Page 192 of Mine Again
“Luca,” I call, unmuting the feed. “You need to see this.”
The anchor’s voice cuts in, brisk and clipped.
“We’ve received new, unverified footage tied to the cyberattack that crippled a Delaware medical supply hub earlier today. The video, released to multiple news outlets from an encrypted source, appears to show the alleged hacker known as ‘The Venom’ exiting a private aircraft in Brazil.
“While the figure’s face is obscured, sources say the posture and build are consistent with the suspected target of an Interpol investigation into organized cybercrime. Investigators have also been provided with audio of a distorted male voice with a Sicilian accent, as well as data tied to known burner IDs previously flagged by European intelligence agencies.
“Documents accompanying the leak also reference suspected mafia affiliations. Interpol, the FBI, and the NSA have now issued active alerts for ‘The Venom,’ describing him as a rogue hacker connected to multiple acts of cyberterrorism. Authorities warn he is to be considered highly skilled, extremely dangerous, and a credible international threat.”
I glance over my shoulder. Luca is watching, the storm in his eyes banked but not gone.
“You were right,” I say quietly. “Hale is feeding you to the sharks.”
I recognized Luca the second the grainy security footage appeared, the tilt of his shoulders, the way he moved.
A shiver slides down my spine as I imagine watching this if we weren’t together, if I still believed he was dead.
It wouldn’t have just devastated me, it would have gutted me, leaving me clinging to a ghost while the world painted him as amonster.
And I wouldn’t have known if they were right, because five years can change a lot of things.
Crap. Mamma and my sisters will see this. They’ll recognize him in an instant.
They’ll see the man I told them I married accused of international cyberterrorism and believe I’m in even greater danger than they already feared.
To them, it won’t matter if it’s true or not. They’ll come for me. Not to help us, but to take me from him.
The idea coils tight in my chest, squeezing until it’s hard to breathe. Heat climbs the back of my neck, my pulse pounding in my ears.
Luca’s eyes are still locked on the screen, but I catch the faint flicker in his jaw.
“He did this faster than I expected. If I were him, I’d have waited. This makes it look more like a setup. It’s his first mistake.”
I cross the room, needing to be close to him.
He opens his arms, and I step into them without hesitation, pressing my ear against his chest. His warmth seeps into me, his heartbeat steady and strong, the one unshaken thing I can cling to. His arms fold around me like a fortress, as if he can keep the entire world out if he holds me tightly enough.
“Yeah,” I murmur. “Seems Hale is getting impatient to leak this footage already.”
“It will work in our favor,” he says, certain in a way that makes me want to believe him.
I tilt my head back, searching his gorgeous face, the one I fantasized about for years, raising a questioning brow.
His lips curve slightly. “If he’s rushing, he’ll make other mistakes. And mistakes leave trails. The faster he moves, the easier it’ll be for me to catch him.”
“So we stick to the plan?” I ask, settling back into his chest, breathing in the scent that has come to mean safety to me. I never want to leave the shelter of his arms.
“Yes, it’s the only way.” He kisses the top of my head, the press of his lips both grounding and protective. “You ready to go?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I say softly. “At least this time, we’re together.”
Chapter Seventy-One
Isabella
Leaving the house behind feels like a long, slow goodbye.
As we walk toward the front door, I keep glancing over my shoulder, trying to memorize everything. The soft throw on the couch. The pictures of the vineyard where our hideaway was. The row of books Luca stocked because he knows what I like to read. All the small touches he added just for me. For us.
