𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐄 | 𝟏𝟖+

[25]

XXV

The moment I enter the cafe, I fixate on Luca Martínez seated at a round table, surrounded by thick cigarette smoke and a few goons.

"Milana." Luca calls out, acknowledging my presence. "Luca." I reply, taking a large step towards him. The smoke from his cigarette engulfs me and I inhale the strong scent. "Have a seat." He proposes, looking down at an empty seat. I motion to the dock workers to stay behind, and take a seat in front of Luca.

"I've been expecting you." He announces, taking a drag of his cigarette then passing it to the goon seated besides him. "My apologies. I had to deal with a - minor convenience." I blurt out. He rests his elbow on the table to keep his head upright and narrows his eyes at me slightly. "Tell me, hows your Uncle Tony?" He questions. I fold one leg over the other and sit up confidently. "How would I know?" I reply, shrugging my shoulders.

Luca falls silent for a long moment, still resting his face on his hand. "Tell me what you want to get the hell out of my city." I speak, fanning the thick cloud of cigarette smoke away from me with a frown. "You don't seem to understand your position. You're not making it out alive."

I turn my head towards all of the dockworkers, all heavily armed and on alert. "You can't hope to defeat us all, not here, not out there." I reply with a smirk. "I will. Because I have help." He replies in an instant.

I hear his footsteps behind him and I know who it is before I turn my head. "Nico." I call out.

"Marco didn't kill you, did he. That was all a lie." I add quickly.

How could I be so fucking stupid. Marco didn't kill him, he was working alongside him.

I jump to my feet and stare in confusion at his expressionless figure and the gun in his hand. "Hello, Milana." He menacingly greets. I stare into his eyes and see pain flickering there. "You fucking traitor! I let you live and you turn against me?" I snap at him, balling my fists. "You're the one who turned against this family by going after your uncle!" He snaps back, clutching the gun excessively tightly in his hand.

"That deranged bastard killed my father!" I yell, the angry words falling out of my mouth without hesitation. My finger points over and over in his face. "Enough. Finish her already, Nico. Prove your allegiance to me." Luca instructs.

Coldness settles on Nico's face and his arm begins raising slowly. I freeze at the sight of the barrel pointed at my heart. From the corner of my eye, I notice Luca standing up from his chair, watching in satisfaction.

"Any last words, Milana." Luca asks.

"Burn in hell." I spit. One of the dock workers standing in front of me widens his eyes but he is too far to do anything. I think about my gun, but I know it's already too late. I close my eyes in front of Nico's gun and wait.

Suddenly, someone bumps into me with brute force, knocking me down just as the gun goes off. "What the hell?!" Luca calls out from above me. Horrified, I stare at the man who's just fallen next to me, lying halfway between life and death. One of the dock workers lies in pain, a bullet to his left arm.