Chapter 2

Luca stood in front of the old warehouse. The place was tucked away at the edge of the city. He had no idea why Annabelle's father had sent him here. A suitcase, he had said. A simple errand, Luca had assumed. But now, as he stared at the dilapidated building, a cold shiver ran down his spine.

"Why here of all places?" Luca muttered under his breath. He shifted uneasily, glancing around to make sure he wasn't being followed. The streets were eerily quiet, not a soul in sight. 

Annabelle's father had been vague, almost too vague. He hadn't offered much explanation, only that the suitcase held something valuable.

Luca hesitated at the entrance, his gut told him to turn around, leave the suitcase and walk away from whatever that was. But he couldn't. He needed to save his sister.

Taking a deep breath, Luca stepped inside, his footsteps echoing in the empty space.

 He scanned the area nervously, his senses on high alert. Something wasn't right. 

Luca crept further in, trying to stay as quiet as possible. He could hear voices now, faint but growing louder as he moved deeper into the building. He edged around a corner and froze.

About twenty feet ahead of him, a group of men stood huddled in a circle. 

They were rough-looking, with tattoos snaking up their arms, and guns slung casually at their sides. Luca's stomach churned. These weren't the kind of men you wanted to run into in a dark alley, let alone a deserted warehouse.

"A den of thieves..." Luca whispered to himself, the realization hitting him like a punch to the gut.

His mind raced. What was Annabelle's father thinking, sending him here? He wasn't a thief or a fighter. He was barely keeping himself afloat, much less ready to take on a room full of criminals. But he had no choice. He had to get the suitcase and get out of here, fast.

Swallowing his fear, Luca ducked behind a stack of crates, his heart pounding in his chest. 

The men's voices were getting louder, but they hadn't seen him yet. He peered around the corner, his eyes locking onto a narrow hallway that seemed to lead away from the group.

Without wasting another second, Luca darted down the hallway, praying his footsteps were quiet enough not to draw attention. He moved swiftly, his eyes scanning every door until he saw it, a small room at the far end of the corridor, the door slightly ajar.

This had to be it.

He slipped inside the room and immediately saw it, the suitcase, sitting on a table in the center of the room. 

Luca crossed the room in a few quick strides, but just as he reached for the handle, a loud bang echoed through the warehouse.

Gunshots.

Luca's blood ran cold, and he dropped to the floor.

The gunfire was close, too close. His mind raced, panic threatening to take hold. He pressed his body against the cold floor, trying to make himself as small as possible. 

"Who the hell is here?!" a voice bellowed. It came from somewhere back near the entrance.

Luca clutched the edge of the table, daring to peek through the narrow gap in the door. The group of men he had seen earlier was now moving, scattering through the warehouse with guns raised, barking orders at one another.

When he couldn't see them, he ran out.

"Hey!" one of the men shouted, calling his attention.

Luca didn't stop. He didn't dare look back. He fell, and the suitcase clattered beside him, but there was no time to think about the pain. 

Luca grabbed the suitcase and sprinted toward the fence at the edge of the property, his legs moving faster than they ever had before.

He could hear the men shouting behind him, their footsteps pounding on the pavement as they chased after him.

Suddenly, a heavy hand grabbed his shoulder, yanking him backward with brute force. Luca crashed into the cold concrete floor. 

"Where do you think you're going?" a gruff voice growled above him.

Luca groaned, trying to scramble to his feet, but another man stepped forward, kicking him hard in the ribs. Pain shot through his body as he collapsed, clutching his side.

"We asked you a question," the first man said, crouching down to get a better look at Luca. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Luca clenched his jaw, refusing to speak.

"Not talking, huh?" the second man sneered, delivering another brutal kick to Luca's stomach. "We can do this the hard way if you want."

Luca gasped, trying to hold back the pain, but it was no use. His body was betraying him, every nerve on fire.

"Who sent you?" the first man asked again, his patience wearing thin. "Why are you here?"

Still, Luca said nothing. His mind raced, trying to figure out a way out of this mess.

"Enough," the second man growled. "He's not going to talk. Let's take him to the boss."

Luca barely had time to register the words before they hauled him to his feet, his arms twisted painfully behind his back. He struggled, but it was useless, they were stronger, and he was too weak from the beating to put up much of a fight.

They dragged him through the warehouse. Luca's head spun, the pain in his ribs and stomach making it hard to focus.

Finally, they reached a door at the far end of the warehouse. One of the men knocked, and a moment later, the door swung open. Inside was a masked man who Luca guessed was the boss.

He looked up from the papers in front of him, his cold eyes settling on Luca. 

"What do we have here?" he asked in a dangerous voice.

"Found him snooping around," one of the men explained, shoving Luca forward. "He won't say a word about why he's here."

The boss leaned back in his chair, studying Luca. "Won't talk, huh?" He stood up, walking around the desk to get a closer look. "That's a problem. Because if you don't talk, I'm going to have to kill you."

Then he looked away. "Break me my dagger, Axel."

Luca's heart nearly stopped. He opened his mouth, desperate to find the right words. "Noo! Noo! I will speak."

"So tell us, who sent you?" The boss asked.

"I... I was sent by Mr. Cruz."

The boss raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Cruz? Now, that's interesting." 

He glanced at his men, then back at Luca. "And what exactly did Mr. Cruz wants to go with you?"

Luca hesitated, his mind racing. "He... He asked me to retrieve something for him. A suitcase. That's all."

The boss chuckled coldly.

 "A suitcase?" He shook his head, amusement flickering across his face. "Tell me, why should I believe you?"

Luca swallowed hard. "It's the truth. I just needed the money... to pay for my sister's medical bills. That's the only reason I took the offer."

The boss stared at him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. 

Then, he smirked. "Ah, so you're desperate. That makes you useful."

Luca blinked in confusion. "Useful?"

"Oh yes," the boss said, circling him like a predator. "I've been waiting for the right opportunity to get back at Cruz. Maybe you're just the pawn I need."

Luca's stomach twisted with dread. "No... I'm not, I'm not here to get involved in anything. I just want to help my sister."

The boss stopped in front of him, his smile fading. "Do you really think I care about your sister? You're in this now, kid, whether you like it or not."

One of the men stepped forward. "Should we prepare him to go undercover?"

Luca's eyes widened in panic. "No, please. I, I can't do that. I'm not a part of this. I don't want any trouble, I swear. I just need the money."

The boss looked him over again, his eyes narrowing. "You don't have the heart for this, do you?"

Luca shook his head, desperation clawing at him. "Please... I'll leave. I won't say anything to anyone. Just let me go."

The boss tilted his head, considering for a moment. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he signaled to his men. "Dispose of him. I don't have time for weaklings."

Luca's blood ran cold as the men grabbed him again, dragging him toward the door. "No! Please! I'll disappear, I swear! I won't cross your path again!"

The boss's voice followed him as they pulled him out of the room. "You better not. Because if you do, I won't hesitate to end you myself." 

Luca's heart pounded in his chest as they dragged him into the darkness of the warehouse, and left him on the street.

Luca trudged back to Mr. Cruz's estate. When he got there Mr. Cruz opened the door.

"Where is it?" Mr. Cruz asked.

Luca hesitated, his throat dry. 

"I... I lost it," he finally admitted.

Mr. Cruz's hand froze, and he slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes narrowing into cold slits. "You what?"

"I, there was a problem," Luca stammered, taking a step forward. "I can explain. There were these men—"

"Get out."

The words hit him like a slap, sharp and unexpected. Luca blinked in disbelief. 

"Mr. Cruz, please, I just need a minute to explain—"

"Get. Out," Mr. Cruz repeated.

"Please, I need the money," Luca begged, desperation creeping into his voice. His hands raised as if to plead for mercy. "You don't understand, my sister—"

Mr. Cruz shot to his feet, slamming his fist down on the desk. "I said get out!"

He knew there was no reasoning with Mr. Cruz now. His chances had gone. Numbly, he turned and walked toward the door, his heart rising in his chest.

Once outside, Luca headed for the hospital.

When he arrived at her room, the sight of her broke her. She lay pale and still in bed.

"Rosa..." Luca whispered, standing by her bedside. He reached out, taking her hand gently in his.

Her eyes fluttered open. "Luca... You came."

"Of course I did," Luca said, forcing a smile even though his heart was breaking. "I'll always come."

She tried to smile back, but it faltered. "How... how did it go?" she asked.

Luca hesitated. He didn't want to burden her with the truth, not in her condition. But lying felt impossible. "I lost my job,"

Rosa squeezed his hand. "It's okay, Luca. You've done so much already."

"It's not enough," he said. "I'm going to fix this. I'll find a way. I'll get the money we need."

Rosa shook her head slightly. "You don't have to..."

"I will," Luca said. "I'm not giving up on you. I'll do whatever it takes."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, his heart heavy as he stood up. 

Without another word, Luca left the hospital and made his way to the only place he could think of, the alley where his old friend would be. If anyone could help him, it would be Tony, a man who had his own share of shady dealings and who owed Luca a favor from years ago.

Luca spotted his friend in the alley.

"Tony?" Luca called out.

"Luca? What the hell are you doing here?" Tony asked.

"I want a job."

Tony raised an eyebrow, flicking his cigarette into the gutter. "Job? 

Last I heard, you were keeping out of trouble."

"I was," Luca said, running a hand through his hair. "But things have changed. I took a job... a job that went south, and now I need money, fast. It's for my sister. She's in the hospital, and I can't pay her bills."

Tony stared at him for a long moment. "And you thought I'd be able to help with that by offering you a job?"

"Please, Tony," Luca pleaded. "I'm out of options. I wouldn't come to you if I didn't have to."

Tony sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "You know this isn't my thing anymore, Luca. I've been trying to keep my head down."

"I know," Luca said quickly. "But I'm desperate. I need something, anything."

For a moment, Tony didn't say anything, just stared at the ground, deep in thought. Then, finally, he looked back up at Luca, his eyes softened just a little. "I don't like this, Luca. But... I owe you. I'll see what I can do."

Luca let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "Thank you, Tony. I won't forget this."

"You better not," Tony muttered, already reaching for his phone to make a call.