8. Luca

Chapter 8

Luca

The morning of the sting, I was nervous, which was an usual feeling for me.

Knox tossed a sock at me across the bed and chuckled. "Stop calling it a sting."

Watching him pack all his things into his suitcase was sad. I didn't want him to go. Even though we would only be apart for a few days, I was gonna miss him.

"Sorry, the operation ." I kept asking for the official name of the operation, but Knox wouldn't tell me. He kept a lot of the details from me. He was trying to keep me safe, but I didn't like doing anything important without all the information.

I'd been sending him out with Claude almost every day this month, wanting to solidify the backstory that he didn't have much to do with me and was just training to eventually staff security in the casino. If I'd had more time, I would've transferred Knox to another town completely, but he wouldn't have gone for it anyway.

It was important to him that he prove himself to his boss and also to himself.

As Knox zipped his suitcase shut, I sighed and put my arms around him. "I wish you didn't have to go."

He gave me a kiss and smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. He'd been more distant over the past week. "Me too."

Logically, I knew he was just trying to protect himself and get into the role of an employee who didn't know me very well. But that didn't assuage my newfound insecurities. Secretly, I felt incredibly uncomfortable about him pulling away.

Insecurity wasn't an emotion I was used to, and quite frankly, I didn't know what to do with it.

Pulling him closer, I gazed into those gorgeous blue eyes. I could get lost in them forever. "Let's take a trip after this is all over. Just you and me."

The look of pain that went across his face was unmistakable.

His evasiveness had gone on long enough. There was something he wasn't telling me. "Okay, what is it?"

"What?"

"What's going on, omega? You've been distant and sad, and whenever I mention the future, you act funny."

Knox took a deep breath and looked away. "I just don't know what's gonna happen to us."

"What do you mean?" I stepped back and let go of him, giving us both some space.

"I mean, I might get transferred out of Gilded Lake. And…something could happen to either of us during this operation. There's a lot at stake, Luca."

For the first time, I realized just how scared Knox was. This was his first operation in the field and he needed support, not just sex. I put my arms around him again. "Hey, you don't need to worry about any of that right now. Everything's gonna be just fine. You're overthinking this. These guys are a lot tougher than they seem."

"Yeah."

I waited for his body to relax, but it didn't. He remained tense and worried as I kissed his cheek. "Come on. Let's go downstairs and have some breakfast before we have to become strangers for the next few days."

"Okay."

We went down, and Knox ate some breakfast, but he hadn't had much of an appetite for a few days. The stress was really getting to him. "Are you feeling okay?"

He sighed and pushed his plate away. "Just nerves."

After breakfast, Knox was quick to say goodbye. It was obvious he was trying to get out of here quickly without a big scene, but I didn't want to let him go.

I held him tightly and kissed him next to his car. "How about the Virgin Islands? Have you ever been to the Virgin Islands?"

"Be serious, would'ja?" Knox shook his head and playfully pushed me away.

"I am. I'm gonna rent a house on a private beach so we can stay naked the whole time. I can just picture you all stretched out on the sand, your cute little ass all bronzed." I gave him a kiss and a smack on his butt.

He pressed his forehead to my shoulder and breathed deeply. "Okay, let's do this."

We shared one last, lingering kiss, and then he was gone. As I watched him drive away, I put my hand over my heart and hoped it was not the last goodbye for us.

The past month had been torture. It was remarkably hard to not tell someone you loved them. I had no idea until now, because I did love Knox. I was obsessed with him. I had never given serious thought to taking a mate before, but now I was thinking about it a lot.

Quite a lot.

All we had to do was get through this sting and then I could convince him we were right for each other, despite how we looked on paper.

I clapped my hands and shouted loudly into the morning air. "It's go time!"

As I drove to work, I felt excited. The Costas had been a thorn in my side for as long as I could remember. At some point, because of a few bad dealings with our grandfathers, they had managed to commandeer a lot of our territory, and we wanted it back.

The Costas dealt in the worst kinds of shit. They brought unwanted and unnecessary crime and attention to Montana. If my ancestors hadn't been forced to deal with the Costas all those years ago, we probably would've ended up as ranchers. As it was, we had to develop some kind of stronghold against them.

But the plan with Knox and the feds was solid. I had every confidence it would work, but I also knew just how dumb the Costas actually were.

I was gonna enjoy every minute of this operation .

As soon as I got to the hotel where the auction was taking place, I did a quick check of the perimeter and was happy to see everything in place.

Knox's boss had arrived the day before and was set up in a room near the Costas' wing of suites. Best-case scenario, everything would be over before we knew it.

Claude was assigned to stay with Knox for the next few days, despite everybody's protests.

We didn't want anything to look out of the ordinary, but for me, that was a nonnegotiable condition. There was nobody I trusted more than Claude and nobody understood better what was at stake.

That evening, the Costas began to arrive. We held a grand banquet to welcome them, with the feds planted throughout the property as waiters, bus boys, and valets.

By the end of the first night, they had probably gathered enough intel to make an arrest, but they wanted to wait for the big event. That would ensure maximum sentences for everyone involved. I certainly didn't want anyone getting released in a few years and looking for me.

As head of the Francesco family, it was my job to woo Marcus Costa and make sure he felt special. It made my stomach turn to spend so much time complimenting and praising him, but I just kept telling myself that at the end of it all, Knox would be waiting for me. Along with a sweet immunity deal.

After dinner, we moved into the casino. It was closed to the public for the night because I didn't want the Costas messing with anybody from Gilded Lake. But to make sure they had a good time, I flew in a bunch of dancers from Las Vegas.

Our guests were very pleased as they drank scotch, smoked cigars, and took turns sneaking off with the entertainment. I pretended to find everything Marcus said hilarious, even as I worried I was playing it up too much.

The whole time, my eyes scanned the room for Knox.

Part of me was desperate to see him, but a much bigger part of me didn't want him here at all. My guess was he was up in the bedroom with his boss, monitoring the surveillance equipment they had placed in every plant, light, and serving tray.

As the evening wore on, I looked up from a card table and saw Claude crossing the floor. My heart leapt knowing Knox was trailing right behind him. The Costas didn't seem to notice him at first, but then one by one, I saw their heads turn in his direction.

My omega seemed to be attracting an awful lot of their attention. He was still far away from me, so I was safe to take a longer look. Nothing appeared to be out of place, and as far as I could tell, he was perfectly inconspicuous.

Claude had taken him to get a new suit so he blended in with the rest of my team. He wasn't wearing a wire, and there was nothing out of place about him, and yet two of the Costas were crossing the floor toward him.

Even at my distance, it was clear when Claude tensed up and intercepted the men. I strained to hear their conversation, but the casino was too loud.

Next thing I knew, the two brothers pushed Claude out of the way and circled Knox. Several more men began to walk toward them. Something was wrong.

While Marcus was studying his cards, I folded and stood up, dropping my winning hand onto the table. "Excuse me, I've gotta hit the head."

I tapped an attractive blond omega and asked him to keep Marcus entertained as I made a beeline for Knox. As soon as I got closer enough, I smelled it.

Knox was in heat.

It was no wonder he'd been feeling off lately. Fuck! I should have paid better attention to him earlier.

Now, he was surrounded by five men, all jockeying for his attention.

Knox was an exceptionally good-looking man, so he always turned heads, but coupled with the pheromones he was throwing off, no unmated alpha could resist his pull.

Even my own body was beginning to respond to his scent as he slowly looked up at me. I stared hard, trying to give him some kind of telepathic signal. Did he know he was in heat? He seemed confused and a little bit scared by the crowd, so he probably didn't know.

Claude came to my side, and we stepped into the group.

I clapped two of the men on the shoulders. "Gentlemen! Our show is about to start. Let me help you find your seats in the theater."

They shrugged me off and kept their eyes on Knox.

Claude shoved through them and put his arm around Knox, then steered him away toward the kitchen.

The men protested, but I raised my hands and practically shouted. "That's my best bodyguard, Claude. He doesn't ask for much, but that cute little thing belongs to him. I'm sure I can find something else to satisfy you gentlemen."

I had no choice but to take them to the theater and direct my men to start the show early. While everyone was cleaning up in the casino and bustling into the theater, I took a moment to slip away into the kitchen to find Knox. He was sitting on a stack of crates next to the walk-in freezer, obviously confused.

After making sure we were alone, I placed my hands on his shoulders. "Knox, you're in heat."

"What?" The dazed expression on his face was as sweet as it was heartbreaking.

"Yeah, I can smell it. It's just starting, so the worst will come over the next few days, but that's why those guys were all going crazy. You can't go back in there."

"Fuck." He stood up and pushed against a prep table so it went flying. "I have to be here. This is my fucking operation."

"No chance." I crossed my arms over my chest, unwavering on this. "It's too dangerous. Believe me."

"Dammit, Luca." His shoulders slumped forward with disappointment.

"Go back to the surveillance room. You can help from there." I made eye contact with Claude, leaving no room for negotiation. "Do not take your eyes off him, no matter what."

"Yes, sir." Claude nodded once.

We had two more days to get through until it was all over, and Knox would be in heat the whole time. I hadn't actually been afraid before, but I was now.

I went to my office and retrieved a new set of walkie-talkies. After setting them both to a secure channel, I took one to Claude. "Channel 47."

The next thirty-six hours passed in a blur, with my time spent completely caught up in convincing the Costas that everything was normal. We hunted, fished, watched tons of strippers, and they lost lots of money.

At least that part was entertaining to me.

What sucked the most was only being able to keep track of Knox through Claude. I desperately wanted to be with him, to take care of him in the way only I could. As his alpha.

But not yet.

We had to wait until after the auction.

As much as I hated being there, I had no choice but to play the part and be in the theater while everything was being set up. Just being in the building was oppressive. I could sense the fear of all the people waiting backstage just from the weight of the air surrounding us.

Just before the auction began, I slipped into my office and buzzed Claude. "How is he?"

His response was immediate. "Fine."

"Okay. Let's do this."

Grateful to be in the final stretch, I went back to the theater and made sure everybody was seated and comfortable. As soon as I knew it was all ready to go, I slowly faded into the background, working my way toward the exit.

My part in this was done.

I set it up, got all the right players in the room, and now it was up to the feds.

My priority now was Knox, alone in his room.

The second I could get away, I was gonna find him and fuck the need right out of him.

It seemed to take forever, but finally, the auction got started. Things happened quickly from the strike of the gavel, and as soon as the first sale was paid for, the entire casino was swarmed with agents.

As previously agreed, I ran out to appear like I was escaping. I dashed through the hallway and passed Knox as he ran toward the theater. What the fuck? "Knox, no!"

But he didn't stop. He just kept running, with Claude right behind him.

"What are you doing?" I shouted to Claude, but he didn't answer me either. He just stayed on Knox's tail.

If I followed them, I would have to be arrested to not raise suspicion. But I couldn't let Knox go back to the wolves.

I started running after him but several agents barreled into me and herded me down the hallway.

"No, I've got—" Someone fell into me, taking me to the ground as my head bounced off the hard tile. "Knox!"

I didn't know how long I was out, but at some point, my eyes opened and I was inside my office. Two agents were positioned just inside my door with assault rifles across their bodies. "Is Knox okay?"

They both turned to me but didn't speak. It wasn't clear if they were there to keep me safe or to keep me from running, but after a moment, the door opened and Knox walked in.

My arms flew open as I walked toward him. "You're okay. You're okay."

He nodded, his face flush with excitement. "Yeah, we did it!" He threw his arms around me and squeezed me tightly. "We did it, Luca."

Claude and the men disappeared, leaving us alone.

"Fuck, I was so scared." My hands skated over his body, confirming for myself that he was in one piece. "You were supposed to stay in your room."

His forehead fell against mine. "I know, but I couldn't sit it out.This was my sting!"

I grinned and kissed him quickly. "You said sting!"

He threw back his head and laughed as he pressed against me. "Come on, alpha. Take me home."