CHAPTER 112: TEETH IN THE DARK

Night fell early across the DeLuca estate. The clouds were thick and low, smothering the sky in a muted gray that swallowed the last traces of daylight. The security lights cast long beams across the courtyard, each one cutting through the fog like a blade. Guards moved in tight formation, their radios crackling softly. Patrol dogs were being released. Drones buzzed overhead. The entire compound shifted into a new rhythm.

A rhythm of preparation.

A rhythm of war.

Luca stood on the balcony of his office overlooking the grounds. The cold air bit at his skin, but he remained unmoving, his gaze fixed on the shadows beyond the perimeter walls. His phone vibrated against the railing. Nico’s name flashed on the screen.

Luca answered. "Report."

Nico’s voice came through steady and clipped. "North gate secured. East patrol doubled. Sensors updated on the treeline. Cameras replaced. No blind spots."

"And the guards?"

"They know something is coming. But they do not know what."

Luca nodded slowly. "Good."

A brief silence.

"You sure you do not want to tell them?" Nico asked.

"No."

"They will fight better if they understand."

"They will fight better if they trust me."

Nico exhaled softly. "Then we continue preparing."

"Where is the prisoner."

"Cell two. Quiet as a saint. Too quiet."

Luca’s jaw tightened. "Keep two men on him. No one else enters without my approval."

"Understood."

Luca ended the call and slipped the phone into his pocket.

Below him, the estate breathed like a living organism. Every guard, every light, every piece of steel was a heartbeat pulsing in anticipation of something unseen.

The new enemy.

The one Adrian had warned him about.

Luca did not fear enemies. He had grown up among them, danced with them, outlived them. But this one was different. This enemy had stayed hidden for decades. That meant patience. Precision. Intelligence.

Danger of the highest order.

He gripped the railing.

Whoever they were, they had touched Aria’s name. They had learned about his child.

That alone was enough to promise blood.

The balcony door opened behind him.

He turned, instinctively ready for danger, but relaxed the moment he saw who it was.

Aria.

She stepped outside slowly, wrapped in one of his shirts, the fabric nearly swallowing her small frame. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, her eyes warm but shadowed with concern. Even in the cold air, she did not shiver.

"Are you avoiding sleep again," she asked softly.

"Not avoiding," he said. "Postponing."

She came closer, her palm warming the back of his hand. "Your men are working nonstop. They will collapse before anything even arrives."

"They are trained for this," Luca said.

"And you," Aria murmured. "Are you trained to be a statue."

He almost smiled.

Almost.

"Come inside," she urged gently. "You have been out here too long."

He looked back at the grounds again before allowing her to guide him inside. The moment the balcony door closed, the world softened a little. The lights dimmed. The warmth from the fireplace brushed against their skin.

Aria turned to face him.

"Whatever you are planning," she said, "you need sleep to think clearly."

Luca touched her cheek softly. "I am thinking clearly."

"Then tell me what is in your head."

He hesitated.

Aria did not look away. "You promised me honesty."

He sighed quietly and moved to sit on the edge of the couch. Aria followed, settling beside him, her legs folded gently, her hand instinctively resting over her stomach.

Luca lifted her other hand and pressed it against his chest.

"Feel that," he said. "That is what is in my head."

His heartbeat was strong. Sharp. Heavy with something she could not ignore.

Fear.

A rare, quiet fear.

Aria softened. "Luca..."

"I am not afraid of men," he said. "I am not afraid of threats or enemies or wars. But when someone I cannot see touches your name, I feel something I have never felt before."

She brushed her thumb across his chest. "What."

"Helpless."

The word tasted foreign on his tongue. Almost wrong.

Aria’s eyes glistened. "You are not helpless. You are being careful."

"I am not used to careful," he admitted. "I am used to ending problems before they begin."

"You will end this one too," she whispered.

Luca stared at her belly. "Yes. I will."

She leaned her head against his shoulder. They sat in silence for a moment, the crackle of the fireplace filling the room. Aria’s breathing was slow, steady, almost soothing.

Then she said quietly, "Can we talk about something else."

Luca lifted her chin gently. "Such as."

Aria hesitated, then smiled softly. "The nursery."

Luca blinked. "The nursery."

"Yes," she said. "I want to start planning it."

Luca stared at her as though she had spoken another language entirely. "Now."

"Yes. Now."

He raised a brow. "While I am preparing for someone to breach the estate."

She nodded. "Exactly. Because we cannot let fear become our schedule. And because she will come sooner than we think."

Luca’s expression softened slightly. "You already know it is a girl."

Aria smiled gently. "A mother knows."

Luca exhaled, something warm melting through the cold tension that had wrapped around his chest.

"What do you want the nursery to look like," he asked.

Aria’s face brightened. "I was thinking something soft. Creams. Gold accents. Maybe a little lavender."

Luca’s lips curved into a faint smile. "You want a royal nursery."

"No," she said. "I want a peaceful one."

He nodded slowly. "You will have it."

She intertwined her fingers with his. "And you will help me pick everything."

"I will buy the entire store," Luca responded.

Aria laughed softly. The sound wrapped around him like a balm.

"You do not need to buy everything," she said.

"I will still try," he replied.

She rested her head against his shoulder again. "I want her to grow up in a place that feels safe. A place full of light, not shadows."

Luca felt something ache in his chest. "She will," he promised. "I will make sure of it."

Aria closed her eyes, absorbing his vow as though it was something tangible, something she could hold in her palm.

For a moment, the world was quiet.

But moments never lasted long.

A knock suddenly echoed from the hall.

Luca stood instantly.

Aria’s eyes flew open, but Luca held up a hand. "Stay here."

He moved toward the door, posture shifting back into the lethal grace she knew too well. He opened it a fraction.

Nico stood on the other side, breathing hard as if he had run up the stairs.

"Something happened," Nico said.

Luca’s pulse sharpened. "Where."

"South side perimeter."

"What did you find."

Nico hesitated. His eyes flicked toward Aria inside the room.

Luca stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

"Speak."

Nico handed him a small silver object in a sealed evidence bag.

Luca lifted it.

A charm.

A small metal pendant shaped like a circle with intricate carvings spiraling outward like roots.

It was old.

Very old.

Not Circle related.

Not mafia related.

Ancient.

Cold surged through Luca’s veins.

"Where was this," Luca asked.

"Hanging on the southern gate," Nico said. "As if someone left it there on purpose."

Luca studied the markings. They were not Italian. Not Latin. Not Greek.

Older.

The faint carvings curved like symbols from a forgotten world, something whispered, something revered.

Something feared.

"Did cameras catch anything," Luca asked.

Nico shook his head. "Footage went dark for fifteen seconds. Only those seconds. Then everything came back."

Luca’s voice dropped. "No man alive can cut our system without leaving a trace."

"I know," Nico replied. "That is why I came straight to you."

Luca closed the evidence bag slowly.

"Double the guards again," Luca ordered. "And do not tell anyone what we found."

Nico nodded. "I will handle it."

As Nico left, Luca’s jaw tightened. His pulse hammered in his ears.

The enemy had already reached their walls.

And they had left a message.

He reentered the room.

Aria looked up instantly. "What happened."

Luca pocketed the charm and forced calm into his voice. "Just another security update."

Aria frowned slightly, clearly sensing the shift. "Luca..."

He crossed the room and took her face in his hands.

"Everything is under control."

"Even you do not believe that," she whispered.

Luca did not lie. He simply rested his forehead against hers and breathed.

Her warmth.

Her scent.

Her heartbeat.

His anchor.

"We will be safe," he said softly. "I will make sure of it."

Aria’s hand slid to his chest again, her palm over his heart. "Whatever is coming... we face it together."

Luca closed his eyes.

He wished she did not see so clearly.

He wished he could hide the darkness from her.

But she was his light.

And light sees everything.

"Together," he whispered.

But in his mind, another vow took shape.

Whoever left that charm.

Whoever touched the perimeter.

Whoever whispered Aria’s name.

They were already dead.

Luca would simply decide how painful the end would be.