ap

nded in her ears as th

annoyingly calm. Behind him, six men took their positions,

as a

d walked ri

exed around his gun, finger hovering over

lculating

tween them. "Honestly, Sophia, I expected be

the way her body screamed at her to run. "Fu

u." He turned his attention to Luca. "And you... well, you'

ightened. "Say that agai

my men will put a bullet in her

Sophia saw it-the restraint, the barely

ing at a di

eing ou

n kne

enjoying ev

st Nev

rd, ignoring Luca's sharp loo

"Now, that's a complica

m. It was a ghost from her pas

e asked coldl

or the weak. I'm here for something much

before she

s beside her-stil

ollar, slamming him into the cha

ocess it before the sound of

forward, fingers it

s credit, bar

aughed. "See?

e me one reason I shouldn't

ecause if you do, you'll never

like a strik

a f

s breat

is expression. "Oh, he doesn't know, does he?" He tu

ped to her. A qu

throat

re. No

ian was

lk, "Sophia didn't just leave because she was sca

le

ilence that wrapped ar

h

voice dangerously low. "

curled into fis

th something dark. "Tell him, Sophia. Tell him how you we

ze burned

d hard. "Luca,

dged with steel. "You

e of

's min

sn't th

ded. Not when Adrian was s

knew

laying w

e thing Luca could

am. "But you'll never know what she's hiding." His eyes mov

. But Sophia could see th

as good

go

to dig, where to push,

hed her jaw.

didn'

ced steel into

aw fl

he thought he w

rustration, he released

aightening his collar like he ha

irl," he

ed him. "We'

, grabbing her wrist

ing breaking inside her

ray

trat

thing wo

" she wh

orm is

walke

se they w

there was no

eir smirks making it clear the

asn't thinki

the way Luca's grip on

ce felt heavier t

ching up to her, faster

t into

doors shut, Luc

lied

s sharply. "L

he space between them.

ooked

r chin, forcing her to

oat tig

coul

him what he w

already bleeding t

as no stopp

she admitted, voice b

sti

eyes. "Before I ran, before everyt

le

e that stretche

h

r chin, his expre

m." His voice was lo

wallowed

ticked. "And you did

"I wanted to. B

idn't

looked

eing her for t

sure if he lik

der rumbled i

m was

only just