Lucas strode back into the building with his armed men, unsure of what to expect. But he was certain he'd find the De Carlo family still there.
His suspicion was confirmed. After searching the entire area, he found the De Carlo family in a secluded area. But they had someone else with them; Rami Al-Haziz.
Lucas approached them, keeping his composure intact, even though his voice was laced with anger. "Explain this madness."
Luna smirked, but it was Sheikh Hassan who spoke first and Lucas could hear regret in his voice. "Mr. Benetti, I understand your frustration, but this was a necessary action."
"Necessary?" Lucas repeated in disbelief. "Two people are dead. Surely there was some other way to have gone about this."
Luna's eyes gleamed, as though she was excited by it all. "Oh Luc, darling, those two men were traitors. Insiders feeding information to our competitors."
Lucas stared down at her, trying his hardest to hide his disgust.
Luna continued, "You're a businessman and you're looking to get the necessary licenses to legally export your cars to the Arab sector. This," she said gesturing to the scenery, her tone growing increasingly serious, "was a necessity, because it sends the message; No Traitors Spared."
Lucas was still not convinced, but he realized non-compliance was only going to make things worse.
"This is a mess," he finally said after a short period of silence.
"And a team is already on their way to clean it up. Now, let's just talk business properly," Rami said, placing a hand reassuringly on Lucas's shoulder.
Just as they were speaking, the distant sound of the police sirens grew louder. For the first time, panic flashed across Luna's face.
The doors burst open and a swarm of police officers stormed in, immediately causing everyone present to take cover and avoid being seen. The policemen stood behind their shields.
"We saw you! Come out of your hiding place with your hands in the air right now or we will be forced to shoot!" one officer yelled, as the others aimed their weapons, ready to fire.
Lucas exchanged glances with Luna, Rami and their men. It seemed they all had the same idea; they weren't going down without a fight. They remained promptly behind the walls and drew their weapons, ready for the worst.
"Do not make us do this! I will say this for the last time. Come out of your hiding spots with both hands in the air and this will not turn out ugly for you!"
No response.
"I'm going to count down from three now and after that, we will be forced to open fire!"
No response.
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
Before the first shot could be fired, a sudden flash bang detonated in the center of the room, blinding everyone.
Lucas's ears rang as he struggled to regain his sight. When the blinding light finally subsided and his ears had stopped ringing, he saw Claire standing at the near exit, screaming for them to go. The police were still confused, giving them a narrow window of opportunity.
"Go! Now!" Claire shouted, her voice piercing through the confusion.
Lucas didn't need to be told twice. He signaled to his men, Rami, and the De Carlo family to move. They dashed towards the exit, guided by Claire, while the police were still recovering from the flash bang.
As they burst through the doors and into the safety of the night, Lucas grabbed Claire's arm, his grip firm. "What the hell were you thinking?" he snapped.
"I was saving your life," Claire shot back, rebellion in her voice. "All of you."
"Well that was stupid," Lucas said, clenching his teeth in frustration.
"And you're welcome," Claire retorted.
He couldn't argue with that. With a nod, he led the group to a waiting car. They quickly drove away into the night, heading to one of Lucas's safe houses, in case the police had recognized them.
The safe house was a secluded mansion, furnished with everything they needed to lay low for a while. Claire wondered how many of those he had.
As soon as they were inside, Lucas dragged Claire to one of the rooms and as soon as they were alone, he turned to her, his face burning with fury. "Are you crazy? You shouldn't have put yourself in danger like that."
Claire crossed her arms, standing her ground. "I am perfectly fine, thank you! And I could say the exact same thing to you."
Lucas heaved a sigh of frustration. "I'm used to this. This is my life. I don't need you playing supergirl, saving me."
"Well, I guess you did there," Claire said with a mischievous smirk. Her neat bun had been ruffled, a stand of hair falling to her full, sensual lips.
She had removed the large scarf from around her waist, leaving her stomach exposed. Claire looked irresistible and Lucas found himself drawn.
"You just… Also, what about the men with you? How did you manage to convince them?" He said after a tense moment of silence.
"Let's just say I used a bit of charm," Claire replied, the smirk never leaving her face.
Lucas stepped closer, causing Claire to shuffle back a bit, feeling the aggressive energy radiating from him. His expression was dark.
"This is not a fucking game. Don't ever do that again, because you have no idea what you mean to me," he said, his voice low and intense.
Claire couldn't believe the next words that came out of her own mouth.
"Then show me," she whispered in a short breath.
In one swift movement, Lucas's hand shot up, grabbing the back of her neck firmly.
"You have no idea what you're asking for," he murmured, staring into her soul, his breath warm against her skin.
Claire felt a shiver run down her spine, her heartbeat rising. Her nipples hardened with pleasure and she became wet all over. She slid her hand down to grab onto Lucas's throbbing dick, whilst maintaining intense eye contact.
"I do."