FLORAThe woman’s smile was still on her lips when I slipped my gun out and pulled the trigger. I got off one clean shot in the center of her chest. She staggered back, and her red dress turned even darker because of the blood rushing from the wound, and then she dropped down on the floor like a dead weight.There was utter silence for just half a second. And then all hell broke loose.The men in the shadows started shooting at us, and soon after that, the only sound that filled the entire building was the sound of gunshots.I dropped to my knees immediately. My back hit the wall, and my heart started pounding against my ribcage. The smell of gunpowder filled the air, stinging my nose instantly.“Flora!” Dante yelled. His voice was coming from somewhere behind me. I couldn’t see him, but I could hear his boots pounding on the floor as he ran closer and closer to me. Marcus was right behind him.As soon as they got close enough, they began to return fire, and the chaos in the room in
FLORAI bent over the cribs and pressed my lips to each of my babies’ soft cheeks. “Mommy will be back before you even notice I’m gone,” I whispered, even though I knew that wasn’t true. This wasn’t the kind of mission where I could just promise a quick return. This one would be even more complicated because it was the last one. Win or lose, there would be no more after this.My mother was standing in the doorway with her arms folded over each other. Her eyes looked focused but I could see the tears in them. She had already fed the twins, and tucked in their blankets, all while trying to pretend she wasn’t terrified of this whole situation. “Go before I change my mind and lock you in this large house,” she said.I gave her a small smile. “If anyone could keep me locked up, it would definitely be you.”She shook her head. “No, you’re too much like your father. You would blow a hole in the wall before letting anyone make you do what you don’t want to do.”I didn’t answer. I just let m
DANTEFlora’s body went still after the voice spoke over the phone. I swung off the bed and walked across the room to stand beside her before she could hang up in shock. She didn’t even need to tell me who it was. I knew that voice as much as I knew my own.“Put it on speaker,” I told her, and she did.“Dante,” Lorenzo said calmly. There was no greeting and no buildup. Just my name.“I’m here,” I replied. “I’m listening.”Flora was right beside me. Her eyes were fixed on the phone like she was trying to see him through it.“I found the last piece of the puzzle,” Lorenzo continued. “The Architect wasn’t Gianni Bianchi. It’s someone else entirely.”I gripped the edge of the vanity, waiting to hear a name I knew. It was probably someone from the list of enemies branded into my memory throughout the years. But when he spoke again, it wasn’t what I expected.“It’s a woman,” he added.Flora raised her eyebrows immediately. Before I knew what was happening, my mind started sorting through m
FLORAThe first light of the morning washed over the quiet hills of Sardinia. The warm gold light spread over every edge of the new villa Dante had bought for us. The place didn’t feel like the other houses we’d ever stayed in. This one wasn’t a fortress with guards stationed at every corner. It was just… a home. A peaceful one at that.I sat on the long cream sofa by the wide open windows, holding two tiny bundles of joy against my chest. The babies were finally asleep, breathing softly, though their tiny hands were twitching every now and then. I assumed they were probably dreaming.I couldn’t stop staring at them. Maybe because, for the first time in a while, there was nothing to take them from me. No one to hurt us. And no threats either.The air smelled faintly of the ocean and something else: garlic, onions, and olive oil. My stomach growled, and I turned my head to gaze over at Dante at the stove. He was barefoot and shirtless, wearing only sweatpants that were hung low on h
MARCUSThe night air was so cold but strangely enough, the city felt too quiet. Too quiet for what had just gone down, was what I meant. I just leaned against the hood of my car outside the safehouse, staring at nothing for a while. Gianni was dead. Lorenzo was gone. Dalia… Only God knew where she was.I didn’t know if the emotion I was feet inside me was peace or just shock at the absence of gunfire.Flora and Dante had left just before sunrise. I watched them go without a word. She’d pressed her hand to my arm for a moment, giving me a look that said everything—thank you, goodbye, take care of Sofia—before she walked away. Dante didn’t look back, but then, I didn’t expect him to.Now it was on me to clean up what was left.The first call I made was to Agent Harrison. When he answered on the second ring, his voice sounded rough like he hadn’t slept in days.“It’s done,” I said.He exhaled like he’d been holding that breath for months. “We’ve already started the process. Dante Romano
FLORADante didn’t move. He just kept staring at me like his body had been frozen in place. The gun in my hand felt heavier than it should have, and I felt like it was dragging my arm down.I didn’t say a single word at first.My fingers slowly loosened around the gun until it slipped from my hand and hit the ground with a small sound. Dante was still on the floor, silently leaning against a tree like all his strength had been ripped out of him. His hands were trembling so badly that they had turned into fists all around the dirt.I wanted to go to him and comfort him. I wanted to tell him it was okay, that we’d won, and that Gianni couldn’t hurt us anymore. But I couldn’t. Not until I’d told him the truth at least.“What he said was a lie,” I finally said. My voice was soft. “All of it.”He lifted his head just enough for me to see his eyes. They weren’t angry. They weren’t even questioning. They looked so broken.“Flora…” he breathed out. His voice was hoarse, and it felt like it t