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For half a second, I wonder what it is, then I push inside without waiting for permission. The small apartment is unmistakably hers. Medical journals stack up like an uneven Jenga tower on the wall, right under a windowsill that holds a dying succulent. The scent of coffee fills the air, and a hint of jasmine lingers just beneath.

This is the most civilian space I’ve entered in years, and I become aware of how much of my life leaves marks that no amount of scrubbing can erase.

“I got your message.” She fidgets with the edge of her curtain, barely meeting my eyes.

“I know.”

“So where are you taking me?”

I lay out the proposal the way Izzy suggested, telling her how a clean and efficient fake engagement can offer her Benedetti protection. That will give us the cover we need to investigate Bruno Caruso and the men who killed her brother.

After I finish, she stares at me. Then she laughs. Not the dry or sarcastic huff I’ve heard her give a few times but a real laugh, sharp and a little wild.

“You’re crazy.” She covers her mouth and shakes her head. “You’re actually clinically insane, and if you want, I can write you a referral to a really good psychiatric care facility.”

My lack of a smile earns a double take from her as she wonders how serious I am. I let the offer sit between us until her laughter thins and dies before nodding toward her suitcase.

“Do you think the two men you overheard discussing your name are joking as well? They’re still down the street in that sedan.”

I slowly cross the room toward her as she glares. I’m about an inch away from her when her tongue darts out to wet her lips, leaving them shining in the dim light.

I don’t plan to kiss her.

The desire crashes over me unexpectedly, a dawning moment that I respond to the way I was trained to respond in the ring. I read the opening, close the distance, and plant my mouth on hers before either of us can think.

The shock of contact spreads warmth across my skin as I drag my lips across her soft, full mouth. Our breaths mingle until the heady scent of jasmine consumes my senses entirely.

Her hands fist in my shirt, tugging me toward her instead of pushing me away. I brace one hand against the wall beside her head and wrap the other around the curve of her jaw to tip her face closer. She kisses me back with the same force, like she’s been holding this desperate urge in as long as I have.

For a few seconds, the world narrows to just her breath and the heat of her mouth.

Then she finally shoves me back.

I let her. We stay here, breathing hard, the air between us so charged that I can taste it.

“I saw a car circle my block three times after I came home today.” She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, smudging her lipstick. Some of it must be on my lips. “And that’s the only reason I’m agreeing to this. That, and while we’re playing this game, you will help me dig into the people responsible for Matteo’s death.” She delivers the line as if she had drafted the terms of the contract mid-kiss.

“It’s good that you’re accepting this.” I raise my eyebrow. “Earlier today, you were wondering about my motives. No longer interested in why I’m offering you my family’s protection?”

Her chin lifts, her eyes narrowing as she recalculates. “I figure I’ll find out your angle soon enough. Just need to stay alive long enough.” Her breath is unsteady as she murmurs. “And I can offer my services by treating your injuries, no questions asked, while we track down Bruno Caruso. Sound good?”

I nod and stretch out my hand. “Okay.”

She accepts it with a firm grip, but her pulse jumps against my thumb, sparking tingles across my skin.

I inhale a gulp of air. “I’ll make arrangements to distract your tail.”

I’m already at the door when she calls out my name.

“Marco.”

She stands in the center of the apartment, one hand resting on the wrapped frame. The defiance in her posture can’t fully disguise the tremors running through her fingers.

“If you use me or this arrangement for a selfish reason and renege on our deal to find my brother’s killers,” Lucia doesn’t blink, “I will make your life significantly more difficult than the Volkov Bratva ever could.”

I hold her gaze. “I believe you.”

It’s the most honest thing I’ve said in months.