Sandro Vitale had corrupted me thoroughly.
And I'd let him.
Chosen it, even.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand. Text from Richard:Board meeting tomorrow at 9. Need to discuss your safetyand continued representation. Be prepared to make a case for staying on Vitale.
I showed Sandro the message. "They're going to try to withdraw me from your case. For my own safety."
"What are you going to tell them?"
"That I'm staying. That the threats don't scare me. That I'm fully capable of handling the risks." I set the phone down. "Think they'll listen?"
"Probably not. Richard's going to push hard for your withdrawal. The managing partners will support him because keeping you on the case exposes the firm to liability." Sandro pulled me closer. "But you're going to fight anyway."
"Of course I am. I don't abandon clients just because things get difficult."
"You mean you don't abandon me." He kissed my temple. "Say it clearly."
"I don't abandon you. Even when I probably should." I turned in his arms to face him. "Even when it costs me everything else."
"It won't cost you everything. I'll make sure of it." His expression was serious. Almost vulnerable. "Whatever you lose by choosing me, I'll replace it. Better career. Better life. Better everything."
"You can't promise that."
"Watch me." He sealed it with a kiss that tasted like certainty and possession and promises I wasn't sure he could keep but desperately wanted to believe.
We fell asleep like that. Tangled together. Me choosing him despite every logical reason not to. Him claiming me with a thoroughness that should have terrified me but only made me feel wanted.
Somewhere in the distance, sirens wailed. The city's constant soundtrack. Violence and desperation and people making terrible choices for complicated reasons.
I fit right in.
And for the first time since I'd taken Sandro's case, I was completely at peace with that.
CHAPTER 14: SANDRO
I WOKE AT5 AM to find Emilio already awake, staring at the ceiling with the kind of focus that meant his mind was racing through scenarios he couldn't control.
"You should sleep," I said, pulling him closer. "The board meeting isn't until nine."
"I can't sleep. I keep thinking about what I'm going to say." He turned to face me. "Richard's going to push hard for my withdrawal. The managing partners will back him because keeping me on your case is a liability."
"So you fight harder. You're good at that." I kissed his forehead. "And if they force you off the case, I'll make sure you land somewhere better."
"That's not the point. I don't want to be forced off. I want to finish what I started." His jaw set in that stubborn line I was learning to recognize. "I want to destroy the Costellos in court and prove that threatening me was the worst tactical decision they ever made."
God, he was magnificent when he was angry.
"Then that's what you'll do." I sat up and reached for my phone. "Get dressed. I'll make breakfast. You need to eat before you go fight for your career."
He showered while I made coffee and eggs. Simple. Efficient. The kind of breakfast that provided fuel without weighing you down. By the time he emerged—dressed in one of his own suits he'd had Thomas retrieve from his apartment yesterday—I had everything plated.
"Eat," I ordered, pushing the plate across the counter.
He ate mechanically. Mind clearly elsewhere. I let him think while I reviewed emails on my phone. Messages from Vincent about Antonio Costello's movements. Updates from Marcus about security protocols. A text from Matteo asking when we were meeting.
"I need to see my partners this morning," I said. "Before your board meeting. We need to discuss next steps with the Costellos."
