Page 139 of Power & Punishment

“Officially, you’re an innocent city councilman who got caught in the crossfire because your former mentor was involved in something he shouldn’t have been. The captain thinks Adrian lured you to his place in the country to frame you for his crimes, which isn’t entirely false. As for Michael and Dante, officially, they were never there.”

Leo goes quiet beside me, and I lift my head enough to study his face. The bruising along his jaw is still there, looking even more purple and pronounced under the fluorescent lighting. But then I look at his eyes and everything that’s happened in the last week fades away.

He’s already focusing on what comes next.

“What?”

His finger dances on the edge of my jawline before resting his hand on my cheek. “I still want him gone, Mia. I know we should cut our losses and be thankful we made it out alive, but I can’t live knowing he’s still hurting people. People just like me.”

I should be overwhelmed and ready to talk Leo off the ledge, but I’m done running away from the things that scare me. I can’t do my job, protect this city, and dream of a future with the man beside me if I do that.

“Then we keep going,” I say, catching him off guard. “And finish it together,” I decide, squeezing his hand tighter.

His eyes lighten and his lips relax as he tilts his head toward me and picks up my chin. “I love it when you fight me, but I love it even more when you agree.”

My eyes flicker to his lips, but I shake off the urge to kiss him. I push my body up and lean against my arm. “I mean it. I uncovered a corruption ring, got kidnapped, nearly died, and watched you nearly die. I’m done letting men with power go after the people I love.”

Something flashes across his face before I realize it.

“You love me?” he asks. The question is so soft and gentle I almost doubt it’s him for a moment.

Heat builds in my cheeks, quickly turning tears into red-hot embarrassment. But I muster through and hold his stare. “You took a bullet for me. Of course I love you.”

A larger-than-life smile creeps across his face, making blood pump through my body. He’s everything I could ever hope for in this life.

“Good,” he says, nodding his head. “That would’ve been embarrassing otherwise.”

I laugh. I laugh so hard it hurts my bruised ribs. But the pain isn’t anything compared to how I’m feeling now.

“Mia,” he says, dropping his voice down an octave and steering us in a serious direction. “I spent so much time thinking revenge was the only thing to look forward to. Even with my family and all the things I had to be thankful for, Enzo was always at the back of my mind. It was the only thing driving me for a long time.”

“And now?” I ask, looking up at him through my lashes.

His gaze sweeps over my face. “And now I think I want more than that. I want a future.”

My breath catches in my throat. “I want that too.”

The room spins, but not as it did yesterday or the day before. Today I feel steady with the world moving around me, and instead of the feeling of dread I usually get in these situations, I feel ready to take the next step.

I reach up and cup his face gently, trying to avoid all his battle scars.

“I tried so hard not to fall for you. I knew you were dangerous and not just in the ways that mattered. After I left my family, I convinced myself needing people was dangerous. I kept everyone at arm’s length because if I didn’t rely on anyone, they couldn’t hurt me.”

Leo goes still, letting me talk for once. “But then you made me trust you. For better or for worse. And I hate you and love you for it. But mostly I just love you, Leo.”

He looks back at me longingly, everything he’s thinking so boldly displayed across his face.

“I love you too,” he says, firm and confident like everything he does. And then he leans forward and kisses me. He kisses me so hard, I forget about all the pain and suffering that led to this point. I’d do it all over again if it led to him.

Our lips are slow and deliberate. There’s no chaos pushing us together. It’s just us in the moment, clinging on to each other for dear life.

When I finally pull back, his forehead rests against mine.

“What’s next?” I say, trying to catch my breath.

He smirks, looking down at my lips again. “I know we have a long road ahead of us, but I’d like to spend the next few days just us. And then after that, we can talk about it. I know Enzo is going to come after us once he figures everything out.”

“Then we deal with it together.”