Luc leaned in, his voice dropping. “Tonio, taking her out tonight… It’s painting a bullseye on her back.”
The image flashed in his mind: Sofia, silhouetted and alone in a sniper’s crosshairs.
“It’s a damn date,” Tonio snapped. “She deserves one night without shadows.”
“There is no normal for you,” Luc said, his voice flat. He snapped the laptop shut, the sharp sound a period to the debate. “Not with her. A public date makes her a target. Protection increases. Risk increases. You pick which one you can live with.”
Tonio swallowed. The bravado from the morning tasted thin. “Then we neutralize him,” he said, the words cold and final. “Discreetly. The date happens.”
Evening settled over the city,the skyline sharp against the dark. Tonio stood in the foyer, the wool of his tailored suit a stark contrast to the familiar weight of the holster beneath. When Sofia descended, the air left his lungs. The black dress he got her was a shadow against her skin, a simple, devastating line from shoulder to knee. Her hair was swept up, but a few strands curled against her neck, leading the eye to the bold crimson of her lips.
“You look…” He lost the words, his voice a low rasp. “Incredible.”
A flush warmed her cheeks as she closed the distance between them. “You clean up well yourself.” His hand settled at the small of her back. Her eyes flicked up, heat answering his touch.
The restaurant was quiet and refined, all polished silver and low voices.
Candlelight caught the deep ruby of the wine in her glass. She took a sip, the tart bite a stark contrast to the sharp truth that followed.
“I never pictured this,” she said, her finger tracing the crystal stem. “The constant looking over my shoulder… or you.”
“What did you picture?” He needed to know the quiet dream he was threatening to obliterate.
“A small life. A quiet one. After my upbringing and the senator’s mess, I just wanted to live quietly.” Her gaze was unflinching, seeing past the suit and the calm facade to the storm beneath. “Being with you is the opposite of hiding. It’s like choosing to stand in the heart of a storm.” A wry, almost dark smile touched her lips. “Terrifying, honestly. But a storm is better than a lifetime of boredom.”
Her honesty was a key, turning a lock he kept sealed deep within. He looked down at his own hands on the stark white linen—the hands that had ended so many lives, some more deservedly than others.
“I remember faces,” he said, the words barely a breath. “They don’t stalk me in nightmares. They sit in the silence and ask why. And when I look at you, every answer feels like a sin. I won’t change. But you’re the only thing keeping me from letting the darkness take everything.”
“You didn’t drag me here. I made a choice,” she whispered, her voice fierce. Her foot found his under the table, a point of contact that was a brand, a jolt of grounding heat that cut through the solemnity.
His phone vibrated against the table. Luc’s name lit the screen. Tonio let it ring, keeping his focus on her. It buzzed again. Harder.
A second later, a text preview lit up his screen:
GET OUT. NOW. They know you're there.
Tonio’s body went still, every instinct switching from dinner to extraction. He dropped a wad of cash on the table and stood, offering Sofia his hand.
“We’re leaving.”
She slid her hand into his, steady, but her brows pinched. “What’s happening?”
“I’ll explain in the car.”
That was enough for her. She nodded once, her grip firm.
He guided her through the crowded dining room, keeping himself between her and every possible angle. They were three steps from the exit when a broad shape filled the doorway.
Dark suit. Sharp haircut. Dead eyes.
“Senator Young wants a word with the lady.” The man reached for Sofia’s arm.
Wrong move.
Tonio reacted before thought existed—wrist catch, pivot, elbow to the throat. A wet, choked sound, then the man crumpled to the ground.
A table clattered nearby. Someone gasped. A waiter froze mid-step, eyes wide. Diners parted without thinking, instinctively clearing a path. Security radios crackled, but Tonio was already moving.
