3: The

oretti Compo

leather jacket unzipped over a black tank top, her combat boots scuffed from last night's race. Her hazel eyes, flecked with gold, scanned the room with barely concealed contempt. At 5'7", her athletic frame radia

sliver of olive skin. His jet-black hair was neatly styled, but a stray lock fell over his forehead, softening the sharp lines of his face. His emerald-green eyes, piercing and unreadable, flicked to Isabel

Carlo De Luca sat at its head, their faces stern as they finalized terms. Capos from both families lined the walls, their murmurs a

e gestured to the table. His salt-and-pepper hair gleamed

rdwood. "You're really doing this, Papa?" Her voice was sh

This isn't a sale. It's sur

er. "Survival? Or just anot

ink you're the only one sacrificing here, Moretti?" His voice w

her flushed cheek. "Oh, poor De Luca, stuck with the bi

to break through. "At least I don't t

was all teeth as she closed the distance, her lean frame radiatin

irelight. His green eyes, so like Luca's, were cold. "You two will sign, or

la. She held his stare, her chin lifted, her hazel eyes blazing. The air betwe

, a pen resting beside it. "Sign, figlia m

he Moretti name crushing her. She wasn't a damsel, wasn't some delicate flower to be bartered. She was a fig

natched the pen and scrawled her name, the ink bleeding into the paper

The contact sent a jolt through her, and she hated how her pulse quickened. His emerald eyes flicked to hers, unreadable, as

lla snapped, her b

ough for only her to hear. His gaze dropped to he

ising a glass. "To

d. She needed air, needed to move before she shattered so

his tone deceptively casual. "You

"Act like what? Your obedient

nting with challenge. "Obedient? I wouldn't dare. But y

apped to her thigh. "You want to see what I can do?" she sa

hree throwing knives from her belt, their blades glinting in the firelight. The capos murmured, intrigu

. "Scared? Of you?" He set his coat on a chair, rolling up his sleeves to reve

the bullseye wins. If I win, you stay out of my way until this damn wedding. If

nd low and warm, sur

twitched, amused. Isabella stepped to the line, her lean frame poised, her hazel eyes locked on the board. She thr

precise, the knife landing a hair closer to the center. He

he knife embedding dead center. The capos cheered,

s knife hit the bullseye, splitting the wood beside hers.

ustration. The knife struck the bullseye, nudging Luca's bla

or something hotter. He threw, his knife landing just outside the bullseye,

close, her hazel eyes daring him to argue. Her breath caught a

now," he murmured, his lips brushing her ea

is breath had grazed. She pulled back, her

this round, but the game was far from over. Luca watched her go, his emerald gaze dark with something he refused