Undressed By The Mafia God

The front door crashed in at that precise moment. Valentina jerked back as cops poured into the place, shouting over one another, weapons raised, boots slamming against the old tiles. Someone yelled for hands to be shown.

Vito shrieked and nearly fell off his chair. Luca sat there with the calm of a man who had been expecting company. His gun had already disappeared from sight so smoothly Valentina almost doubted she had seen it at all.

Voss stepped in behind the officers. His eyes found Valentina first. The look he gave her was furious.

Then he turned to Vito and Luca.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Voss demanded.

"Just having a conversation with my father-in-law, Detective."

Voss’s jaw clenched. "Do you think you can intimidate my witness?"

Luca’s brows lifted. "Your witness?"

The innocence in his tone was so well performed Valentina wanted to scream. He was enjoying this.

"Well, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do," Luca said, spreading his hands slightly. "I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do, Detective. No intimidation going on here. His own daughter brought him here herself. She called me, said she wanted to talk. I came. She brought a guest."

"You expect me to believe you did not know he was under protection?" Voss asked.

Luca’s face hardened just enough. "Detective, I did not even know he was your witness."

Valentina’s soul left her body. Luca had played her. He had not planned to kill Vito. This was not a murder trap.

This was a show of power and she had been the assistant. Her mind raced, but every thought slammed into another wall.

Why would he not kill Vito? If Luca did not want Vito dead, then it meant he was not afraid of Vito testifying. If he was not afraid of Vito testifying, then the case was not the weapon she thought it was.

Had he bought Vito’s silence already? Vito’s greedy, shaking voice returned to her.

We had a deal.

Her father had sold her again. Valentina could not breathe properly. Around her, the officers moved. One of them guided Vito up from his chair. Vito protested immediately, his voice rising.

"I did nothing. She brought me here. I told you, she brought me here."

Voss turned sharply towards him. "Shut up, Vito."

The officer pulled Vito away, and Vito went, still muttering, still looking for someone to pity him.

Luca watched him go with faint amusement before his eyes met Valentina’s. Voss walked back to her and stopped directly in front of her.

"I cannot begin to express how disappointed I am right now," Voss said.

Val couldn’t raise her eyes, she couldn’t speak.

"You just ruined my entire case," Voss added.

Voss turned to the officers. "Take her into custody."

Val’s head snapped up. "What?"

Two officers moved towards her. Her mind refused to accept what her eyes were seeing. Arrested? Her? No. That was not how this was supposed to go. Luca was supposed to incriminate himself. Voss was supposed to come in, see Luca over Vito’s dead body, understand the whole thing, and finally put that smug devil in a cell where he belonged.

Instead, everyone was looking at her like she was the problem.

"What did I do?" she demanded, voice cracking.

Voss faced her again, his eyes hard with disappointment. "Kidnapping a state witness."

"I didn’t kidnap him!" Val yelled. "I told you where we were!"

"After you removed him from protection."

"I was trying to help."

The officer caught her wrist, and panic kicked hard through her chest. "No. No, listen to me. I called you. I sent you the location."

"And what was your plan, uhn?" Voss spat. "Move the case along faster by getting him murdered by Luca?"

Val’s mouth opened. No sound came. Because that had been the plan. She had wanted evidence. She had wanted Luca to show his true face, to finally reveal the monster she had been screaming about.

"Does he seem like a fool to you?" Voss demanded.

Her eyes drifted, unwillingly, to Luca. He sat there. one ankle crossed over the other, eyes dark with unbearable amusement that made her want to scream until the roof collapsed.

He had known. He had known she would call Voss. She had thought she was recording him, but he had performed for the camera.

Voss turned away from her in disgust and walked out. Vito was led past her then, one officer gripping his arm, another walking close behind. Her father looked furious and deeply offended.

Valentina found her voice as he passed. "You are a sad excuse for a father."

The officer pushed him forward before he could answer. She did not need another excuse from him anyway.

The cuffs snapped around Valentina’s wrists. The officers led her outside. The flashing police lights painted the street in blue and red.

Behind her, inside the parlour, Luca remained seated. He watched the officers take Valentina away and allowed himself the smallest smile.

She would not call Veronica for help. Valentina would choke on the knowledge that Vee might ask questions.

This plan was to help Luca take Marco out of the damned equation when the time came. Even if saving him meant letting Valentina look guiltier and more reckless. The truth was already ugly. Luca was simply arranging the lighting so everyone could see it clearly.

His phone vibrated. He glanced down. Just like that, the monster folded itself away. He answered. "Hey, love."

"Are you coming home anytime soon?" Her voice drifted from the phone, sleepy and sweet. "I’m cold."

"I’ll be right there, Bambola," he said. "Curl up in the sheets. I’ll bring you up some tea when I get home."

"Hurry..."

"I will." He hung up the call and smiled. He would be home. He would always be home. He just needed to make sure...

That their home would hold strong after this was over.

******

Valentina was released the next morning.

An officer came to get her just after sunrise, and led her through the precinct.

She had not slept. She had sat in that holding cell all night, replaying everything until the thoughts lost shape.