Took him where?
He doesn’t say. He doesn’t have to. I swallow hard, gripping my hands to hide the shaking. Dante stands slowly.
“Nico is going to take you home. You’ll be safe there.”
“No.” The word escapes before I can stop it.
Nico tenses.
Gia’s eyebrows shoot up.
Dante tilts his head — not offended, just watching me carefully.
I force my eyes to meet his. “I don’t want to go home,” I say quietly. “I want to go to Alessandro. I need to see for myself that he’s okay.”
For a heartbeat, he studies me.
And I know this is the moment —
the one where he decides whether I’m the quiet shadow everyone thinks I am…or something more. Something that belongs in their world.
Dante sighs, rubbing a hand along his jaw. “You’re going to get along great with my future wife,” he mutters, almost to himself.
I blink.
But he nods once — firm and decisive. “Fine,” he says. “You can go to him.” Then he stands and nods once, firm and final. “Come on,” he says. “You’re coming with me.”
Relief crashes into me so sharply it knocks the air from my lungs.
He leads me through the ruined restaurant, past overturned tables and broken glass, out into the night where black SUVs wait like silent sentries.
“Stay close,” he says as he guides me toward the lead vehicle.
I do. Because I’m done being left behind. Done being sheltered. Done being a shadow.
I am Alessandro Moretti’s wife.
And wherever he goes—
I go.
Chapter 16
The warehouse hums with rage.
Mine.
The guy tied to the chair is unconscious again — head slumped, face barely recognizable from the beating he earned the moment he cut Rocco with that hidden blade before we took him down.
Blood is everywhere. Most of it is his. Some of it is Rocco’s. Too much of it is on me. And in all of it —
all I can think about is Elena. Shaking under me while glass rained from the ceiling. Her nails digging into my jacket. Her voice trembling as she told me to go be the man she married.
Every time I blink, I see it.
Rocco grunts as one of our guys tightens another stitch. He’s shirtless, the cut running across his ribs angry and deep.
“Hold still,” the guy snaps.
