ログインGIOVANNI’S POV"Arya," I said softly, stopping in my tracks. "It's okay. You're safe now. I'm not going to hurt you.""You came," she whispered. Her voice was barely audible. "You actually came.""Of course I came." I took another slow step, treating her like a skittish animal that might bolt at any moment. "I've been looking for you for three months. Did you really think I wouldn't come the second I knew where you were?"Tears spilled down her cheeks. "I thought… I wasn't sure if you would come.""I'm here." I took another step. "And I'm taking you home. Both of you."I was close enough now to see the split lip, it was mostly healed but still visible. I didn’t miss the finger-shaped bruises on her arms. Or the way she held the baby protectively, like she expected someone to try to take him.The rage that had been simmering for months exploded into white-hot fury. Marco had terrorized her and reduced her to this fragile, broken version of herself.My fingers curled into a tight fist
GIOVANNI’S POVThe coordinates Arya had given me were burned into my mind.It was a remote and isolated location in the mountains in South America… exactly where Marco would take someone he wanted to keep hidden.I sat in the private plane, my leg bouncing with nervous energy, unable to sit still. My mind kept replaying her voice on that phone call.After nearly losing her. I was now less than an hour away from having her back."You need to calm down," Enzo said from across the cabin. "You're going to give yourself a heart attack before we even land.""I can't." My hands clenched and unclenched reflexively. "What if she's hurt? What if Marco already found her?""You told her to stay somewhere safe," Enzo reminded me. "I’m sure she took that advice.” The thought of Arya hiding somewhere in fear of not getting to be caught made my chest ache. Was she even fine? How did she manage to escape Marco?Behind us, ten of our best men with their weapons ready. We had kept the team small deli
ARYA’S POV"That's better," Marco murmured. "See? This doesn't have to be unpleasant."He kissed me, his hands roaming my body. He squeezed my breast and pinched my nipple. I kissed him back, my stomach churning with revulsion."I'll give you everything," he promised between kisses. "A life in paradise. Everything you could want.""What about Dante?" I managed to say.He pulled back, his eyes glazed with lust. "What about him?""Where is he? You said he was here." I whispered coyly. He smirked. "End of the hallway. Room on the right. There's a nanny with him." Marco pulled back slightly. "See? I keep my promises. Now, let me keep loving you."He kissed me again, deeper this time.My hand moved slowly, toward where I had hidden the knife in the pile of my discarded clothes."I used to love you, you know," I whispered against his mouth.Marco pulled back, surprised. "Really?""Yes, when we were young. Before all of this." My fingers closed around the knife handle. "I used to think you
ARYA’S POVBut Giovanni didn't even know where I was. He didn’t know what plane I was on or where it was going.I was alone. The realization made me cry until I was completely exhausted. Despite the terror, my body simply gave up. My eyes closed against my will, and I sank into a fitful, nightmare-filled sleep.A sharp pain across my face jerked me awake.Marco stood over me, his hand raised for another slap. "Wake up. We've landed."I blinked groggily, and through the window, I could see tarmac and buildings. A small airport, nothing like the major ones I had flown through before."Where are we?" My voice was hoarse.He smirked. "Somewhere the Valentis will never find you." He bent down and untied my ankles, though he left my hands bound. "Now, you're going to walk off this plane quietly and get in the car. Understood?""Where's Dante?" I asked instead. He answered gruffly. "He's already been taken to the house.""What?” I screeched in panic. “No! I need to see him! Has he been fe
ARYA’S POVI was having flashes of everything that had happened. The gunshot, the screams, the smell of burning tires.And Dante… my innocent baby boy who had somehow gotten wrapped in all of this. With a loud gasp, I jolted awake but instantly regretted it because a stabbing pain rushed through my entire body.“God!” I groaned, shutting my eyes but it was too late already.The damage was done. There was a sharp, throbbing pain in my temple where Marco had hit me. And an aching pain in my ankle where the bullet had torn through.And underneath it all, was a bone-deep terror that made everything else fade to background noise.I tried to move and couldn't.My eyes flew open again, panic rising to my throat as I realized my hands were bound behind my back. My ankles were tied together with rough rope that bit into my skin.And I was on a plane. I eyed the plush leather seats, the bright harsh lights and the smell of something floral in the air. The memory of Marco standing over me w
GIOVANNI’S POVThe name rang a bell instantly. It was a private airfield, and it should be forty-five minutes north of the city."When?"Enzo checked his watch. "If they left here right after the call and they had to have, given the timeline, they'd be arriving at the airfield right about now."Hope and terror warred in my chest. "How fast can we get there?"Enzo shook his head. "If we leave right now? I’ll say thirty minutes at best.""Make it twenty. Move!" I snatched the paper from his hold and stormed out of the house, my heart pounding in anticipation. The rest of the team were ordered to follow behind us. I didn’t know what to expect at the airport but I wanted us to be prepared. We were catching Marco and we were catching him today. In a bluer, we flew through the city with out sirens blaring, and the team following in convoy. Enzo was on the phone coordinating with local police, getting us clearance to use emergency lanes.I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles
GIOVANNI’S POVI closed the bedroom door behind me and leaned against it, pressing my palms flat against the wood.My hands were still shaking and I looked down at them, staring at the fingers that had been wrapped around Arya's throat not twenty minutes ago and felt something crack inside my chest
ARYA’S POVI pulled the duvet up, acutely aware of every movement. The bed dipped as Giovanni settled beside me, and suddenly the mattress felt much smaller than it had moments ago.We lay there in silence, both staring at the ceiling like it held the answers to questions we didn't know how to ask.
GIOVANNI’S POVI watched Arya flip the coin with an intensity that was probably excessive for a simple game, but something about seeing her like this made warmth spread through my chest.The coin spun in the air, catching the cabin lights, and landed on the table between us.Tails.Her face fell im
ARYA’S POV"What? Why!?” I could barely keep my voice low. Giovanni just shrugged. “We can stay here anymore.”“We can't stay here anymore?" I repeated, my voice rising with disbelief. "But… but we just got here""We've been here for weeks," Giovanni interrupted. “Besides, this was supposed to be







