Page 42 of Sworn to My Heart
I feel the lightness he continues to project and relax a bit more.
“Thank you for the compliment. He does have good taste, but it seems my standards are dropping,” I reply with a slight jab, glancing at Luca. Both of them laugh.
“I like her,” Luca’s father declares, and I turn the screen back to Luca, sitting next to him.
“She also speaks Italian, Dad,” Luca mentions in Italian, continuing to boast. “Actually, not just Italian, she speaks thirteen languages,” he adds immediately, placing his hand on my thigh, gently stroking it under the table. I struggle to maintain my polite facade as I start to feel the heat rising insideme, but I refocus on his father when I hear his amazement from the other side of the screen.
I glance back awkwardly, unsure if it’s due to all the compliments or because I feel like we’ve been caught red-handed.
I quickly pinch the side of Luca’s thigh as a hint, and sigh in relief when he understands and shifts the conversation back to the mission, finalizing a few details with his father before ending the call.
I glance at Mariano and Pedro, who are still on their phones, looking at a map spread out on the table and marking locations. Tomorrow is going to be a huge event, and not the kind I like.
“Luca, I have a really bad feeling about tomorrow. I thought everything with the Russians was already handled,” I say to him anxiously.
“It doesn’t work that way in our world. They hit us, we hit back, eye for an eye. This can go on for a long time, and it’s been going on for years.”
“Even when we reach an agreement with them, they break it. This is nothing new to us; it’s our life here, and not just with the Bratva,” he admits, and the anxiety begins to swell in my chest again.
I realize I will have to live with constant worry for Luca, at least for the time we have left together. I need to do something; I won’t let him get hurt tomorrow at any cost. I may not come from their world, but I can certainly be of help.
I keep listening, trying to decipher their plan for tomorrow amid all the map talk. It seems that Luca, Mariano, and Pedro are heading to the port area together. Mariano and Luca are supposed to target Stas, and Pedro will go in with Marco, one of the men, to target Vladimir. The rest of the forces will spread around the container locations in the port, handling the cargounder Abert’s command.
“All this for a shipment, Luca?” I ask in disbelief. “What could possibly be in this shipment?” Luca finishes typing a message and turns to me immediately.
“Alin, they’re joining forces with other groups, which means this shipment is supposed to be very large and important to them. It could be drugs, weapons, or even women. According to our informants, there seems to be at least one container of women there.” I am horrified.
“Women?” I ask, my mouth opening before I even realize it.
“Yes, Alin. Women. In our organization, all the women work of their own free will. They chose this life and knew what they were getting into. With the Russians, however, most, if not all, are kidnapped, smuggled, and severely abused. Some are even sold or auctioned, often its the virgins.” he explains, and I feel my breakfast rising in my throat.
“If there are women, you’re going to get them all out of there and kill every last one of the men who took them!” I demand, feeling rage flood my body, taking over every cell. Without warning, the glass of water on the table near Luca shatters. Glass shards and water fly everywhere.
I immediately fall silent, pushing my chair back in surprise.Alin, control yourself!
I quickly look at the brothers, who have gone into defensive mode.
“What was that?” Luca asks, scanning the room quickly. I tense up, frustrated that I’ve failed to control myself.
“There must have been a crack in the glass,” I say quickly, praying they drop it. They return to their tasks after another quick scan of the room, as if looking for something or someone that doesn’t exist.
I rise from my seat, take a few tissues from Luca’s private desk,and place them on the water, trying to avoid direct contact.
“Alin, when we’re done here, I’ll send in the cleaner. Don’t bother,” he dismisses me, and I’m glad he does. Now that I know what’s at stake, it’s not just about protecting Luca; it’s about trying to save the women who might be in that shipment. I will be joining them no matter what.
“Luca, I want to come with you,” I announce, not realizing how foolish it might sound to his ears. He doesn’t respond directly to my request and just chuckles.
“Luca, please, if something happens to you... “ I start to say, swallowing hard. “I want to help,” I declare, horrified at the thought that they might not come back alive. Luca steps closer to me, bending down with his face close to mine.
“Alin, I’ll be perfectly fine. This isn’t the first or last time doing something like this. But I do really enjoy seeing you worry about me like this,” he says, his face now inches from my noseas he bends over.
I give him a light push.
“I’m worried about all of you! You all better come back alive!” I demand, and Luca looks amused.
“Yes, ma’am!” he replies, and I get a bit annoyed at his lightheartedness and the risks he takes. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this beautiful creature at home waiting for me. I will definitely come back,” he tries to reassure me, kissing my forehead.
It doesn’t help much; I don’t feel calm at all. I am determined now to join them one way or another, with or without Luca’s permission. My gaze shifts to the map, committing the starting location to memory.
