I am.
I didn't notice until she said it.
My whole body is trembling. Fine tremors running through my muscles like aftershocks from an earthquake that hasn't stopped.
"I can't let go," I whisper.
Sophia doesn't ask what I mean.
She just squeezes my hand tighter.
"Then don't."
Dante
The door closes behind them.
Marina and Sophia disappear into the bedroom, and the sound of the latch clicking shut echoes through the penthouse like a period at the end of a sentence.
She's safe.
For now.
I stand in the hallway, watching the closed door.
Every breath pulls at the stitches. Every heartbeat sends a fresh wave of pain radiating through my side.
"Dante."
Lorenzo's voice comes from behind me.
I turn.
He's standing in the living room, arms crossed over his chest. The city lights from the windows cast shadows across his face, but I can read his expression clearly enough.
Anger.
Relief.
More anger.
He's wearing a suit. The kind of suit he wears when he's conducting business.
I walk toward him.
Each step costs me.
I don't let it show.
Lorenzo watches me approach. His jaw is tight. His eyes track my movements with the precision of someone cataloging injuries.
He sees the way I'm holding my side.
He sees everything.
That's what makes him dangerous. That's what makes him good at his job. Lorenzo sees what other people miss.
I stop three feet away from him.
