Page 20 of Luca

The autopsy hadn’t been done yet. These things took time. Still, the preliminary report put Julie’s death somewhere between ten and midnight. Oddly enough, that was exactly when the police had shown up at Luca’s, after receiving a report of a disturbance.

Luca said he’d arrived at the party around nine-thirty. He left forty minutes later, just after I had stormed out. He went for a drive, then headed home—just in time to find her body and have the police barge in behind him. And just like that, he didn’t have an alibi.

It was likely my fault. He hadn’t said it, but I knew the truth. He’d left the party because of me, to clear his head after I’d rejected him. If I hadn’t run off, would things be different? Would he have stayed at the party, in plain sight, with an alibi? I could’ve been his alibi.

The guilt crept into my chest, tightening like a vice. The guilt crept into my chest, tightening like a vice. I set my pen down, rubbing my temples as a wave of nausea hit me. My rejection had led to this, hadn’t it? God, I was a cow.

Stop it, Claire. This wasn’t helping.Luca driving around didn’t automatically damn him. If we could pinpoint the time of death, then maybe we could find an angle, some way to account for his time. Failing that, he would need to go to trial, and proving his innocence would be much harder.

Right then, I vowed to help. I couldn’t handle his defence personally beyond Monday, though, because doing so would create a conflict of interest, considering I was part of the reason he’d been driving around in the first place.

We hadn’t known that, of course, when Miki had asked me to represent Luca and I’d only ever promised to represent him for the initial stages. But I couldn’t step aside completely now. I’d assist the lawyer in charge of his case, whoever they were, and together we’d clear his name.

First things first, there was a bail hearing to get through—routine, simple. So why was my gut twisting like it knew better?

CHAPTER 12

LUCA

MONDAY AFTERNOON – THE BAIL HEARING

Boredom was gnawing at me. With nothing to do but think, I leaned my head back against the cold wall of the holding cell, fighting the pull of exhaustion. Every time I closed my eyes, Julie’s lifeless body flashed before me—her bruised skin, the way she’d been discarded like trash. The rage hit me in waves, tightening my chest. My fists clenched as I fought the urge to scream. It was impossible to think of her final moments without wanting to tear apart the bastard responsible.

But I needed to push that anger down. I had to focus.

My mind went back to the moment I found her. There had to be something I’d missed. The police were building a case, and I needed something solid to fight back. The scene played over and over in my mind. Her clothes had been stripped, her body laid out, no blood on the floor. But I’d slipped—on what? It wasn’t blood. Whatever it was could be important, and yet, it slipped away from me like smoke. Why couldn’t I remember?

Julie’s murder reeked of the MP’s revenge. It had to be him. The timing was too perfect. But who had he sent to do his dirty work? Who had called the police, conveniently ensuring they’d show up just minutes after I found her? And how had they known I’d returned to my flat that night? I’d gone dark after theMP’s arrest, staying off the radar at the Rominov estate. I’d only just returned to my flat the night before. Who knew I was back?

Could we have another traitor? No, I didn’t think so. So, who else would have known I was back home?

The thought burned through me. Someone had been watching, waiting. They knew I’d be at the party and come back to the flat after. My mind went to building security. Most of the guards had been there for a long time and the company they worked for prided itself on their professionalism and discretion. It’s one of the reasons I bought a flat in this building. In my line of business, and with the amount of women I’d had coming in and out over the years, such concerns were a necessity.

It helped that I was generous and tipped frequently to ensure things remained that way. However, there was one guy who was fairly new. He’d arrived not long before I went in as the MP’s bodyguard. I hadn’t checked him out the way I normally would and hadn’t gained his loyalty yet. A mistake that had likely cost Julie her life.

Thinking about it, he wasn’t even at his post when I got home. Conveniently on a break, or so the police report said, just before the police arrived. And then there was the security footage—wiped out by a sudden system failure. Another coincidence? Too many things lined up too perfectly.

I’d make sure Claire and Miki were looking into the guard, the company, all of it. Marko was likely already on it, but I’d be damned if I didn’t double-check. This wasn’t just about clearing my name. It was about getting justice for Julie.

But for now, I had to sit here, helpless. The hours dragged on, each second adding to the knot of anxiety in my gut. I needed to be doing something, not pacing in a cell, waiting for a system that wasn’t designed to favour men like me.

Finally, the door opened, and they came for me, the heavy silence shattered. As I was led upstairs, my wrists cuffed to theofficer beside me, I scanned the room. Claire was there, waiting. Seeing her steadied me, even if just for a moment. She hurried toward me as soon as our eyes met.

“Sorry I couldn’t get in to see you, but I can’t foresee any issue with bail, so we can talk things over after you’re out,” Claire said just before a voice shouted, “All rise!”

Everyone stood as the judge entered.

I had attended court before, watching members of the brotherhood face charges, but this time, I was the accused. It was a new experience—and one I didn’t like at all.

An overwhelming sense of dread washed over me. I was right to feel that way. Less than ten minutes later, I was being escorted back down to the cells, awaiting transport to jail. I hadn’t got bail! Despite Claire’s protests about my clean record, the judge remanded me into custody.

Miki shouted, “We’ll get this sorted!” as I was taken down the stairs.

Claire met me in the interview room a few minutes later. “God, Luca, I can’t believe you got remanded. I’ve never failed to get a client out on bail before with no prior convictions. I don’t understand how they can justify this when that fucking MP is out on bail, accused of numerous crimes!” She shook her head in disbelief.

“It is strange, but I guess someone wanted me locked up,” I told her grimly.

She started pacing, biting her bottom lip. “I didn’t want you to go to jail. You’ve been deliberately set up, and now this! It’s obvious someone is out to get you—likely that MP. But why jail you? Why not just kill you?”