18: London to the Ground

Luca’s POV

Maria was quiet that morning. Too quiet. She stood near the window, arms folded, looking out like the sky might have an answer she hadn't found yet. I could still see the grief in her eyes. Faint, but it hadn’t gone away.

She turned when I walked in.

"You’re going to London."

I didn’t answer right away. I just grabbed the files from the table and zipped up the bag. Alex was downstairs already, checking the vehicles. We were ready to go.

"Take care of yourself while I’m gone," I said, keeping my tone light.

But Maria stepped forward. "I want to go with you."

I paused.

She was serious. Her eyes told me she wasn’t making a request. Not really.

"Maria... it’s not a trip. It’s business. Dangerous business."

"I know. And I don’t care. I need to get out of here. I can’t sit in this house and keep thinking about that place... that apartment. It’s like it’s haunting me."

I looked at her for a long second. She wasn’t shaking like she used to. There was pain, yes. But something else had settled in her.

Steel.

"You understand it might get messy?"

She nodded.

"Messy as in people might die, Maria. Things could happen that you can’t unsee."

"I’m not blind, Luca. I know what you do. And I know what I’m choosing."

She was calling me Luca now. Finally, meaning she's becoming comfortable with me. I loved it.

She wasn’t flinching or shaking.

I grabbed a coat from the hanger, tossed another one at her. "Then let’s go."

***********

London was cold. Grey clouds, rain clinging to the city like a second skin. Just how I remembered it.

We landed late afternoon. The drive from the airport was supposed to be smooth. We had everything secured: our vehicles, the route, even backup teams shadowing us.

We were halfway to our safe house when my phone buzzed.

Private line.

I picked it up.

"Fomo. You always did love the rain." Alejandro said in Italian.

I said nothing.

"I see you’re in my city now."

Click.

I ended the call before he uttered any more words. I wasn’t going to waste my breath on him.

Alex looked over from the passenger seat. I shook my head. Not yet. We keep moving.

Then it happened.

The black van behind us blew. Just like that. Flames in the rearview.

"Move!" I barked.

Alex shouted orders into his mic. The driver sped up, weaving. Gunshots cracked from the buildings. Another car hit the corner and tried to block us in.

"Right! Take the alley!"

Our vehicle swerved hard. Tires screamed.

I turned to the back seat. Maria was holding onto the handle, trying to stay calm.

"You okay?"

She nodded, and I could tell she really trying to stay calm. No tears. Just fire.

We broke through the alley and drove two blocks before ditching the car. The team was scattered. I was with one guard. Alex wasn’t with us. Maria was gone.

"Where is she?" I barked.

The guard didn’t answer. He didn’t know.

I wanted to rip something apart. But I stayed sharp. If they had her...

No. I wouldn’t go there.

About an hour later, I found Alex.

He looked worse for wear, bruised, dirty—but alive.

And beside him... Maria.

She walked toward me like she hadn’t just vanished into chaos.

"You good?" she asked me.

I stared at her.

"You disappeared." I said to her.

"We had to. I told Alex to run into a side shop. There, we found ourselves a way through some service tunnels near a canal. Took some time, but we lost them."

Alex nodded. "Boss, she was calm the whole time. Moved like she knew exactly what she was doing. Got us out safe."

I didn’t say anything.

But I looked at Maria a little differently.

Not just a girl with tears.

She had teeth now.

**********

We reached the new safe house just before midnight. My phone buzzed again. Same private line.

"That was cute, Fomo," Alejandro said. "I must admit, I didn't expect your little doll to have that kind of bite."

I didn’t answer.

"What’s her name again? Maria? Or should I call her your newest bitch? Alexa won’t like that."

I clenched my jaw.

"You escaped this one, Luca De Rossi Fomo. But I’m not done with you yet."

He hung up.

I looked at the phone.

Then I looked at Maria, who had just returned from the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel.

I thought about Alejandro’s words.

Then I thought about her running with Alex through tunnels.

Let him try.

She wasn’t his to insult.

She was mine to protect.

And London… Your city?

I'm about to put your city to the ground, Alejandro. 

You and your city.

To the fucking ground.