LOGIN"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
I stood silent in the darkness, my body completely still, watching her. Gianna took a frantic, shaky breath. She quickly ran her fingers through her damp hair, trying to smooth down the wild strands, and adjusted the belt of her fluffy white bathrobe. She forced her shoulders down, trying to look c
Instead, Raphael just stared at me. His eyes softened, as he reached out, his long fingers gently brushing a stray lock of dark hair away from my forehead. He tucked it behind my ear. "I could spend a thousand mornings just like this," he whispered. I went completely rigid beneath him. The br
He turned onto his side, pressing his front directly against my back. His broad, bare chest was a solid wall of heat against my spine. Then, he lifted his other arm, bringing it over my waist and pulling me backward until there was absolutely no space left between us. He tucked me in close. I was
The cold, empty space in my chest suddenly felt too big to carry alone. I didn't want to be alone in the dark anymore. I didn't want to think about Leone, or my father, or the jumbled words in my head. I just wanted to feel warm. I wanted to feel real. Slowly, I pushed myself up from the footstool







