"No." A growl escapes from the back of my throat as I lean in another inch, close enough that I can see the flecks of gold in her green eyes. "We won't. I'm trying toprotect you, got it? Quit screwing around when your life may very well be on the line here."
The wind picks up, sending her hair across her face. Without thinking, I reach up and brush it away, my fingers lingering against her cheek longer than they should.
"Whose life are you more worried about, Dante?" she questions, tilting her head innocently. Her voice is soft, almostbreathless, and it does things to me that I absolutely cannot afford to feel right now. "Mine? Or yours, if I successfully slip out of your grasp?"
Her hand comes to rest on my chest, fingers toying with the collar of my shirt. The simple touch burns through the fabric like she's branded me.
I should step back. I should put distance between us, maintain my professional boundaries, remember that she's Vito's sister-in-law and I'm supposed to be protecting her, not fantasizing about what it would feel like to?—
"You're playing with fire, princess."
"Maybe I want to get burned."
The words hang in the air between us, loaded with invitation and challenge and something that feels dangerously close to a promise. The wind howls around us, but all I can focus on is the way she's looking at me, the way her body feels pressed against mine, the way her fingers are still tracing patterns on my chest.
This is insane. This is everything I shouldn't want and can't have. She's eighteen, she's my assignment, she's off-limits in every possible way.
But Christ, the way she's looking at me right now makes me want to throw caution to the wind and show her exactly what getting burned feels like.
"Sofia..." My voice comes out rougher than I intended, and I see something flicker in her eyes—triumph, maybe, or satisfaction at finally getting under my skin.
"Yes?" she whispers, and the single word is like a match thrown on gasoline.
I lean in closer, so close that our breath mingles in the cold air, so close that all I'd have to do is tilt my head and?—
Pop. Pop. Pop.
The sound of gunfire cuts through the night, and every trace of heat, desire, and tension evaporates in an instant. My bodyshifts into pure survival mode, fifteen years of training kicking in before my brain even processes what's happening.
"Get down!" I bark, grabbing Sofia and pulling her away from the railing. The romantic moment is obliterated, replaced by cold, deadly focus.
Her eyes go wide with shock and fear, the wine-induced confidence disappearing as reality crashes over her. "Dante?—"
"Stay low, stay quiet, and do exactly what I tell you," I command, already scanning the surrounding buildings for muzzle flashes, calculating angles and escape routes. The shots came from street level, maybe two blocks south.
Inside the penthouse, I can hear shouting, glass breaking, the controlled chaos of people who know this drill. Vito's men will be moving to secure the building, but my only job right now is keeping Sofia alive.
"We need to get inside. Now." I keep my body between her and the direction of the gunfire, one hand on her back, guiding her toward the door.
"Are they—is this about me?" Sofia asks, her voice small and shaking.
"I don't know, and I don't care. Move."
All the games, all the flirtation, all the sexual tension—none of it matters now. There's only the mission: keep Sofia Gallo breathing.
And I'll be damned if I'm going to fail.
CHAPTER 11
Sofia
Through the glass doors,I can see chaos erupting in the penthouse. Men in dark clothing with familiar green knots on their jackets—Costello soldiers—are moving through the living room. How did they get up here? How did they get past security?
"Behind the table," Dante orders, pulling his gun from his waistband. "Now."
I scramble behind the heavy outdoor table, my hands shaking as I press myself against it. My movements feel disconnected, like I'm watching someone else's body respond to commands my brain can barely process. The sound of gunfire explodes around us—sharp, deafening pops that make my ears ring.
I raise my hands to cover my ears, but it doesn't help. The sounds penetrate everything, reverberating through my skull. My entire body trembles as I stare blindly into the distance, trying to make sense of what's happening.
