INICIAR SESIÓNDONATELLA'S POVThe gallery was dead on Tuesday afternoons which was fine because it gave me time to actually curate instead of schmoozing with collectors who thought knowing three artists' names made them experts.I was reorganizing the contemporary section when Leilani appeared again for the third time this week with that look she got when she was about to meddle."So," she said, leaning against a display case. "Has he called?" She raised her brows."Who?" I feigned ignorance like I didn't know who she was referring to."Julian.” She rolled her eyes. “The hot British guy from the cafe. The one who looked exactly like—" She stopped then frowned. "I still can't place it but he looked like someone I'm supposed to know.""He hasn't called yet.” Not like I wanted him to call in any way. “It's only been a day.""A day is long enough.” Leilani retorted. “If he's interested, he calls. If he's not, he doesn't. This is dating 101."Yeah, the same dating 101 that almost ruined my life the las
LORENZO'S POVThe call from Jovani ended and I stood there holding Jovan's phone like it was a live grenade.Jovan was pressed against the counter, his face white and he was looking like he wanted to disappear into the floor."He knows where we are," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "He knows—""He knows nothing." I moved over and pulled him close. "He's guessing and just throwing darts hoping one hits.""Lorenzo, he gave the address—""Which he could have gotten from dozens of sources, property records, surveillance or Informants. It doesn't mean he can get to us. This place is secure with cameras, guards and biometric locks. He'd need an army to get through.""He has an army. He has—" Jovan pulled away then started pacing. "He's been planning this for fifteen years. Fifteen years, Lorenzo. While I was building my company, living my life, he was plotting and becoming whatever he is now. I didn't even know he was alive.""That's not your fault." I tried to hold him but he sh
JOVANI'S POVThe cafe encounter had been perfect because Donatella had been way too clueless.She had looked at me like I was exactly what I pretended to be—charming, successful, harmless. She even gave me her number without hesitation and even smiled when I flirted like she wasn't Lorenzo Vittorini's sister and I wasn't the man planning to destroy her entire world.Amateur hour, truly.I walked into my warehouse office that was a converted industrial space up town and felt the familiar ache in my left leg. The cerebral palsy never went away, it just ebbed and flowed. Some days manageable, on others excruciating.Today was excruciating.I dropped into my chair, and reached for the bottle of OxyContin 40mg in my deskIt'd been technically prescribed for pain management and it was not supposed to be taken with the Adderall I'd already swallowed this morning.But technically didn't mean shit when your leg felt like someone was driving nails through the muscle.I dry-swallowed two pills,
DONATELLA'S POVMy brother was lying to me.I could tell because twenty-eight years of knowing Lorenzo meant I knew all his tells. The slight pause before answering. The way his voice went was just a fraction too controlled.Something had happened and it was bad enough that he was hiding in a safe house with a man I'd never heard of.Elias? Partner? Since when?Lorenzo didn't do partners or relationships or anything that required vulnerability which means that either this Elias was very special or Lorenzo had completely lost his mind.It was either the former or latter, possibly both.I sat in CAFÉ NOIR nursing an espresso and trying not to spiral into worst-case scenarios. Leilani was across from me, scrolling through her phone, occasionally looking up to gauge whether I was about to have a breakdown."He said he's fine," she said for the third time in ten minutes."He's lying.""How do you know?""Because I know Lorenzo and when he says 'it's complicated' it means 'someone tried to
JOVAN'S POVWe made it downstairs and I made Lorenzo sit at the kitchen island.I started pulling things out of the fridge; Eggs, butter, cheese and bread that was slightly stale but toastable. The basics of a meal cobbled together from whatever Carlos had stocked."You don't have to do this," Lorenzo said."Do what? Feed you? Pretty sure that's exactly what I have to do. You're recovering so you need every protein or calorie. All that good stuff that makes bullet holes close.""I have staff for this.""Your staff isn't here." I cracked eggs into a bowl. "Besides, I can cook, sort of. Foster care teaches you the basics—eggs, pasta, anything you can make with three ingredients and no supervision."He was quiet for a moment. Then: "You don't talk about it much. Foster care.""Not much to talk about. The system's broken and everyone knows it so talking about it doesn't fix it.""But you were there. From when to when?"I whisked the eggs harder than necessary. "Fourteen to eighteen. In fo
Jovan's POVAn hour later while Lorenzo was still fast asleep, Carlos delivered the clothes himself because he didn't want to take any chances.I took the bag upstairs, setting them down in a corner while I stared at how peaceful his face looked.I would watch him for hours if I wasn't acutely aware that staring at your boyfriend while he sleeps crosses the line from romantic to creepy somewhere around the fifteen-minute mark.My phone said it was 11 am. We slept for three hours straight. Apparently nearly dying was exhausting. Who knew?My stomach growled loud enough that Lorenzo stirred."What time is it?" His voice was rough."Almost afternoon. We slept through breakfast.""Mm. 'M still tired.""You should get up now, you've not had a shower and I need to check your bandages.”Like a defiant child, he shook his head and held on tight to the pillow. “I don't want to get up.”I kissed his forehead. "Shut up. You're stuck with me so better deal with it."He almost smiled. "Bossy.""So
ETHAN'S POVThe wound in my side was still bleeding not too much but it still made the bandage warm and wet under my shirt.It was a reminder that I'd barely survived the warehouse, that the trap I'd set for Lorenzo had backfired spectacularly, that I should be in a hospital instead of standing out
Jovan's POVThis kiss was slower and deeper. He walked me backward until my spine hit the wall, his body pinning me there, all that controlled strength pressed against me.I bit his bottom lip. He groaned, deep and rough, the sound going straight to my cock."Bedroom," he muttered against my mouth.
JOVAN'S POVI'd been home from the office for like two hours and Lorenzo was not back. I knew I shouldn't have told him about Leilani calling.“What if she did something to him?” I ran a hand through my hair while pacing back and forth.“No,” I stopped. Lorenzo's much smarter than I am and wouldn't
LORENZO'S POVI decided to pay Leilani a visit to have a nice conversation with her and also tell her to leave Jovan alone.She was at the hotel bar when I found her, just sitting there in a green dress with her injured arm in a sling and a glass of white wine, talking to the bartender like she had







