out of the room sending Miguel a text to meet him.

Miguel steps into the room, his expression tense as he approaches Luca. He can see the storm brewing in Luca’s eyes, the barely controlled fury simmering just below the surface.

“She’s gone too far,” Luca says, his voice low but filled with unmistakable rage. “Sending that message to Phoenix? Trying to push her out of my life? It’s time to end this.”

Miguel nods, his jaw tightening. “I’ve got the men ready. Just say the word, and we’ll take care of it.”

Luca turns from the window, his eyes cold and determined. “I don’t want any loose ends. We’re cutting Bianca off completely—her businesses, her connections, everything. She’ll be left with nothing.”

Miguel raises an eyebrow. “You sure you want to go that far? She’s still got a few powerful friends.”

Luca’s expression doesn’t waver. “Not for long.”

He had already taken control of Bianca’s clubs, cutting off a significant portion of her income, but now he was moving to dismantle the rest of her operations.

First, he went after her contacts. Bianca had built her power through careful alliances with other mafia families, using hercharm and manipulation to secure their loyalty. But Luca had no intention of letting those relationships stand.

He made calls, arranging private meetings with key players—people who had once been loyal to Bianca. He reminded them, in no uncertain terms, that Bianca was no longer under the protection of the Tempo family. Aligning with her was a risk they couldn’t afford to take.

And, one by one, they fell in line.

It wasn’t difficult. Most of them had already seen the writing on the wall. With Luca’s control of Palermo solidified after his truce with the Romero’s, no one wanted to be on the wrong side of the conflict. By the end of the week, Bianca’s support system had crumbled.

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