Chapter Forty-four

The morning was as beautiful and warm as the sunshine that filtered through the window of Luka's bedroom, successfully waking the man that slept with a woman's head ducked into the crook of his neck. He slightly shifted as the light burnt through his closed lids causing his free arm to fall over his eyes in attempt to keep the light invasion from his peaceful slumber.

Alas, the damage had been done and sleep slowly crept away and he blinked awake. He slowly turned his head to the side and his bright and clear grey eyes fell on a mane of brown curls of hair and he couldn't help his content smile and his other hand unconsciously clenched around her waist.

That caused the woman herself to stir awake and she simply groaned before her eyes fell on the pair of eyes, that startled her for but a second before she fully blinked awake, another smile stretching her own lips.

"Morning, Sunshine" his timber of a tone rumbled straight to her core and she clenched in a slight tremble against him, a pleasurable shudder that had him smirking and her cheeks flamed and she ducked her face away from his, only to mumble against his skin

"Morning" Luka's hand that lay beneath her and curled to land on her waist, he squeezed it and she lifted her head up at him and she playfully squinted her eyes at him for she knew he knew well of his effect on her and he seemed to be fully enjoying it.

He leaned down to peck her nose in a fond manner and she couldn't help but lean up on her arm only to peck his lips. An action that ended up into a full blown passionate kiss when Luka wound his arms tightly around Bella's waist and prolonged her kiss. It was when the need for air arose that the two finally came apart and Bella ended up straddling his waist.

Neither of them anticipated Luka's door opening and unceremoniously so, with her palms splayed on his naked warm chest, both couple's heads turned towards the embarrassed figure by the door, that looked apologetic as he said

"I guess I should learn to knock" when he felt Luka's intense glare on him

"Well..." Mark cleared his throat and added "Since it's a given who's gonna lead now, now that the real cat's out of the bag and all. Business awaits, and something more urgent that I think you might want to handle as soon as you can"

"Couldn't this have waited?" Luka gruffed out and Mark seriously shook his head then

"Not this one" Luka let out a sigh then and gave his younger brother a nod of dismissal, a sign the young man didn't miss and he was quick to leave. However, that was not before glancing at Bella who simply stared at him and he cleared his throat as if he wanted to say something only to have a second thought and he left without a word.

Bella turned her gaze back at Luka with a fallen sigh and said

"There go my morning plans" he shot her an apologetic smile then and slid up to lean against the headboard, twirling his arms around her waist still and pulled her closer to his chest.

"Later?" He asked a tad bit hopefully, eyes full of yearning lust and she bit her lip then only to get off of him with a shrug and a mock disappointed look and she walked towards the bathroom. With a backward glance she said

"Enjoy your business" and she locked the bathroom door, only to giggle to herself when she heard incessant rapping on the door with Luka trying to coax her into opening the it, with his seducing words.

---

It was an unspoken rule when Luka walked into the room and it quietened from the powerful aura that wrapped around him, that he would now be Don of the Genovesse Mafiosi famiglia. It also felt strangely right to everyone, that Luka was now their leader as he was meant to be from the beginning.

The dinning hall had the highly positioned men milled on the long rectangular desk, and everyone seemed ready to be assigned to their jobs and they were ready to get down to work. Perhaps ready themselves for war, for it was no secret just who their new Don's reina(Queen) would be, or rather already was. And with the events that had occurred on the night of the Order, it was safe to presume the worst.

When Luka had finally arrived at the deserted destination, there was nothing but a single barren tree on the side of the empty desert land. The road had three cars lining down each side, and in between were the two leaders of two different families.

The Spanish Mafia family's Don, Jorge Salazar, that ruled over crime in Spain as head of the OG Salazar crime family that was on a similar level to the Camorra family, stood before Luka, the man was grown with greying well cut hair and wrinkles upon a still handsome face and descent height for a man. He was one of the elders and the words he would come to speak would be reason behind Luka's rage and concern only for the sake of his Piccola's safety.

"I didn't get the chance to properly talk to you back at the hall" The old man started and Luka nodded

"What is it I can do for you señor Salazar" With the serious mature in which Luka spoke, the Spanish man couldn't help but chuckle

"You must think I'm here for war" he said and Luka gave him an expressionless look

"It wouldn't surprise me"

"Do rest assured boy. I hadn't gotten involved with old Pablo's son. A lot of trouble he was. Hence I'm here to make a deal with you."

"But, should you not accept it, know that There will be war" the old man warned and Luka's eyes narrowed and his shoulders stiffened

"Okay"

"Don't look so worried boy. I propose we form an alliance in way of a marriage" before Luka could protest the old man chuckled again and said

"Calm down, I know of that illegitimate Camorra woman you've intended to make your own. What I propose is that my grandson would come to marry your daughter when she has reached of age" if the old man had thought Luka would be more accepting of the offer, he had another ting coming for all his offer did was make Luka a seething ball of rage over more than the man's insult towards his reina, and he spat

"Not happening. Ever" and the old man could only clear his throat then in attempt to hide his surprise

"Think hard over this boy" the old man said and Luka simply took it for a threat and he squared up to him causing the men that stood guard behind the old man to reach for their guns and the old man raised his hand in a gesture to stop them

"If its war you want. It is war you will get" was all Luka said before he turned and walked toward the SUV he had ridden over. Not fearing that he would be shot by the Spanish, for once war was declared, they wouldn't make a move until it was time.

Luka couldn't believe the old man's nerve, however, he sat in the car feeling on edge for he had to make certain Bella would want to be involved no matter what and he didn't like the idea. It was when he walked through the doors of the mansion only to stop dead in his tracks at the scent that assaulted his nostrils and he couldn't help but hightail for the kitchen.

His angry soured mood seemed to evaporate within the scent of his favourite childhood dish and the very image of Bella in an apron with her face, a caked up mess of both flour and chocolate syrup that laced around her lips and he shook his head at his reina's addiction to chocolate. He had no doubt she had tipped the whole bottle right into her mouth as is.

Now more amused than upset, he walked towards the woman that shot him a wide smile minute her eyes landed on him and she ran into his arms, a wooden spoon full of cupcake batter as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her chocolate smuges dirtied his own face. Not minding for one bit, he smiled down at her and she held out the spoon to his lips and he licked but a smidget off, him on the other hand not being a fan of raw batter.

"You seem too be having fun" he said, a smile on his lips "without me" he added and she shrugged before turning away and out of his arms and towards the messy island counter and her fingers pinched the batter and she shoved it into her mouth and looked back at him.

"Had to keep busy somehow. Not in the mood for blood today" she nonchalantly said, referring to the fact that she was yet to deal with Deacon.

"I see" he said before his grey eyes filled with an emotion that made he tense up and she waited for his next words "I have your foster father in the basement as well" he said carefully gauging her expression and all tension left her body with relief and she gave Luka a meaningful look that said "I love that you know me so well" and his heart warmed

"So you're not upset that I did that instead of you, I mean he's still alive but...barely" he said apologetically. For he might have lost his cool earlier on before he left for the meeting with the Spanish. The young man had been too arrogant and smug and cared little for what he had done to Bella that Luka had lost his own temper.

Perhaps it was why he wasn't that angry still at his brother for what he had done to Bella. The young man had been smart enough to do the job for Luka and he had detained the butcher minute he had found out just who he had been to Bella. Even Luka wondered how his brother had come upon the information, however, he was glad the young man had been quick to think to detain the man before he could flee.

"No" Bella simply said with a shrug, caring little to acknowledge her fury and hatred towards the man that should have been a father to her after she had been robbed off of her own father. Not to replace the wonderful deceased man, but he could have tried to be a half descent father figure for her, however, that hadn't been the case.

She quite frankly didn't feel like embracing those emotions for the day, for she would simply enjoy her day, worry free. Luka seeing her chipper mood settled to keep the meeting with the Spanish to himself. He would let her enjoy being light hearted for as long as he could afford it, even forever should it be so. For this side of her was the epitome of why he called her Sunshine, she became a beaming unfading light in his life and beating heart that only drummed alive mostly for her then.

"I'll be in the office should you need me" Luka said, kissing her cheek and she gave him a look he failed to decipher before she diminished it from her face.

It was two hours later when Luka sat in his office, Bella straddling him in his chair, when the call came. The office phone on Luka's desk gave out a shrill Luka couldn't ignore any longer and he had to detach his lips from Bella's, causing the woman to whine and frown at him, and he pecked her pouty lips before he answered the phone he held to his ear.

His face turned serious and he seemed to be listening intently and Bella simply toyed with the collar of his unbuttoned shirt. Deciding to be mischievous, she grinded her hips over the arousal that was slowly dissipating only to have it harden and Luka shot her a look and she simply smiled.

Luka hung up with the words

"Mark will call you to discuss the rest" smashing the phone onto its holder, his hands landed on Bella's waist before giving her a painful pleasurable squeeze and she gasped. Luka's words teased her skin near her ear and he rasped out

"Why do you have to be so naughty, Piccola?" the Italian accent always became more prominent when he spoke in that tone, Bella lolled her head backwards when he began to trail wet kissed from sucking her ear lobe down her exposed neck

"Because" she could only rasp out as her breath hitched below his touch that never failed to light her body ablaze

"Because...? Luka questioned, before sucking on a sensitive spot on her neck and she let out a moan. Bringing her hooded eyes on cloudy greys she said with a mischievous smirk

"Because I love it when you're barbaric with me then, that's how you teach me a lesson, naw?" she echoed out Sin's words in her mind, although her words were heavy with tempting sin, her innocent eyes were his undoing with the look they gave him.