THE MAFIA'S PRICE
God, the terrifying spark of it, growing despite everything, terrified me most.
Dante turned back, his gaze sweeping over me like a caress and a claim all at once. I felt small under that look, vulnerable in my dishevelment, hair tangled, lips swollen, body marked by him. He picked up the ledger from where it had fallen earlier and tossed it onto the table near the fireplace. The sharp thud punctuated the quiet room, pulling my attention to it. That damned book, full of my father's debts and secrets, the noose he'd tied around my neck.