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The gunshots still rang in Ava’s ears.She stared at the woman in the doorway—elegant, dangerous, holding a smoking gun like it was a fashion accessory. Behind Carissa, two bodies lay twisted on the marble floor, blood spreading in dark pools that reflected the morning light.“Carissa.” Dario’s voice was flat, emotionless. “You always did know how to make an entrance.”“And you always did underestimate me.” She stepped over one of the corpses without looking down, designer heels clicking against marble. “Though I have to say, this little domestic scene is touching. Very soap opera.” Dario carefully dragged Ava behind him, her heart hammering. This wasn't a rescue. This was something much worse.“Let me guess,” Dario continued, his gaze locked on Leandro . “You led him here. Promised him you would help get his precious fiancée back.” “Among other things.” Carissa lit a cigarette with her free hand, the gun never wavering. “Poor Leandro. So eager to play hero. So easy to manipulate.

Dario froze, feeling the air escape his lungs. "We are even."He stared at Ava, searching her face for some sign that she didn't mean it—that the pain medication was talking, that shock was making her say things she might regret later. But her eyes were clear, determined, and completely serious."What do you mean?" His voice came out rougher than he intended."You and I... we don't owe each other anything anymore." She shifted slightly against the pillows, wincing. "Please, I just want to go home."The silence stretched between them, filled only by the steady beep of monitors and the sound of his world tilting off its axis. After taking a bullet meant for him, after he had watched her nearly die in his arms—she wanted to leave."Ava, listen to me—""No, I need you to listen." Her voice was stronger now, though he could see the effort it cost her. "I saved your life, you saved mine. We're... we're square now. Even. Whatever this is between us, it has to end here.""This isn't about ke

“Are you out of your mind?”Riley Martinez paced around Leandro’s apartment like a caged animal, her detective badge swinging from the lanyard around her neck. For two weeks now, she had been showing up at his door with the same lecture, the same frustrated energy, the same disbelief that he had walked into Dario Santos’ building and lived to tell about it.“Riley, we have been over this a hundred times,” Leandro said from his position on the couch, laptop balanced on his knees. He wasn’t really working, and hadn't been able to focus on anything since that morning at Santos building, but pretending to be busy was easier than dealing with Riley’s concern.“And we will go over it a hundred more times until it sinks into that thick skull of yours.” She stopped pacing and planted herself in front of him, hands on her hips. “You walked into a known criminal’s penthouse. Alone. With no backup. No plan. No way out if things went wrong.”“But they didn’t go wrong.”“Because you got lucky! Bec

“Make sure Ava goes to bed early tonight,” he told Rosa, keeping his voice neutral. “She needs her rest.”The words tasted like ash in his mouth, but they were necessary. Distance was the only way to protect them both from what was coming.In his office, Rohan was already waiting with a full briefing.“Security reports just came in,” Rohan said, spreading photos across the desk. “She met with Leandro McCarthy at the coffee shop on Fifth Street. Conversation lasted approximately twenty-three minutes.”Dario picked up one of the photos. Ava sitting across from Leandro, her posture straight, her expression serious. In another shot, she was standing up, cash on the table, while Leandro remained seated with his head in his hands.“Body language analysis suggests she was ending the relationship,” Rohan continued. “She left alone. He stayed at the table for another fifteen minutes before leaving.”Relief flooded through Dario’s system like a drug. She had chosen. Not Leandro with his safe lo

Sunlight streaming through the curtains woke Ava from the deepest sleep she had in weeks. For a moment, she lay still, savoring the feeling of being completely rested, completely safe. The storm had passed sometime during the night, leaving only the gentle patter of leftover rain against the windows.She rolled over, expecting to see Dario beside her, but found only rumpled sheets and the faint scent of his cologne on the pillow. Her hand touched the spot where he’d been lying, still slightly warm, which meant he hadn’t been gone long.The memory of last night came back in pieces. The terror under the bed, his arms around her in the cramped space, the way he’d held her while she shook. The threatening text that had changed everything about his expression, even as he’d tried to hide it from her.She sat up slowly, testing how her body felt. The bullet wound was healing well, barely a twinge of pain when she moved. Dr. Reeves had been right about her recovery time. She was almost back t