LOGINI know I’m making you all wait for the reveal, but trust me, the wait will be worth it. We’re about to step right into the dirty little secret territory, and things are going to get intense from here. Also, I only wrote this hunt scene because of what I saw today during clinicals. I was in the ER when they brought in a sexual assault case, and she was only 13. Thirteen. I swear, I’ve never felt that kind of rage. Being a med student sometimes means you have to stand there, keep your face neutral, and do your job, even when everything inside you is screaming. Writing that hunt scene was honestly my way of dealing with that anger, like giving every predator out there the consequences you wish the world delivered faster. Some people really don’t deserve mercy.
"Vincenzo, no!" Gianna screamed, throwing herself forward. "Please! Don't do this to her!" She fought against my hold with everything she had. "Relax, Gianna," I said quietly, pulling her firmly against my chest as she struggled to break free. Under any other circumstances, I would have loosened
"Because she's street-level waste," Vincenzo said, his voice flat, almost bored. "And she made a street-level decision." Dante released Cole, who crumpled to the floor, then swung the laptop around so we could see the screen, "I've got Mercer's footage," he said. "It lines up with his version. Cole
He straightened as much as Dante's grip allowed, fixing his attention entirely on my brother. "I know what the Capone name means. You don't poke a sleeping tiger unless you're looking to get eaten alive. Everything I did tonight was to prove my loyalty." It was convincing and logically structured.
Denise collapsed into herself, a broken, animalistic wail tearing from her throat as her head hung so low her forehead nearly touched the blood pooling beneath her. "That is the truth, Gianna!" she cried. "I was just so tired. You don't know what it's like to have people threatening to kill you eve
Alfonso moved instantly. He lunged forward, grabbing Morgan and jerking her head back until her neck strained. He jammed the barrel of his pistol into her mouth. She let out a muffled, terrified sob, her hands shaking in the air as she choked around the gun. My eyes returned to Denise, locking ont
"But right now... my only job is to make sure nobody ever hurts you again." I couldn't help her while she was pulling against the ropes still wrapped around her ankles. "Stay still." She didn't, "Raphael, please—" "I said stay still." I crouched in front of her and pulled the knife from my belt
The monitors behind me kept glowing, steady and useless. My hands stayed still. Adriano straightened slightly, like he’d said enough to get punched, “Patience is a virtue,” he muttered, almost to himself now, “Even for emotionally stunted assholes like you.” I stared at him for a long second. The
I stared at the blinking cursor on my screen, but I wasn’t seeing the numbers anymore. My fingers hovered over the keys, trembling just enough to make them click softly against each other. Vincenzo knew. If Vincenzo knew, then the game was over. He was the head of this family. I respected him more
My pulse picked up, the study doors came into view and Vincenzo pushed them open then immediately stopped. I nearly walked into his back. Adriano was sprawled across Vincenzo's chair like he paid the mortgage. His feet were resting on Vincenzo's desk. His expensive black shoes planted directly on t
Gianna ━⊰ ❦ ⊱━ A speaker sat near one of the flower beds, filling the warm afternoon air with soft piano music. The sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky, painting everything gold. And for the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn't thinking about college. Or work. Or Raphael. Or L







