LOGINAuthor's POV Vito kicked the front door shut and carried Zoya straight down the hallway, his good arm wrapped firmly under her ass, holding her against him. She had assumed they were both exhausted after the long night. All she wanted was to get him cleaned up and into bed so he could rest his injured arm.“Vito, put me down,” she said softly as he pushed open the bathroom door. “You’re going to hurt yourself. The doctor said no straining—”“I’ve got you,” he replied, voice low and rough, already stepping into the large walk-in shower with her still in his arms.Zoya’s eyes widened as he turned the water on. “Wait, I thought we were just taking a bath…” Warm water began cascading over them, soaking her dress and his clothes. She placed a gentle hand on his chest, careful not to press near his bandaged right arm. “Vito no, you’re hurt. We shouldn’t—”Vito silenced her with a deep kiss, pinning her back against the cool tiled wall. His good hand slid up her thigh, pushing her wet d
Vito’s POVRossi had escaped, but I wasn’t going to let him live. He’d made the wrong decision coming after me. First, though, I needed to make sure my injured men received the care they deserved.“Malcolm took a bullet to the arm,” Zoya informed me. She had refused to go back home, insisting on staying until I was stitched up perfectly.“Cyriel is already handling his injuries.” Cyriel was our doctor. She worked exclusively for us, and I made sure she was paid handsomely for it. Her father had been my father’s doctor, and their family had cared for ours medically for generations. In return, we provided for them financially.“Can I see how bad your injury is?” Zoya asked, her voice soft with concern.Without a word, I peeled off my blood-stained shirt. The fabric clung wetly to my skin, heavy with the metallic scent of blood. Zoya gasped, her fingers hovering just above the wound, trembling as they brushed the air near it but never quite touching the raw flesh.The bullet had only
**Zoya's POV**The windshield exploded inward.I threw my arms over my face as glass rained down across the seat, tiny shards biting into my forearms like teeth. The car lurched violently backward, Malcolm wrestling the wheel with both hands, his jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscles jumping in his neck."Stay down, Miss Zoya, stay down!"I couldn't, I couldn't stay down.Through the smoke and the strobing chaos of muzzle fire, I could see Vito. He was moving through the carnage like something that didn't belong to the ordinary world vaulting crates, putting men in the ground, using bodies as cover without flinching. His left arm was dark with blood. Even from here I could see it running off his fingers, dripping black in the dock lights.My heart was doing something violent and unmanageable inside my chest."Malcolm, he's bleeding...""He's fine." The words came out clipped. I know he was just as scared as I was but he was just trying to cover it.Another explosion rocked
**Zoya's POV**The windshield exploded inward.I threw my arms over my face as glass rained down across the seat, tiny shards biting into my forearms like teeth. The car lurched violently backward, Malcolm wrestling the wheel with both hands, his jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscles jumping in his neck."Stay down, Miss Zoya, stay down!"I couldn't, I couldn't stay down.Through the smoke and the strobing chaos of muzzle fire, I could see Vito. He was moving through the carnage like something that didn't belong to the ordinary world vaulting crates, putting men in the ground, using bodies as cover without flinching. His left arm was dark with blood. Even from here I could see it running off his fingers, dripping black in the dock lights.My heart was doing something violent and unmanageable inside my chest."Malcolm, he's bleeding...""He's fine." The words came out clipped. I know he was just as scared as I was but he was just trying to cover it.Another explosion rocked
Vito’s POV“Are you sure you want to come with me to the port?” I asked for the umpteenth time. Zoya nodded, just as she had three minutes ago.“I don’t want you there, Zoya. This is my first time working with Mrs. De La Cruz. I don’t trust her yet, so I’m not confident this transaction will go smoothly. Why don’t you stay back? In the evening, I’ll take you to my casino. How about that?” I tried to negotiate, but she shook her head stubbornly.“I don’t want that. I want to come with you,” she argued.With no other choice, I reluctantly accepted, letting her tag along.Malcolm drove us through the dimly lit streets toward the port. The scent of saltwater and diesel hung heavy in the cool night air. My men were already waiting, some hidden in the shadows of towering shipping containers as always. “Wait for me in here with Malcolm,” I instructed, my voice firm and low. “Make sure she stays inside the car, no matter what.” My tone turned especially stern when I looked at Malcolm.I l
Zoya’s POVThe cool evening breeze rushed against my face as I clung to the back of Vittoria’s powerful motorcycle. The wind whipped through my hair and soothed my heated skin, a welcome contrast to the anger still simmering inside me. Benito and Vera had really hit a nerve.“Where do you want me to drop you, Zoya? Vito’s or your dad’s?” Vittoria asked, her voice raised over the roar of the engine.“Vito’s,” I shouted back. “I’ll make it up to Emelia tomorrow. If I go to Dad’s now, she might throw a fit later, and I don’t want her nanny to suffer. It’s only a matter of time before Vito gets tired of me and throws me out anyway.”“What if you both end up falling in love?” Vittoria teased. “I’ve seen how Vito looks at you. I think it’s possible.”I knew that would never happen, yet her words planted a dangerous little seed in my mind. *What would my life be like if Vito actually fell in love with me?* Disastrous, probably. Chaotic. Beautiful in ways I wasn’t ready to imagine.“I doubt







