THREADS OF BETRAYAL

Luca’s POV

The penthouse hallway felt like a war zone, even in the dead of night. Dmitri Volkov slumped against the wall, blood seeping from a gash on his forehead, his once-imposing frame trembling from what looked like withdrawal shakes. Maria hovered nearby, her face pale but composed, while Dante’s gun remained trained on the intruder’s chest. My heart hammered— this was Viktor’s nephew, the man who’d anonymously warned me about the Bratva’s schemes before the auction. Grudging respect? Maybe. But trust? Hell no.

“How the fuck did you get past security?” Dante snarled, his body a shield in front of mine. The tension from our earlier fuck still hummed between us, my skin raw from his grip, ass sore in the best-worst way.

Dmitri raised his hands slowly, eyes flicking to me. “I slipped them. Told them I had intel for the underboss. Please… I need to talk to the accountant. Alone.”

“Like hell,” Dante growled. But I stepped forward, ignoring his warning glare. Something in Dmitri’s wild gaze screamed desperation, not threat.

“Dante, hear him out.” My voice was steadier than I felt. “He warned me before. Anonymously.”

Dante’s jaw clenched, but he lowered the gun fractionally. “Five minutes. In the office. And if you twitch wrong, I paint the walls with you.”

We moved to the office, Dmitri collapsing into a chair. Up close, he reeked of sweat and cheap vodka, his pupils dilated from whatever high he was crashing from. “Viktor knows everything,” he rasped. “About the auction, about you buying Marino. He’s furious—says you’re poaching his assets. But it’s more. He’s planning to hit you hard. Kidnap the sister, Sofia, as leverage to force you to hand over Luca.”

My blood iced. “Sofia? You told us that already—your warning about the kidnap attempt.”

Dmitri shook his head. “That was the start. I leaked it to slow him down, buy time. But he’s escalating. He’s got a mole in your organization feeding him intel. Someone close. And Rossi… Rossi’s in on it now. They’re partnering to take you down, Dante. Split your territory.”

Dante’s eyes narrowed. “Why betray your uncle? Family’s everything in our world.”

Dmitri laughed bitterly, coughing blood. “Family? Viktor’s been using me as his junkie errand boy since I was a kid. Forced the drugs to keep me loyal, then dangled rehab like a carrot. I warned Luca because… fuck, he didn’t deserve this shit. Smart guy, caught in the crossfire. Reminded me of what I could’ve been.” His gaze met mine, raw and haunted. “I’m done. I want out. Witness protection, like you offered Luca once. In exchange, I give you everything—names, dates, the mole’s identity.”

“Who’s the mole?” I demanded, pulse racing.

Dmitri hesitated, glancing at Dante. “Promise me protection first. And detox. I can’t think straight like this.”

Dante nodded curtly. “Done. Maria, get the doc up here.” As she left, he turned back. “Talk.”

“Alessio Greco,” Dmitri said. “Your own cousin. He’s been feeding Viktor scraps for months. Jealous of your position, obsessed with Luca. Wants to undermine you, take over, and claim him as a prize.”

The room spun. Alessio? The one who’d seemed supportive, almost friendly? Dante’s face darkened like a storm, betrayal etching deep lines. “Proof?”

Dmitri pulled a flash drive from his pocket. “Recorded calls, emails. It’s all here.”

Dante snatched it, plugging it into his laptop. Files popped up—audio clips of Alessio’s voice, scheming with Viktor. My stomach churned. This was the twist that could unravel everything.

But before Dante could react fully, his phone buzzed. “Nico,” he answered. “What?” His expression turned lethal. “Alessio’s at the warehouse? With Rossi’s men? Merda. Lock it down. I’m coming.”

He hung up, grabbing his coat. “Stay here, Luca. Maria, lock the penthouse. Dmitri, you’re with me—after the doc patches you.”

“No,” I said, grabbing his arm. “I’m coming. This involves me.”

Dante’s eyes blazed. “Too dangerous.”

“Fuck that. I’m not hiding anymore.” Adrenaline surged, mixing with the lingering heat from our earlier encounter. I pulled him close, whispering fiercely, “You don’t own me like that. Not anymore.”

His breath hitched, and in a flash, he shoved me against the desk, lips crashing onto mine. This kiss was feral, teeth nipping, tongues warring in a battle for dominance. His hands roamed possessively, one sliding under my shirt to pinch a nipple hard, eliciting a gasp from me. “You think you can defy me?” he growled against my neck, biting down just enough to mark.

I arched into him, hard already, grinding against his thigh. “Try stopping me.”

He spun me around, bending me over the desk. Papers scattered as he yanked my pants down, exposing me. “You want this? Here? With him watching?”

Dmitri averted his eyes, but the thrill of exposure made it hotter. Dante’s fingers plunged into me, slick from spit, stretching roughly. “Say it, Luca. Beg.”

“Please… fuck me,” I moaned, pushing back.

He freed himself, slamming in without mercy. Deeper than before, each thrust punishing and claiming, hitting that spot relentlessly. His hand wrapped around my cock, stroking in time, dirty Italian whispers in my ear: “Mine. Only mine.” I came hard, vision whiting out, and he followed, filling me with a roar.

Panting, he pulled out, zipping up. “Fine. You come. But stay close.”

As we geared up, Dmitri muttered, “You two are insane.” But his betrayal had lit the fuse. Alessio’s treachery was exposed, but what if he struck first?

We piled into the SUV, racing toward the warehouse. Halfway there, Dante’s phone rang—unknown number. He answered on speaker. A familiar voice crackled: “Dante? It’s Detective Chen. We need to meet. Now. I know about the Russian defector—and the war brewing. But there’s a bigger player pulling strings. Someone in your family.”

The line went dead. Dante cursed. Who the hell was the bigger player? And how deep did this betrayal go?