A Name That Lingers
A/N: Song for this chapter is In the Middle of the Night by Ellet Duhé
Mia barely slept that night.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw himâLorenzo De Luca. The way he moved, the way he looked at her like he saw more than she wanted him to. The way his presence alone had made the air in that alley feel suffocating, yet... safe.
Safe.
The word made her scoff as she sat up in bed, rubbing her tired eyes. A man like him wasn't safeâhe was the very definition of danger.
So why did a part of her feel like she had just stepped into something she couldn't walk away from?
Shaking the thought away, she forced herself out of bed and into her morning routine. A hot shower, a quick breakfast, and soon, she was back in her scrubs, ready for another long shift at the hospital.
Or at least, that was the planâuntil she stepped outside her building and froze.
A black car was parked across the street. Sleek, expensive, and tinted just enough to make it impossible to see who was inside.
Mia's stomach twisted.
Coincidence? Maybe.
But when she took a few steps forward, the car's engine started. It didn't drive off, didn't peel away like a regular vehicleâit simply moved, slow and deliberate, trailing just far enough behind her to make its presence known.
Someone was watching her.
Her heart pounded as she quickened her pace, her mind racing.
It could be nothing. Just a paranoid thought after last night.
Or it could be everything.
By the time she reached the hospital, her nerves were shot. She darted inside, the automatic doors sliding shut behind her, and let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
She needed to forget about this. About him.
She had patients to tend to, real lives in her handsâshe didn't have time to think about mafia bosses and mystery cars lurking in the shadows.
And for a few hours, she succeeded.
Until lunchtime.
Mia was sitting in the break room, poking at a sad-looking salad, when her coworker Jasmine plopped down across from her with a dramatic sigh.
"Girl, you look like you saw a ghost."
Mia shook her head. "Rough night."
Jasmine snorted. "Tell me about it. Some rich VIP is in the private wing, and the security detail around him is insane. You'd think the damn President was here."
Mia frowned. "VIP?"
"Yeah," Jasmine muttered around a bite of her sandwich.
"Big-shot Italian guy. Serious mobster vibes. Name's... something fancy. Lorenzo, I think?"
Mia's blood ran cold.
No. No way.
She was on her feet before she could think better of it. "Where?"
Jasmine blinked. "Uh... the executive suite. Why?"
Mia didn't answer. She was already moving, her heart hammering against her ribs.
She didn't know what she was expecting when she reached the private wing, but it sure as hell wasn't thisâ
Two massive men in dark suits stood outside the door, their expressions unreadable. Armed. Alert. And the moment they saw her approaching, they stiffened.
"I'm a nurse," she said quickly, flashing her badge. "I justâ"
The door behind them opened.
And there he was.
Lorenzo De Luca, standing in the doorway like he owned the damn place.
He was no longer in a suit. Instead, he wore a crisp white dress shirt, the top two buttons undone, his sleeves rolled up to his forearms. It was the most casual she had ever seen him, yet somehow, it made him look even more powerful.
His gray eyes locked onto hers, unreadable as ever.
"Mia," he said smoothly. "We meet again."
She exhaled sharply. "You have got to be kidding me."
Lorenzo smirked, stepping closer. "I was wondering how long it would take you to find me."
Her stomach flipped. "Youâ" She gestured vaguely toward the hospital room. "Why the hell are you here?"
He tilted his head slightly, amusement dancing behind those sharp eyes.
"Because, mia cara..." His voice was low, deliberate.
"You and I? We're not finished yet."
A/N: Lorenzo speaking French talking WE