I lie in the darkness and stare at the ceiling.
But even long after she leaves and all I can hear is the faint vibration of male voices from downstairs, I still lie there awake.
My brain is too overloaded to think about much.
Dante loves me, and still he's going to put himself in danger and walk into that trap like he doesn't see it coming.
And then what?
When he doesn't come home and I have to explain to Sofia why Papa can't read to her anymore and…
I love him.
I'm lying here stewing in anxiety because I love the man who's held me captive for two months now and I don’t want him to die.
Not for Sofia’s sake, and not for mine.
I want him to come home to me and warm this bed and protect us.
And most of all, I want him to know I love him.
His confession changed something in me.
Hearing him say those words unlocked feelings I've been trying to suppress for weeks.
And the idea of having a family with him and Sofia feels like it's being threatened by forces I can't control.
And now I know what he's feeling, that drive and the commitment to end this all to protect what's ours. Because I feel it.
If he let me go in, I'd do it for him, and I'd fight like hell to make sure I come out alive.
For him.
For Sofia, and for the family we'll have when this is all over.
24
DANTE
It's nearing three in the morning when I finally finish with Rico and the others.
The plan is solid.
The couriers are briefed.
The timing is locked down to the minute.
Everything that can be controlled has been controlled.
Now we just have to execute it.
I climb the stairs with exhaustion weighing on every step.
My body aches from tension I've been holding for hours and my mind refuses to slow down even though I need sleep before tomorrow night's operation.
I push open my bedroom door expecting to find the space empty and dark.
But Angelica's there.
