Page 72 of Auctioned To Her Dad's Mafia Enemies

“We’re going to end Enzo’s life for what hedid today. Do you understand?”

The cool determination in his tone shouldchill the blood in my veins, but it doesn’t. My uncle sent men with guns. Ithought the past was bad enough when he saw my father beat me and did nothing.I could never forgive him for his apathy, worse, his complicity. And now?

“I do,” I whisper.

Luca reaches out, his fingers brushing over mycheek before cupping my face. His palm is warm and firm, grounding me. A slowburn starts in my chest, spreading outward as if he’s branding me with nothingbut his touch.

“My father,” I say, barely able to form thewords. “Have you found him?”

Luca shakes his head, studying me carefully. “Doyou know something? Something you haven’t shared?”

“I think he was working with the feds,” Iadmit. It’s time to end this—all of it. To prioritize me for the first timebefore it’s too late. “I think that’s how he disappeared and why he didn’t takeus with him. He got a clean start without his cheating wife and Mario’s so-calledbastard children.”

Luca’s fingers tighten slightly at the back ofmy neck. “Why do you think this?”

“My aunt. I don’t think she knew for sure, butshe always said his disappearance was too clean. He took almost nothing. Leftonly empty bank accounts and his IDs behind. Wherever he was going, it was as anew man.”

Luca nods, but his face is unreadable, histhoughts a storm I can’t decipher. His breathing turns choppy, his controlslipping for the first time since I met him. The air between us shifts,charged, volatile.

And then suddenly, he moves.

His hands frame my face, his grip firm,unyielding before his mouth crashes against mine. The kiss is fierce, searing,stealing the air from my lungs and replacing it with something wilder. I freezefor only a second before I open to him, letting him take what he wants. Histongue sweeps against mine, demanding, punishing, desperate.

There is no careful seduction, no patience. Hekisses me like he’s trying to drown in me, to forget something too dark toface. His fingers tangle in my hair, his grip on me possessive, claiming.

I should pull away.

I should fight.

But all my control is lost.

For the first time in my life, I have men whowill defend me, protect my life with theirs, and avenge all the wrongs thathave happened to me.

Luca growls low in his throat, his handssliding down my sides, branding me with his touch. He lifts me effortlessly,settling me onto his lap, his fingers gripping my thighs as if he can’t standthe distance between us. Heat coils in my stomach, spreading lower, igniting adeep desire inside me.

“Aemelia,” he murmurs against my lips, hisvoice rough.

I swallow hard, my pulse hammering in my ears.“Luca.”

His breath shudders at the sound of his namewhispered huskily against his cheek. He holds me against him, cupping my headso my face is pressed into the crook of his neck. The past unravels behind me,dissolving into the dark as his warmth engulfs me. I’m back in the Venturigarden, cradled in his arms, inhaling the same clean, sharp scent of hiscologne and his skin, safe.

It doesn’t make sense that I should feel thatway about a man who just promised to stain his hands with my uncle's blood, butnot much in my life has ever made sense. I was forced to grow up too soon, achild who became a parent, a girl brutalized by the man who should havedefended her. I was a stranger in my own home, out of place in my own life. Andyet, here, in the hands of my father's enemies, I feel safer than I ever did inthe world I was meant to belong to.

He whispers words in Italian, too fast and lowfor me to understand, but the cadence is hypnotic. It doesn’t feel like wordsat all but a spell, a confession, a story revealing the secrets of his heart. Iclose my eyes and let his husky, melodic voice wash over me, losing myself inits dark melody.

“I’d do anything to keep you safe,” he saysgruffly, his voice rough with emotion like the words cost him something toadmit to himself and to me.

His arms tighten around me, powerful andunyielding, as if daring the world to try and take me from him. The steady,controlled Luca Venturi—the man who commands with a look, who kills withouthesitation—is shaking.Just barely,almost imperceptibly, but we’re too close for me to miss it.

His breath stirs against my hair, warm anduneven. “I’ve taken lives without a second thought. Moved mountains for myfamily. Built an empire with blood and fire. But it’s been empty, I’ve beenempty, until now.”

I swallow hard, my heart slamming against myribs. “Luca…”

He lifts my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.His eyes are scorching, filled with raw, terrifyingly real emotions that stealmy breath.

“I don’t just want to protect you, Aemelia. Iwant to destroy every fear that’s ever haunted you; bury your past so deep thatit never dares to touch you again.”

A shiver rolls through me—not of fear, but ofthe kind of devotion that doesn’t end in happily everaftersbut in blood oaths and sacrifices.

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