For Santiago to vanish into whatever shadows he crawled out of.
And I’ll be long gone from here.
The street is mostly empty at this hour, wet pavementreflecting neon and streetlights. I make it half a block before tires shriek behind me.
An SUV skids to a violent stop at the curb.
I spin, already bracing until the windows roll down.
Andrew’s at the wheel, jaw tight, eyes locked on me with relief.
And in the back seat is the last person I expected to see. A woman with hair the color of living flame and a permanent scowl.
Vittoria.
“What the?—”
Before I can finish, Vittoria shoves the door open and leans out.
“Shut the fuck up and get in,” she snaps. “Now.”
That’s when I see she isn’t alone in the back. Kayla’s there too.
“You came for me?” I ask.
“We’ll explain it on the way,” Vittoria says. “Get in before I drag your ass inside.”
I hop into the back seat, and the moment the door slams shut, the SUV peels away from the curb and drives off. City lights streak past the windows. Kayla’s in the middle, between me and Victoria, and she tries to find my hand in the dark but I shift it away.
“Why are you both here?”
Vittoria doesn’t look at me, just crosses one long leg over the other. “Because Lucian isn’t.”
That lands harder than I expect.
“He didn’t want you to come for me?”
“No,” she says. “He’s decided you’re better off without him. That letting you go is some grand act of love.” A sharp huff. “Men are idiots when they’re miserable.”
My throat tightens. I stare at the back of Andrew’s seat.
“And you?” I ask. “Why do this? I thought you hated me.”
“Hate is a strong word.” Vittoria’s red upper lip curls over afang. “I may notlikeyou, but anyone who can meet me blow for blow in a fight has my respect.”
I snort a laugh.
“And because I’m not above disobeying Lucian,” she goes on with a wicked smile. “Actually, I delight in it.”
“And what if I don’t want to go back to VMR? To Lucian?”
“I’m also not above kidnapping,” Vittoria says, which earns her an elbow to the arm by Kayla. To my complete surprise, Vittoria doesn’t even growl at her.
“We want you to come back,” Kayla says with a small smile that’s so her. This time when she finds my hand, I let her hold it. “We all do.”
In the front seat, Andrew nods.
“And Lucian has been more bearable with you around,” Vittoria admits like it pains her.
