hundering in her chest. The air in the room felt charged like

once or twice his jaw

ng had

etly, though part of her wasn

look at her

anything to do with why yo

ed pacin

hat, the tension snapped back into place.

sk for your

ce like cut glass.

e didn't back down. "You're not my savior, Da

to pounce. "Then why didn't you stop me?" he murmured. "

he hadn't

y both

rring with confusion in her

claimed o

n, and dragged a knuckle along her jaw. "B

eath c

hat terrifying truth

t just a g

was

d go," she

mething flickered in his eyes, hesitation

e," he said. "Pack what you

ned. "The

o his full height. "Vitale knows whe

it her lik

re ly

h. "Do I look like the ty

am. To throw somet

ension in his frame, the fury barely he

was watc

i had just becom

d a hand,

d at it, he

him was d

ng him might g

she reached out hesita

grip t

na

eaka

y, eyes gleaming. "Now hur

questions, none of which she dared ask not yet. Dante stood near the window,

ght fra

ocations

nius to know someon

bag and straight

r quickly, scanning for something injury, hesitation, she w

one. Don't touch anything. And if I say ru

lowed hard

once and l

s if the building itself knew something was wrong. They moved fast,

eek black car id

glass. The kind of car mad

is brow, opened the back door without a word. Ele

, and the door

inside the c

g?" she asked, try

said, his voice clip

h twisted.

ked. "Until

of his mouth, the shadows under h

or the first time, she saw something o

saw

or hi

r

figured you were leverage." His voice was tight. Controlled.

eath c

ld he risk that j

arkened. "Because I

ll like a

her throat dry. "And

didn't

n't ne

lread

an obsessi

was

ome the most dangero

ight. Elena sat stiffly beside Dante, every muscle coiled tight, her eyes fl

the gun holstered beneath his jacket. The only sound was t

it ha

f light b

hts too

was tailing them, weaving through

t look back

elerator. Elena's heart leaped into her throat as the city blurred past

g us," she said,

lmly, but his hand move

spray of bullets shat

er her head as the driver swerved hard, barely avoiding a parke

Dante barked, his voi

alley. The tires screeched against wet pa

e window down,

d was de

o. Thre

erved but

Elena said, breathless, h

y. "They just need to slow us down lon

an cold. "Then

d onto hers, burni

fore they get

hat intensifies the danger

wisted into

er muttered, sla

t hesitate.

lowed, barefoot, the cold pavement biting into her skin as she stumbled

d his weapo

ing wa

soldiers. They weren't even Italian. They wore

amat

ma

whispered, backing up until she

hed. "Not mine. A

out, weapons drawn.

re... w

, but a sharp whistl

ures stepped forward

wo

tight against her skull. A sca

n't recog

te

e body we

he said, vo

nked. "Wh

e didn't

's been a long time, Dante. I was s

ve killed yo

es flicking to Elena. "But n

nd, and her men l

arrel of a weapon pre

d, fury crackling off him.

mile widened. "You made sure of t

hundered. "What

dn't bli

bleed," Valeria

Dante lunged, gun raised, a shot rang o

tore throu

of Valeria's men tackled him, sending h

agged backward, a gloved hand clamped over her m

o his attacker and lunging forward but two more mask

owly, deliberate

nd deadly. The kind of woman who didn't

said, tilting Elena's chin up with

her, breath ragg

led. "Feisty.

t the arms that held him. "Touc

t even flinch

she n

react, a needle sli

eyes wide with pani

na's legs gave out. Her captor caught her, lif

but it was useless. Her he

n front of him, b

A brother. A blood oath." Her voice dropped to

d. "I'll

epping back into the shadows. "But yo

o the night, Elena's unconscious

e alley, breath heav

ime in years, Dante

l f

wasn't about

as per

only thing he didn't know