037 - Today's Gone

Luca’s POV

When I walked out of Maria’s room, I could feel my chest pounding for something I'm not sure of.

But when I said I won't ever regret protecting Maria, I meant it. Whether she wants it or not.

She's mine now. Whether I mention Alexa or not, Maria is mine.

I closed the door behind me as I walked to my room. 

I could feel the silence of the entire apartment swallow me. Each step I took walking to my room felt heavier than the last. 

When I finally sat down on the edge of my bed, I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. My hands rested on my thighs, and for a moment, I just stared ahead at nothing.

What a rollercoaster of situations.

First, it was Maria, on her knees, practically begging for me—God, her lips were so close I could feel her breath. 

And what did I do? I called her Alexa. I didn’t even realize it until I said it.

And now this. Maria knew about the guy who attacked her. Dead. The timing didn’t even escape her—and it shouldn’t have. Maria's not stupid.

She said a friend’s boyfriend told her. The police.

Maybe. Maybe not.

But either way, the body wasn’t supposed to be found.

That part kept hitting at me. I don't leave loose ends. That was my rule. We don't kill, we make them disappear.

So how did a lowlife tout suddenly turn up when he shouldn't even be found?

I leaned back and grabbed my phone.

“Come to my room,” I said when Alex picked up. I didn’t wait for an answer. I just hung up.

A few minutes passed before he knocked and came in, wearing his usual calm. But it evaporated the second he saw my face.

“You wanted to see me?”

“How’d you deal with the guy from Maria's apartment?” I asked, my voice calm, but laced with something sharper.

Alex blinked. “I had someone take care of it.”

My jaw clenched. “You what?”

He shifted. “I mean… I trusted a guy. He’s one of ours. Clean record.”

I stood.

“I give you something to handle, and you pass it off to someone else?”

“Boss…he’s solid and I trust him to get it done.”

“And yet, the body was found.” My voice dropped, but it was colder now. “And Maria found out about it. Through the police.”

Alex’s face changed. “Damn…”

“Exactly,” I snapped. “He wasn't even supposed to be found at all. You think I kill for fun? No, Alex, I kill to erase problems. Not to plant evidence for the police or anyone to trace back to me.”

“I’ll look into it—”

“No,” I cut in. “You’re not going to ‘look into’ anything. You’re going to control the damage. Call Luis.”

“The police chief?”

“Yeah, the police chief. Tell him I need a favor. I want this mess taken care of. So well that the body disappears like it never even existed. Do you understand?”

He nodded quickly. “I’ll handle it.”

“You should have handled it the first time,” I said tightly. “You know better than to let someone incompetent touch something this close to me. A single mistake, and those federal agents will use the slightest opportunity they have to get at me.”

Alex swallowed. “I’m sorry, boss. I really am. I won’t let this come back to us. I’ll fix it.”

“You better.”

He turned to leave, but before he reached the door, it opened.

Maria stood there.

She looked between us, her eyes searching through the tension between Alex and I. “Am I interrupting?”

“We’re done,” I said, without looking at Alex.

He left quietly.

Maria stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. Her steps were careful, like she didn’t want to trigger something she couldn’t take back.

“What was that about?” she asked.

I hesitated. Not because I didn’t trust her… but because I wasn’t sure how much I wanted her to carry.

“I’m not angry you killed him,” she said gently, stepping closer. “I was scared. You didn’t tell me. And for days I kept thinking about him, wondering if he’d come back. And that’s what hurts.”

I looked at her, my guilt lowering down my chest.

“I wanted you to feel safe. That’s why I did it.”

“I do feel safe,” she whispered. “Just… don’t leave me in the dark.”

I nodded slowly. “Alex was supposed to get rid of the body. But clearly, he didn’t do it right. It was never meant to be found, especially not by police.”

Maria’s brow creased. “Then how did it?”

I didn’t answer her immediately.

Because a new thought had just stabbed through my brain—sharp and sudden.

Alexa.

Her body had been found too. Dumped like trash. But that wasn’t supposed to be Alejandro’s style. He was old school. He knew how we were taught to do things. We don’t just kill, we make them disappear.

Unless…

Unless he wanted it to be found.

My chest tightened.

Was he trying to get me in trouble?

I didn’t say any of that out loud. I just looked at Maria, my thoughts racing behind a calm face.

She stepped closer, eyes searching mine. “What is it?”

I shook my head. “Nothing.”

It was a lie. But a necessary one.

Instead, I reached for her and pulled her in, crashing my lips to hers. Her breath caught against my mouth, but she didn’t pull away. She kissed me back—hard, desperate, like she was trying to bury the day beneath our skin.

When we finally broke apart, I leaned my forehead against hers.

“Let us forget about today,” I murmured. “Afterall, it’s going to be gone by tomorrow.”

But at the back of my mind, I knew that wasn’t what I had in mind.