CHAPTER FIVE

Antonio came at him hard.

A heavy right hand cut through the air, but Leo slipped it by inches.

A few startled cheers rose from the crowd.

Leo moved lightly, circling, waiting.

Antonio swung again.

Leo ducked beneath it, then drove two quick punches into Antonio's body before snapping a third into his cheek.

Antonio's head jerked back. A few gasps rose from the crowd.

For a split second, he stood still, blinking away the impact.

Then he came back harder, forcing Leo across the ring with a sharp combination. Leo blocked the first two, slipped the third, then drove a punch into Antonio's ribs.

 “Come on!” Kayla shouted.

I found myself leaning forward.

Leo was fast.

Not reckless.

Every movement seemed calculated.

The crowd roared.

For a moment, they moved almost perfectly in sync—strike, block, dodge, counter.

Then Antonio caught Leo with a vicious hook.

The sound of the impact cut through the noise.

Leo staggered.

And before he could recover, Antonio struck again.

The crowd changed instantly.

Leo stumbled.

My stomach dropped.

Antonio charged.

Another punch landed.

Then another.

Leo blocked one, slipped another, but Antonio's size was beginning to wear him down.

“Leo!” someone screamed.

Antonio drove him backward.

Leo tried to counter.

Antonio's fist connected cleanly.

Leo crashed to the canvas.

The warehouse erupted—cheers, gasps, and shouts colliding from every side.

 “Come on,” I whispered.

The referee started counting.

“One!”

Leo didn't move.

“Two!”

My heart began to race for some strange reasons.

I unconsciously reached for Kayla's hand and held it tightly, my eyes fixed on the ring.

 “Three!”

Antonio backed away, raising his arms.

“Four!”

“Five!”

Leo's fingers twitched.

“Six!”

He rolled onto one elbow.

“Seven!”

The crowd screamed.

“Eight!”

Leo pushed himself up.

“Nine!”

He stood.

The warehouse went insane. A breath I hadn't realized I was holding escaped me as he pushed himself off the canvas.

For one strange second, his eyes found mine.

His face was a bit flushed, blood at the corner of his lip and his breathing came hard and uneven. But his eyes were steady. He wasn't finished.

The referee waved them on.

Antonio came at him again, throwing a heavy right. Leo slipped to the side just in time. Another punch followed.

Leo ducked beneath it, but Antonio's glove grazed his shoulder, sending a jolt through him. Leo stepped back, breathing hard.

Antonio wasn't as fast anymore. Neither of them was.

Antonio charged again, trying to corner him. Leo waited. At the last second, he shifted to the side, letting Antonio's momentum carry him forward. Leo drove a short punch into his ribs.

Antonio grunted.

Leo followed with another. Then another.

The crowd erupted.

Antonio staggered back, but swung again. Leo ducked.

A second later, Antonio's guard dropped for just a moment. Leo saw it.

He stepped in and landed a clean punch against Antonio's jaw. Antonio's head snapped sideways. His legs wavered.

Leo didn't rush him. He kept his fists raised, breathing hard as he watched Antonio struggle to regain his balance.

Antonio tried to take another step forward. His legs gave way. He dropped to his knees, catching himself with one glove against the canvas.

Leo followed.

One.

Two.

Three.

The final punch sent him crashing to the canvas. The referee rushed forward. The crowd exploded.

Leo stood there for a moment, breathing hard, before stepping away.

The referee raised his arm.

Leo had won.

The crowd erupted around him, but somehow, I barely heard any of it.

For a brief moment, our eyes met across the ring.

Neither of us looked away.

There was something about the way he looked at me that made me forget what I was supposed to be doing.

Then Kayla said something beside me, and I finally blinked, breaking the moment.

 “Drinks?” Kayla asked.

I nodded, but before I could turn away, my eyes drifted back toward the ring.

Leo was still looking at me. Cold. Almost dangerous.

For another second, our eyes held.

Then, just as quickly, a hot blonde hurried toward him.

She threw her arms around him.

Leo caught her easily, wrapping his arms around her as they hugged.

Strangely, something inside me sank.

Of course.

A man like that probably had someone waiting for him.

I looked away.

It wasn't like I knew him. Whatever.

 “Come on,” Kayla said, tugging my arm.

The music grew louder near the bar.

Kayla handed me a drink.

“To Italy.”

I smiled.

“To Italy.”

We clinked glasses.

I took a small sip.

Kayla stared at me.

“That's it?”

“I don't drink much.”

“Then tonight is a good night to start.”

“That is terrible advice.”

“I'm a terrible influence.”

She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the crowd.

Soon we were dancing.

For the first time in years, I wasn't thinking about my father.

Or Justin.

Or the wedding.

Or the Adams name.

I was simply Alicia.

A girl dancing with her best friend in a crowded warehouse.

A few men tried to get my attention. I politely turned them down at first.

But after another drink, I found myself laughing more easily.

Then Kayla's phone buzzed.

She looked at it.

Her eyes widened.

“Oh my God.”

“What?”

“I forgot Mrs. Florence!”

I laughed.

“You forgot?”

“Don't laugh!”

She quickly grabbed her bag and started searching for her keys.

“I promised I'd pick up a bottle of olive oil for her daughter. She's flying out tomorrow morning.”

“You completely forgot.”

“I completely forgot.”

She finally found the keys.

“I'll come with you.”

“No.”

I frowned. “What?”

“You stay.”

She placed the keys in my hand.

“I'll be quick. Her apartment is on the way home anyway. Go back whenever you want. I'll meet you there.”

I looked down at the keys, then back at her.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

She leaned in and kissed my cheek.

“And don't let any Italian man convince you to run away with him.”

I laughed.

“Too late for that.”

She gave me a look.

“Very funny.”

Then she disappeared into the crowd.

I stayed.

Maybe it was the music.

Maybe the alcohol.

Or maybe it was the relief of being somewhere nobody knew me.

I danced. I laughed with strangers.

For a few minutes, I forgot everything.

Then I saw Leo. He was heading toward a side exit. Something about him had changed. Tense. Alert. He glanced over his shoulder once. Then again.

The relaxed look he'd worn after the fight was gone. He looked like someone trying not to be noticed. I watched him disappear through the exit.

Something tightened in my stomach. I didn't know why.

I finished my drink. I needed sleep.

*

Outside, the cool air hit my face. The streets were quieter now. It was already late.

I had spent my first day in Italy watching a boxing match and partying. I laughed to myself. Who would have thought.

I slipped Kayla's keys into my bag and started walking.

The night replayed itself in my mind.

The fight.

The crowd.

The music.

Leo.

I shook my head.

Why was I thinking of a man I didn’t even know.

Get a grip Alicia

I turned onto a quieter street, trying to remember the way back to Kayla's house.

Then I heard footsteps.

Behind me.

Fast.

I slowed.

The footsteps grew louder.

Then came shouting.

“Prendetelo!

 I turned. My heart stopped.

Leo.

He came around the corner at a run.

But this wasn't the controlled fighter I'd watched in the ring.

He was breathing hard, a black hoodie pulled over his shirt, the hood bouncing against his back as he ran. His face was still a little bit bruised, and he kept glancing over his shoulder.

Three men were chasing him.

One of them held something metallic in his hand.

A weapon.

My body reacted before my mind did. I stepped back and pressed myself against the wall.

Leo ran past. The men followed.

I should have stayed hidden. I should have let them go.

Then Leo stumbled.

Only for a second. But it was enough.

The men were closing in. I looked around desperately.

Then I spotted a small delivery scooter parked beside a shop. A helmet hung from one of the handlebars.

My heart hammered. I didn't know who it belonged to.

I didn't know if I was about to make the stupidest decision of my life.

But I couldn't just stand there.

I ran toward it.

A memory flashed through my mind.

China.

I had been twenty when my mother and I spent a month at our vacation home. One of the gardeners kept a small motorbike near the back of the property.

I'd begged him to teach me.

At first, he'd laughed.

Eventually, he'd given in.

For weeks, whenever my mother was busy, I'd sneak outside and practice.

Balance. Turning. Braking.

Eventually, riding.

It had been one of the few things I'd ever done simply because I wanted to.

I hadn't touched a motorbike since.

But my body remembered.

I grabbed the helmet, climbed onto the scooter, and turned the key.

The engine roared to life.

I flinched.

The scooter lurched forward, and I nearly lost my balance.

“Come on…”

I steadied myself, twisted the throttle, and shot down the street.

Leo was still ahead.

The men were almost on him.

I pulled up beside him.

He turned.

His eyes widened.

“What the hell—?”

“GET ON!”