LOGINValeria I grabbed Lorenzo’s hand—carefully, so careful not to press on the fresh bruises or pull at the bandages—and dragged him a few steps away from the open front door, around the corner of the house where the old lemon tree blocked us from view. My heart hammered so hard I felt it in my throat. Every second out here felt like a risk, like the driver’s eyes might follow us, like Dante’s reach might already be stretching across the city.“I’m working on it,” I whispered, voice tight and urgent. “I’ve been keeping him updated on everything. And I’m not stopping until we get him back.”Lorenzo’s good eye searched my face. His voice came out hoarse. “What if Dante finds out?”“He won’t.”He shook his head slowly, wincing. “You sound so certain, Val. But what if he does? What if he already suspects something? You saw how he looked at me in that room. How he dragged Marco in like evidence. What if—”“It doesn’t matter,” I cut in, sharper than I meant to. The words burned on the way out.
ValeriaLorenzo leaned heavily against me as we climbed out of the car. His arm was slung over my shoulders, his steps slow and unsteady, every breath still ragged from the pain he refused to admit. I kept my grip firm around his waist, supporting most of his weight while he tried to walk like he wasn’t half-broken. The driver held the back door open until we were both clear, then shut it quietly behind us.We approached the front steps of the old house together—my house, once. The same chipped blue paint on the railing, the same cracked flowerpot by the door that no one ever fixed. Lorenzo’s breathing grew shallower the closer we got. I could feel the tremor in his body, the way he tried not to wince with each step.The front door flew open before we even reached it.My mother rushed out with her hair loose, eyes red-rimmed, apron still tied around her waist like she’d been in the middle of something domestic and frantic.She didn’t look at me.Not once.She barreled straight for Lor
Valeria My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I thought it might crack them. Every beat echoed louder in my ears, faster, wilder, as if my body already knew what my mind refused to accept. Dante stood there like a statue carved from ice and fury, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the hooded figure between his men. Only God—and Dante—knew who was under that black bag. Only they knew what fresh hell he was about to drag into this room. I couldn’t breathe right. My fingers dug into Lorenzo’s blanket, anchoring me to the bed while everything else spun. Nico stepped forward without a word. His hands moved to the knot at the prisoner’s neck. One sharp tug and the bag came off. Marco. The bar owner blinked against the sudden light, face pale and streaked with sweat and dirt. His graying hair stuck to his forehead in damp clumps. His mouth opened and closed like a fish pulled from water. He took in the room—the bandages on Lorenzo, the doctor frozen in the corner, me standing rigid be
Dante I couldn’t sit still.The moment the door slammed behind me, the hallway felt too narrow, and the air too thick. I leaned my back against the wall outside her room, with my arms crossed tight over my chest like that could hold everything in. My heart was still hammering from what we’d almost done—what I’d almost let myself do.She’d been gone for hours.No call. No message. No trace. Just vanished into the night after that question as though I was the enemy instead of the man who’d built walls around her to keep the world out. I’d paced around this house like a caged animal, checking cameras, calling men, and barking orders until my throat burned. Every minute she didn’t walk through that door felt like a knife twisting deeper.And then she had.Stepping out of that black car like nothing had happened, eyes blazing, chin high, carrying the scent of danger and secrets on her skin.I’d wanted to drag her into my arms right there in front of everyone. Shake her. Kiss her. Demand a
Valeria I couldn’t think. Not clearly. Not at all. My entire body was liquid heat, with every nerve singing under Dante’s mouth. His tongue moved in slow, deliberate circles between my thighs, then flattened hard against my clit before he sucked—gentle at first, then firmer, pulling the swollen bud between his lips until my hips jerked off the mattress. God. I was floating. Higher than cloud nine—somewhere beyond it, weightless, dizzy, and drunk on the way he devoured me like I was the only thing that mattered in his world. My fingers twisted into the sheets, my knuckles were white, trying to anchor myself while pleasure rolled through me in relentless waves. Every pull of his mouth sent sparks racing up my spine. And every flick of his tongue made my toes curl. I lost focus completely. My hands shot to his hair instead. Thick, dark strands slid between my fingers as I gripped hard and yanked him closer, burying his face deeper into my soaked pussy. He groaned against me,
ValeriaThe black car came to a halt in front of the mansion, with its headlights cutting through the deepening dusk. I didn’t wait for the driver. I opened the door myself and stepped out into the cool night air that brushed against my bare arms and raised goosebumps along my skin. My pulse hadn’t slowed since I left that cold warehouse, and since the old man’s words had carved themselves into my mind like a brand. I walked up the wide stone steps, with my heels striking each one with deliberate force, and pushed open the heavy double doors without pausing.The foyer was shadowed, lit only by the low glow of wall sconces. From the living room beyond came the low murmur of male voices on orders given in clipped tones, the rustle of papers, and the faint metallic click of a gun being checked. Dante’s voice sliced through the rest, calm, controlled, and lethal.“Perimeter stays sealed. No exceptions. And I want every name on that manifest verified by morning. If anyone so much as breath
Valeria“Answer me, Valeria.”My mother’s voice cut through the room again. She repeated the question slowly, clearly enjoying the weight of it.“Do you regret it?” she asked. “Do you regret where our decision landed you?”I stared at her, my hands shaking at my sides. Before I could speak, Dante s
Valeria“What the hell?” Dante shouted.The car stopped hard, and my body pushed forward as I grabbed the seat fast so I would not fall. Before could ask anything, Dante opened his door and rushed out.“Stay here, Val!” he yelled.But I did not stay. I opened my door fast and came out too. The driv
ValeriaThe moment my mother slapped me, the room went silent. My cheek burned, but I did not say anything. Before I could talk, my mother suddenly began crying. Her tears came out fast and messy. She stumbled toward the couch where my father lay and dropped to her knees beside him.“Where have you
Valeria“You need to understand something first,” Marco said as he wiped his hands on a cloth. “Your brother hardly comes here.”I stared at him. “What?”He nodded. “Lorenzo is not the one who spends time here. It’s your father.”My chest tightened. “That’s not possible. He told me he was sick.”Ma







