Chapter Three (Continued): Dangerous Silence

Chapter Three (Continued): Dangerous Silence

The silence after their kiss hung heavy in the air—too charged, too sharp.

Luca stepped back first, breath shallow, fists clenched at his sides.

Sofia turned away, trying to steady herself. “This was a mistake.”

“No, it wasn’t,” he said firmly. “But it was reckless.”

“I don’t do this,” she murmured. “I don’t let people in. You don’t understand the kind of fire you’re walking into.”

“I’ve been walking through fire most of my life,” Luca said. “The difference is I usually know where the flames are coming from.”

Sofia looked at him over her shoulder. “And you think I’m the fire?”

“I think you’re the reason I’m burning.”

A long silence stretched between them.

Then—bang.

A distant, muffled thud from the back of the safehouse. Both froze.

Sofia grabbed her Glock from the nightstand. Luca was already moving, silent and swift, weapon drawn.

They moved in sync down the narrow hallway. The sound came again—closer now. Not footsteps. Something… dragging.

Sofia whispered, “The safehouse is off-grid. Only Interpol and ghosts know it exists.”

Luca narrowed his eyes. “Then we’ve got a ghost problem.”

They rounded the corner into the back storage room—nothing. Just crates, dust, and—

Creak.

A slow turn of the back door latch.

Luca raised his weapon. “Don’t move.”

The door cracked open.

A teenage boy collapsed into the room—bloodied, limping, breathing hard.

“Nico?” Sofia choked out. “What the hell—?!”

Her cousin stumbled into her arms, wheezing. “They’re coming. They know about this place. I—I hacked the location to find you, but they traced me—”

“¡Estás loco! You led them here?” she hissed, dragging him into the room.

“I didn’t mean to!” Nico gasped. “Raúl’s men—half of Barcelona’s under surveillance. They know you’re alive. They know you’re with him.” He glanced at Luca.

Luca slammed the door shut and locked it. “We have maybe ten minutes before they move.”

Sofia paced, furious. “Goddammit, Nico.”

“I didn’t know who else to go to! He’s got Diego running his hits again. Sofia… he’s building an army.”

Luca’s expression darkened. “Then we hit him before he hits us.”

Sofia stopped pacing. “We’re not ready.”

“We don’t have time to get ready,” Luca said. “This place isn’t safe anymore. And neither are you.”

“You’re still acting like this is your op,” she snapped.

“Because I don’t see you making a plan.”

“Oh, I have a plan,” she said. “But it doesn’t involve trusting someone who lies for a living.”

His jaw clenched. “You think I’m lying?”

“I think you’re still not telling me everything.”

Another crash outside.

Luca turned to Nico. “Can you shut down the signal? Cut their trace?”

Nico nodded, fingers already working on a hacked burner laptop from his jacket.

Sofia looked at Luca. “If we survive this… I want the truth. No more shadows. No more half-answers.”

He met her eyes. “You’ll get it.”

“And after that?”

He stepped close. “Then we burn Raúl’s empire to the ground. Together.”

Outside, a shadow moved past the window. Boots. Guns.

The war was at their door.

And inside the storm, Sofia and Luca stood side by side—torn between trust and desire, vengeance and survival.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***