Page 119 of Traitor

Pretentious motherfucker. I pour him a glass, then take a seat at the kitchen table, right where I can reach my gun if I need to. Luca lowers himself into the chair across from me, his posture too fucking relaxed.

He takes the glass but doesn't drink. He just looks at me, watching. Studying.

And then, he gets to the point.

"My brother and I are not happy." His voice is smooth, almost bored. "Bones is making a mistake. A very expensive one."

I lean back, arching a brow. "That doesn't sound like my problem."

His lips curl up, not quite a smile, not quite anything human. "It is now."

I say nothing, waiting. Letting him show his hand.

Luca sets the glass down, tapping a single finger against the rim. "Your little accusation about the Romano deal being more important than you? I know about it. Don't bother denying it. It's costing us millions."

I blink slowly, tilting my head. "Again, not my problem."

His smile widens. Like he's enjoying this.

"We need this deal, Ely. Or is it Temperance now? It doesn't really matter," he says, his voice still soft, still pleasant. "Right now, Bones is trying to burn it all down to prove something to you. To prove you're more important." He exhales sharply, mocking, amused. "How romantic."

I watch him, heartbeat steady, unreadable. I know what kind of man he is.

Danger wrapped in silk, a snake in a custom suit.

Luca leans in slightly, his voice dropping lower. "I need you to fix him. Make him keep the deal."

I stare. Then, I laugh.

Soft. Cold.

"You actually think I care?" I shake my head, letting the disbelief drip from my words. "You think I give a shit about your deal? About him? About any of this?"

Luca watches me for a long, still moment. And then, without changing his expression, without breaking that easy smile, he shows me his teeth.

"You will."

His voice is velvet. A quiet death sentence.

I go still. The air in the room shifts.

And I realize something.

Luca doesn't care if I care. He doesn't need me to.

He just needs me to do what he says.

Or else.

I see it in the way he watches me. The way his smile never wavers but his eyes remain dead.

This is a warning.

A final offer.

Fix Bones,orhe fixes me.

I inhale slowly, keeping my hands still in my lap, keeping my breathing measured. This is not a battle I win.

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