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The first time they met, it felt like fate. The second time, it felt like a warning.

She was running from a past that refused to die. He was chasing a future that seemed just out of reach. When their worlds collided, it was more than just love—it was an obsession, a wildfire that threatened to burn them both alive.

But love isn’t always salvation. Sometimes, it’s destruction in disguise.

Bound by Fire: Ashes of Desire

Luca had been in wars before. He knew how they started. Knew that the first strike was just as important as the last. And if Alessandro DeLuca thought he could dictate the terms of this battle, he was about to learn the hard way—Luca Romano played by his own rules.

The night air was thick with tension as Luca and his men moved through the docks, silent shadows cutting through the darkness. Information had come in fast—one of DeLuca's shipments was arriving tonight. Weapons. Money. The kind of resources that made a difference in a war.

He adjusted the earpiece as Henry's voice crackled through. "You've got three teams in position. Say the word."

Luca's gaze flicked to Sofia beside him. She wore all black, her hair pulled back, her face unreadable. But he could see the fire in her eyes. She had chosen this. Chosen him.

And that meant there was no turning back.

The first explosion rocked the docks, lighting up the night like a violent sunrise. Gunfire followed, shouts echoing across the water. Luca moved fast, his pistol raised, taking out two of DeLuca's men before they even saw him coming.

Sofia wasn't far behind, moving like she had been made for this world. She was precise. Deadly.

A bullet grazed past, embedding itself into the crate beside her. Luca didn't think—he grabbed her wrist, yanking her out of the line of fire, his body shielding hers.

Sofia exhaled, her grip tightening on her gun. "Better than them."

He followed her gaze—three men lay motionless, her work.

Luca smirked. Fuck, he loved this woman.

Another explosion sounded, and Henry's voice came through. "We've got the shipment secured. What's next?"

Luca stepped over a body, eyes scanning the chaos. "Burn it."

Luca met Sofia's gaze. "All of it."

Minutes later, flames engulfed the crates, the scent of burning wood and gunpowder thick in the air. DeLuca's shipment—his power—was reduced to nothing but smoke.

Luca turned toward the water, watching the fire's reflection dance across the waves.

Tomorrow, the real war would begin.

And he would burn everything DeLuca built to the ground.

Next Chapter: A Warning in Blood – DeLuca retaliates, and Luca realizes just how far his enemies are willing to go.

The First Strike