Chapter 16 - Silk and Kevlar
The gown was midnight blue, cut from heavy Italian silk that draped down to the floor with an elegant, daring slit up the left thigh.
To any observer in the high-society crowd, I appeared as the quintessential mafia queen—poised, breathtaking, adorned with sapphire earrings and a diamond necklace that had once belonged to the Moretti matriarchs.
Beneath the silk, however, was a masterclass in covert warfare.
A thin, custom-woven Kevlar bodice was molded seamlessly under the fabric. strapped to my inner thigh, concealed by the deep drape of the dress, was an ultra-flat ceramic blade that wouldn't register on metal detectors. In my small beaded clutch rested an encrypted jamming device and a lip-gloss tube filled with concentrated paralytic neurotoxin.
Luca stood in the dressing room doorway, adjusting the platinum cufflinks of his tuxedo. He froze when he saw me, his breath hitching slightly in his throat.
"Sophie," he said, his voice dropping into a husky, reverent whisper.
"Does it pass inspection, Boss?" I asked, turning to face him, the silk catching the chandelier light.
Luca stepped forward, his eyes burning with an intense, unbridled heat that sent a shiver straight down my spine. He didn't answer with words; instead, he stepped directly into my space, wrapping one arm firmly around my waist and pulling me flush against his chest.
His lips found mine in a fierce, breathless kiss that demanded everything and gave no quarter. I leaned into him, my fingers threading through his thick hair, feeling the hard line of his shoulder holster beneath his jacket.
When he finally pulled back, resting his forehead against mine, his chest was heaving.
"You are the most lethal, magnificent creature I have ever laid eyes on," he murmured against my cheek. "Tonight, every man in that ballroom will envy me, and every enemy will fear you."
"Good," I replied, smoothing the lapels of his tuxedo with steady hands. "Because we aren't going there to dance, Luca. We're going to mark our territory."
Mateo knocked twice on the heavy oak door. "Vehicles are ready, Chief. Motorcade is clear."
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Luca offered me his arm, his expression transforming back into the untouchable Don of Chicago.
I took his arm, chin held high. "Let's go meet the ghost."
