MasukEve squeezed his hands."Then let's understand it," Eve said simply. "Together."Eve was still holding his hands when Dimitri's phone began to ring.He looked at the screen. The caller ID showed a private number, but Dimitri recognized it immediately. He'd seen that number rarely over the months. He'd spoken to that person even more rarely.His father.Antonio was calling.Dimitri released Eve's hands and picked up the phone."Father," Dimitri said,Eve watched Dimitri's face as he listened to whatever his father was saying on the other end of the line.She watched his face from where she stood a few feet away, still processing the poison, still processing everything. She saw the shift in him immediately, the way his jaw set, the way his shoulders squared, the way every muscle in his body seemed to brace itself for something.Antonio's voice came through, flat and controlled, with no greeting attached to it."One of my people intercepted intelligence tonight," Antonio said. "The Coven
POV: EVE The gala was everything a charity event in Manhattan should be.Crystal chandeliers caught light and threw it across the ballroom in dancing patterns. The orchestra played something classical and elegant. The crowd was impeccably dressed, the kind of people who wore wealth like other people wore skin. Waiters moved through with champagne and hors d'oeuvres. Conversations happened in that carefully modulated tone that suggested money and power speaking to money and power.Eve looked perfect.She wore a navy gown that moved like water, her dark hair swept to one side, her makeup executed with the precision of someone who understood that appearance was sometimes strategy. She held a champagne flute and smiled at people she'd never met before, understanding her role in this particular performance of Dimitri's world.She was exactly what Dimitri needed her to be in this moment: composed, elegant, confident.Dimitri was across the ballroom, speaking with a city councilman about so
Because if she was dead, if The Covenant killed her, then she was gone forever. And Dante would never have the satisfaction of seeing Dimitri suffer because of the pain he had personally infilted on him. He'd never have the victory of proving his superiority. He'd never have the moment where Dimitri understood that he was the stronger man.She'd just be dead.And he would be left holding nothing but the knowledge that he'd been used. That he was a tool. That his personal vendetta had been hijacked by an organization with far larger ambitions and far less mercy.***The knock on the door came at 12:47 AM."Yeah," Dante called out, pulling himself back into focus.Luca entered, his expression alert but not alarmed. He'd learned over years of working with Dante to read the difference between operational stress and personal crisis."You okay?" Luca asked."Did The Covenant call you?" Dante asked instead of answering."No," Luca said. "They called you?"Dante nodded slowly, and Luca immedi
"Tell me what happened today," the voice on the other end said.Dante's mind raced. Had they already heard about the extraction attempt? How fast was their intelligence network?"The extraction operation in New York was executed this morning," Dante said carefully. "It was designed to test Dimitri's security infrastructure. To probe for vulnerabilities.""It was reckless," the voice said flatly. "It was exactly the kind of move that draws attention we don't need right now."Dante felt something defensive rise in his chest."It was strategic," Dante countered. "We established that we can reach his woman. We proved that his defenses are vulnerable. We demonstrated that I'm a threat he needs to take seriously now that I have your backing.""You demonstrated that you're impulsive," the voice said coldly. "You demonstrated that you're willing to escalate on your own timeline instead of following operational parameters. You demonstrated that you don't fully understand the level at which we
*DIMITRI'S OFFICE AT SINNERS*Dimitri was going through the club records when his phone rang.He picked up the phone and saw that it was a call from Marco. Dimitri knows that Marco doesn't call unless the situation was serious, so he piked the call immediately. "Marco" Dimitri said."We had an extraction attempt," Marco said without preamble. "It was well coordinated and professional with multiple vehicles, it was perfectly timed accident to create separation opportunity. We neutralized the threat and secured Eve. She's in safe house Delta. Physically unharmed but traumatized."Dimitri felt something go absolutely cold inside him."Details," he said flatly."Upper West Side. Intersection near the restaurant. Delivery truck ran a red light, created traffic obstruction. Black sedan attempted to separate her vehicle. Our team responded immediately. We maintained protective envelope and extracted her to the safe house. No shots fired. No pursuit past the initial attempt.""Who?" Dimitri
"Exactly," Enzo confirmed. "And that means when Dante moves against you, when he takes Brooklyn, when he escalates against your operations, he's not just a criminal using The Covenant's resources. He's essentially an agent of a government-backed organization. He has federal resources behind him. He has international government support."Dimitri was quiet for a very long moment."Is Dr. Castellano still in his ministry position?" Dimitri asked."Yes," Enzo said. "Full authority, full access, full protection. Anyone who asks questions about him gets transferred away from Rome.""So he's untouchable," Dimitri said."As untouchable as someone can be when they're a government official," Enzo said. "But that also means he's visible. We know who he is. We know what he's doing. We know the facility exists.""Can you get more intelligence on the facility?" Dimitri asked. "Equipment, personnel, research projects beyond the enhancement protocol?""I can try," Enzo said. "But I need to be careful







