- 1 day ago
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00:00The first thing I remember is the sound, sharp, splitting the night in half.
00:04A gunshot, then another.
00:06The scream that followed wasn't mine, though it could have been.
00:09I was gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white,
00:13headlights slicing through the fog-soaked street.
00:16The rain was relentless, hammering the windshield,
00:19drowning out the chaos I could feel brewing somewhere close.
00:22I shouldn't have been here.
00:25Wrong neighborhood, wrong time,
00:26but the bookstore closes late on Fridays,
00:29and my little car, my one loyal possession,
00:32had decided to die on me halfway home.
00:35I pulled into the first alley I saw, hoping to find a phone signal.
00:39Instead, I found him.
00:42He stumbled out from the darkness like some wounded god,
00:45black suit drenched in rain and blood, one hand pressed to his side.
00:50His eyes, cold and sharp even through the shadows, found me instantly.
00:54That look froze me harder than the gunfire.
00:57Get out, he growled.
01:00Not shouted, growled.
01:01Like he owned the ground I stood on.
01:03I didn't move.
01:04You're bleeding, I said, get out of the car.
01:07There was no time to argue.
01:09Two men rounded the corner behind him, shouting in Italian, guns raised.
01:13My body moved on instinct.
01:15I flung the passenger door open.
01:17Get in, he hesitated, just long enough for another shot to echo.
01:21The bullet shattered the side mirror.
01:23That did it.
01:24He yanked the door open, slid in, and barked,
01:27Drive.
01:28I slammed my foot on the gas.
01:30Tires screamed, and we tore down the slick streets.
01:33My heart was a jackhammer in my chest.
01:35I didn't know who he was, but every cell in my body screamed danger.
01:39The kind you don't walk away from.
01:41His breathing was rough, ragged.
01:44Blood streaked down his fingers, dark against his pale knuckles.
01:48I stole a glance at him.
01:50Strong jaw, soaked hair falling across his forehead, a black tattoo snaking up his neck
01:55like a threat.
01:56Who are you?
01:57I demanded.
01:58He didn't answer.
01:59He just pressed his hand harder to the wound, eyes scanning the rearview mirror.
02:04Keep driving until I say stop.
02:06Are they still?
02:08Don't look back.
02:10His voice was a blade.
02:12The adrenaline made my hands tremble.
02:14My wipers could barely keep up with the rain, and every streetlight flashed like lightning
02:19across his face, revealing those eyes again.
02:22Dark and unreadable, like they'd seen too much.
02:26When he finally spoke again, it wasn't to thank me.
02:29Take the next right, then park behind that warehouse.
02:32I followed, tires skidding as we slid into the shadowed lot.
02:36The car idled, engine humming weakly.
02:39Get out, he ordered again.
02:41I stared at him.
02:42You're losing blood.
02:44He turned his head then, slow, deliberate.
02:47And if you stay, you'll lose your life.
02:49Go.
02:50My brain screamed at me to listen.
02:52But something deeper, something reckless and stupid, made me stay.
02:56I'm not leaving you to die.
02:58He exhaled, almost a laugh.
03:00You have no idea who you're talking to, do you?
03:03Someone who's bleeding all over my seat.
03:06I shot back.
03:07So either let me help or bleed quieter.
03:10For a moment, silence.
03:12Then reluctantly, he leaned back,
03:13Fine, trunk, there's a bag.
03:16Get it, I did.
03:17Inside, bandages, alcohol, and a gun.
03:20Because of course there was.
03:22I returned to find him slumped against the seat, breath shallow.
03:26I tore his jacket open, ignoring his glare.
03:29His shirt was ruined.
03:31White fabric soaked crimson.
03:33The bullet had grazed him, shoulder to ribs, close enough to kill if untreated.
03:37Hold still, I said, pressing the cloth against the wound.
03:43He hissed through his teeth.
03:45You've done this before.
03:47Watched enough crime shows.
03:48Cute.
03:49I bit my tongue.
03:50The smell of rain, blood, and his cologne filled the small space.
03:55Something expensive.
03:56Masculine.
03:57Dangerous.
03:58When I finished bandaging him, I leaned back, heart still hammering.
04:04He studied me, gaze sweeping over my face like he was memorizing it.
04:08What's your name?
04:10Lena.
04:10Lena, he repeated, testing it.
04:12You're either the dumbest woman I've ever met or the bravest.
04:16Can it be both?
04:17That almost smile again.
04:19Just the corner of his mouth.
04:20Then headlights cut through the dark.
04:22Instantly, he reached for the gun, pulled me close.
04:25My breath caught.
04:27His voice was low, urgent.
04:29Stay down.
04:30Another car rolled past the lot.
04:32Slow.
04:33Searching.
04:34My pulse thundered in my ears.
04:36I could feel his heartbeat against my arm.
04:38Steady, despite the blood loss.
04:41When the car finally disappeared, he released me, but not all the way.
04:44You need to forget this happened, he said.
04:47Go home.
04:48Tell no one.
04:48Not possible.
04:50You bled on my floor mats.
04:51His eyes flicked to me again.
04:53You think this is funny?
04:55I think it's insane.
04:56I pick up a stranger, dodge bullets, play nurse, and now I'm supposed to pretend you don't exist.
05:02You'd be safer that way.
05:04Safe is boring.
05:05That did it.
05:06A flash of something dark crossed his face.
05:09Something like frustration and interest tangled together.
05:12You really don't know when to shut up.
05:15Occupational hazard.
05:16And what's your occupation?
05:18Bookstore clerk.
05:20He stared at me like I'd told him I ran a drug ring.
05:23You're not built for this world.
05:25And you are?
05:26He didn't answer.
05:27Just looked away.
05:29Rain dripping down his jawline.
05:31A silence stretched between us.
05:33Thick enough to choke on.
05:35Then, out of nowhere, he said,
05:37My name's Dante.
05:39I blinked.
05:40Like the poet?
05:41Like the devil.
05:42And for some reason, that made perfect sense.
05:46He took my phone from the dash and crushed it in one hand before I could react.
05:51Hey.
05:52What the hell?
05:54No phone.
05:55No trail.
05:56I stared at the shattered screen.
05:57You owe me a new one.
05:59Add it to my tab.
06:00He said, voice low.
06:02But if they find you, that phone becomes a death sentence.
06:06They?
06:07He looked at me then, fully, eyes black as night.
06:10You really want to know, Lena?
06:12I hesitated.
06:14No.
06:15Good.
06:15He reached for the handle, then paused.
06:17Go home.
06:18Lock your doors.
06:19Forget my face.
06:20He stepped into the rain, disappearing into the dark like smoke.
06:24And that should have been it.
06:25A crazy night.
06:27A bad story I'd one day tell over drinks.
06:29Except I couldn't forget his face.
06:32Not the way he looked back before turning the corner.
06:34Not the way his blood had soaked through my sleeve.
06:37And definitely not the way my pulse still raced, long after he was gone.
06:41I thought I'd never see him again.
06:43But the universe, cruel, sarcastic thing that it is, had other plans.
06:50Two days later, my bookstore door opened, and in walked Dante.
06:55Same black suit.
06:56No blood this time.
06:58Just that impossible presence that made the room smaller.
07:01He didn't browse.
07:03Didn't look at the books.
07:04Just walked straight to the counter.
07:06You shouldn't be here.
07:08I whispered.
07:09He placed a folded envelope in front of me.
07:12I had to make sure you kept your mouth shut.
07:14Are you threatening me in a bookstore?
07:16Warning you.
07:18He leaned closer, lowering his voice.
07:20They know you were there, Lena.
07:22The men chasing me?
07:23They found your plate number.
07:25My heart stopped.
07:26They'll come for you.
07:28I swallowed hard.
07:29So what?
07:30This is your fault?
07:31And now I'm the one in danger?
07:34He didn't flinch.
07:35Yes.
07:36The air between us went tight.
07:38Then he said,
07:39You're coming with me.
07:42Excuse me?
07:43My world's already touched yours.
07:45You don't survive that alone.
07:47I shook my head.
07:48No.
07:49I have a life here.
07:50A job.
07:52Not anymore.
07:54And just like that, my world,
07:56the quiet, ordinary one built on paperbacks and cheap coffee,
08:00collapsed.
08:01The devil had come back for me.
08:04And this time he wasn't bleeding.
08:06He was in control.
08:08When I hesitated,
08:09he reached across the counter,
08:11fingertips brushing my wrist.
08:13Just a touch, but enough to set every nerve on fire.
08:17Trust me,
08:18he said softly.
08:19You don't have a choice.
08:20And he was right.
08:21Because as I looked into those dark,
08:23unyielding eyes,
08:25I realized something terrifying.
08:27The night I saved him,
08:28I didn't just change his fate.
08:30I ruined mine.
08:34I should have run.
08:36When Dante told me to pack a bag,
08:38I stood frozen,
08:39clutching the strap of my tote like it could save me.
08:41The rain outside turned the city into a smear of silver,
08:44and his black car waited by the curb,
08:47engine humming like a warning.
08:50Five minutes, he said.
08:51That's all you've got.
08:53My mouth worked before my brain could stop it.
08:56You're kidnapping me.
08:58If it makes you pack faster,
09:00call it whatever you want.
09:02I hated that I obeyed.
09:04Not because I trusted him.
09:06Because I didn't.
09:07But something about his voice
09:09made disobedience sound suicidal.
09:12I grabbed my worn jeans,
09:13a few shirts,
09:14and my grandmother's rosary.
09:16When I turned,
09:16he was in my doorway,
09:18watching me with that unreadable calm
09:20that made my stomach twist.
09:22He didn't touch me.
09:24Didn't have to.
09:25His presence filled the room.
09:27They were two blocks away before I got here,
09:29he said.
09:30You'd have been dead by morning.
09:32So I followed him.
09:34The drive out of the city was silent.
09:37The glow of streetlights faded
09:38into the black sprawl of countryside,
09:40and the world grew quieter,
09:42until I could hear his slow,
09:44deliberate breathing beside me.
09:46His hands rested on the wheel,
09:48veins shifting under smooth skin.
09:50I kept stealing glances at him,
09:53trying to understand how someone so composed
09:55could have bled out in my car two nights ago.
09:58Eventually, I whispered,
10:00Who are you really?
10:01He didn't answer right away.
10:03Then, without looking at me,
10:04You wouldn't sleep tonight if I told you.
10:08I'm not sleeping anyway.
10:10A muscle in his jaw ticked.
10:12My name is Dante Ricci.
10:14My family runs things in this city.
10:17Things you don't read about in the papers.
10:19Mafia, I said flatly.
10:22He smiled.
10:23But it didn't reach his eyes.
10:25That's the polite term.
10:27I laughed once, dry and hollow.
10:29So I saved the devil.
10:31Careful, he said softly.
10:33Some of us take pride in the title.
10:36The rest of the ride was a blur of headlights and bad decisions.
10:40When we finally stopped,
10:41we were in front of a mansion that didn't belong on earth.
10:44Iron gates, marble stairs,
10:46guards in tailored suits.
10:48My throat went dry.
10:50Home sweet home, Dante said, stepping out.
10:53Inside, the air smelled like wealth and violence.
10:56Crystal chandeliers.
10:57Velvet drapes.
10:58A painting of some ancestor glaring down at me like I'd brought dirt into his palace.
11:03This isn't a house, I muttered.
11:06It's a fortress.
11:07Good, Dante said.
11:09You're safe here.
11:11Define safe.
11:12He gave me that infuriating almost smile again.
11:15Alive.
11:17He led me through hallways that felt like they stretched for miles.
11:20Then into a guest suite that looked more expensive than my entire apartment building.
11:24The bed alone could have slept six people.
11:27You'll stay here until I say otherwise, he said.
11:30I'm not a prisoner.
11:32Then don't try to leave.
11:34When the door closed, I realized what that meant.
11:37I was trapped.
11:38For hours I paced the room, every nerve alive with panic.
11:42But exhaustion won eventually.
11:44I must have fallen asleep sitting against the wall.
11:47Because when I woke, it was to the smell of coffee.
11:51And Dante, standing at the foot of my bed.
11:54Jacket off.
11:55Sleeves rolled up.
11:56Like sin in human form.
11:58You didn't lock the door.
12:00I said groggily.
12:01I didn't need to.
12:03He placed the mug on the nightstand.
12:06You should eat.
12:07You haven't since yesterday.
12:08I should have told him to leave.
12:10Instead, I asked,
12:11Do you always feed your hostages?
12:13That almost smile again.
12:15Only the pretty ones.
12:16I hated the heat that spread up my neck.
12:19I told myself it was anger.
12:22He sat across from me.
12:24Silent while I ate.
12:25His eyes never left me.
12:28Not in a predatory way.
12:30But like he was memorizing something fragile he might break.
12:33When I finally asked,
12:35Why am I really here?
12:36He didn't deflect.
12:38Because they'll use you to get to me.
12:40He said.
12:41And I can't let that happen.
12:42I set my fork down.
12:44You don't even know me.
12:46I know you're stubborn.
12:47Brave.
12:48And stupid enough to pick up a bleeding man in the rain.
12:51You forgot reckless.
12:53His gaze softened.
12:56I didn't.
12:56The next days blurred.
12:58I tried not to look at him.
13:00Not to listen when his deep voice slipped under my skin.
13:03He worked constantly.
13:05Meetings behind closed doors.
13:07Whispered phone calls that stopped when I entered a room.
13:10The house buzzed with danger.
13:12But at night,
13:13When the guards vanished and silence fell,
13:15I could feel him on the other side of the wall.
13:18Awake.
13:19Watching.
13:21One night,
13:22I found him on the balcony,
13:24Cigarette glowing between his fingers.
13:26City lights bleeding into the horizon.
13:28His shirt was half undone.
13:30The scar on his chest catching the moonlight.
13:33You don't sleep either.
13:34I said quietly.
13:36He didn't turn.
13:38Sleeps for people without ghosts.
13:40Lots of those?
13:41Enough to fill a graveyard.
13:42He finally looked at me then,
13:45Eyes catching mine.
13:46You shouldn't be here, Lena.
13:48Then stop keeping me.
13:50He took a drag,
13:51Exhaled smoke.
13:52You think I haven't tried?
13:53Something in his tone made my chest tighten.
13:56The way he said it,
13:57Like letting me go,
13:58Would destroy him.
13:59I stepped closer.
14:02Close enough to smell his cologne.
14:04The smoke.
14:05The rain still clinging to his hair.
14:07Tell me the truth, I said.
14:09What did you do to make them come after you?
14:11He laughed once,
14:12Dark and bitter.
14:14You want a confession?
14:15Yeah.
14:16I killed the son of a man who doesn't forgive.
14:19Silence fell.
14:20The night air turned colder.
14:22Self-defense?
14:23I asked.
14:24He met my eyes.
14:25No, I should have been terrified.
14:28Instead, I felt pity.
14:30Burning.
14:31Misplaced pity.
14:32For the monster who looked so tired of being one.
14:36He flicked the cigarette over the railing.
14:38You hate me now?
14:40I don't know you well enough to hate you.
14:42Then don't try.
14:44He turned to leave, but I caught his sleeve.
14:46Dante, he froze.
14:48For not letting them kill me.
14:51His throat moved once.
14:53And for the first time,
14:55He looked almost human.
14:56Don't thank me yet.
14:58That night, I couldn't sleep.
14:59Every time I closed my eyes,
15:01I saw the pain in his.
15:03The next morning,
15:05chaos shattered the calm.
15:07Shouting downstairs,
15:08the crack of gunfire.
15:09I ran to the hallway
15:10just as Dante burst through,
15:12gun drawn.
15:13Stay behind me,
15:14he barked.
15:14What's happening?
15:15They found the house.
15:17He shoved me into a side room,
15:18slamming the door behind us.
15:20The sound of bullets
15:21ricocheted through the mansion.
15:22My heart hammered against my ribs,
15:25then silence.
15:27When he turned back,
15:29there was blood on his shirt again,
15:31not his this time.
15:33His expression was pure steel.
15:35You're hurt?
15:35I whispered.
15:37No.
15:38He dropped the gun,
15:39rolled his shoulders,
15:41then exhaled.
15:42They were testing the perimeter.
15:44I looked down at his trembling hands.
15:46You call that testing?
15:47He ignored me, pacing.
15:49I should have known they'd come this soon.
15:52Dante.
15:53He stopped,
15:54eyes locking on mine.
15:55You still think this world won't touch you?
15:58I didn't answer.
16:00He crossed the distance between us in two strides,
16:03grabbed my chin gently but firmly.
16:05This is what I am,
16:07he said.
16:08I kill,
16:08I destroy.
16:09I protect what's mine.
16:10Do you understand that?
16:12My voice came out barely a whisper.
16:14Am I yours now?
16:15His gaze darkened.
16:16You saved my life, Lena.
16:18That means something in my world.
16:20Debt?
16:21Claim.
16:22My breath caught.
16:23I'm not a thing you can claim.
16:25Then stop looking at me like you want to be.
16:28I stepped back,
16:30shaking.
16:31You don't get to twist this.
16:33He stared at me.
16:35And for a heartbeat,
16:37something raw passed through his eyes.
16:39Regret, maybe.
16:41Then he left,
16:42the door slamming behind him.
16:44I pressed my hands to my face,
16:46trying to steady my breath.
16:48I hated him.
16:49I hated how right he was about the way I looked at him.
16:53Later that night,
16:53I found him again.
16:55Shirt off this time.
16:57Cleaning a cut across his ribs.
16:59The air between us was thick enough to suffocate.
17:02Let me help,
17:03I said quietly.
17:05He didn't look up.
17:06You shouldn't touch me.
17:08I'm not asking permission.
17:10I took the cloth from his hand,
17:12cleaning the wound.
17:13His skin was hot under my fingers.
17:15The tension was unbearable.
17:16His eyes flicked up,
17:18catching mine.
17:19And something shifted.
17:21Danger into need.
17:22Fear into gravity.
17:23Lena.
17:24Lena.
17:25His voice was low,
17:27warning and plea at once.
17:29Don't,
17:30I whispered.
17:31If you tell me to stop,
17:32I might listen.
17:33He didn't.
17:35Instead,
17:36he caught my wrist,
17:37pulling me closer until our breaths collided.
17:40For a second,
17:41I thought he'd kiss me.
17:43Instead,
17:43he pressed his forehead to mine.
17:45You don't belong in this hell.
17:47Maybe I do now.
17:48He exhaled like it hurt.
17:50You have no idea what you're saying.
17:53Then,
17:54the sound of footsteps outside shattered the moment.
17:57He pulled back instantly,
17:58face locked in steel again.
18:00Go to your room,
18:01he ordered.
18:02Dante.
18:03Now.
18:04I went,
18:05heart pounding,
18:06fury burning behind my ribs.
18:08But I couldn't sleep.
18:09Hours later,
18:10I heard voices downstairs.
18:11Men shouting.
18:13One of them,
18:13a name I didn't recognize,
18:15was accusing Dante of betrayal.
18:17I crept to the stairwell,
18:19listening.
18:19You brought her here,
18:20the man said.
18:21You think we don't know who she really is?
18:24My stomach dropped.
18:25Dante's voice was lethal calm.
18:27Watch what you're implying.
18:29She's a witness.
18:30Ricci.
18:31She saw everything that night.
18:33She's under my protection.
18:35Or maybe she's your weakness.
18:37The gunshot that followed was deafening.
18:40I gasped,
18:41stumbling back.
18:42Dante turned sharply,
18:43eyes meeting mine through the darkness.
18:45He'd killed the man.
18:46His voice was quiet,
18:47dangerous.
18:48You shouldn't have seen that.
18:50My blood ran cold.
18:52What did he mean, Dante?
18:53Why would he call me your weakness?
18:55He took a step forward,
18:56but I backed away.
18:57Lena,
18:57don't.
18:59My voice broke.
19:00Tell me the truth.
19:01Am I just another pawn to you?
19:03He stopped,
19:04pain flashing through his eyes.
19:06No,
19:06but I wish you were.
19:07That was the first time I saw him falter,
19:11and it was the moment I realized I'd fallen for a man who might destroy me.
19:14I didn't sleep that night.
19:20The echo of that gunshot played in my skull on repeat.
19:23By dawn,
19:24my body was stiff,
19:26and my mind was wrecked.
19:27The mansion was too quiet.
19:29The kind of silence that meant something bad was coming.
19:32I went looking for Dante,
19:34but his guards blocked the hall.
19:36One of them,
19:37the tall one with the scar across his cheek,
19:40shook his head.
19:41He said you stay in your room.
19:44Not happening.
19:45I pushed past him before he could react,
19:47storming down the corridor.
19:49The main doors to Dante's office were slightly ajar.
19:52I heard voices,
19:53low,
19:54tense,
19:54male.
19:55I peeked through the crack.
19:57Dante stood by the desk,
19:58hands braced on the wood,
20:00eyes wild in a way I'd never seen.
20:02Across from him was another man,
20:04older,
20:05leaner,
20:06his silver hair slicked back with authority.
20:09You've gone soft,
20:11the older man said,
20:12all because of some woman who should have been disposed of the night she saw you bleeding.
20:17My heart stopped.
20:18Dante's voice was a growl.
20:20You touch her and I'll put a bullet between your eyes.
20:24She's a liability.
20:26The feds are watching.
20:27They'll use her to bury you.
20:29I'll deal with them.
20:30The man's voice dropped to a hiss.
20:32You're your father's son.
20:34Don't pretend you're not.
20:35You think you can rewrite the rules of this world because she looked at you twice?
20:38Dante moved so fast I didn't see it happen.
20:41One second,
20:41the man was talking.
20:43The next,
20:44Dante had him pinned to the wall by the throat.
20:46Get out before I forget you share my blood,
20:48he said.
20:50When the man finally left,
20:52Dante turned toward the door.
20:53He saw me instantly.
20:55Of course he did.
20:56His face tightened.
20:57You shouldn't have heard that.
20:59I wasn't exactly trying to.
21:01Lena.
21:03He stepped closer,
21:04voice softer.
21:06You need to trust me.
21:07Trust you?
21:08I laughed once, bitter.
21:10You've killed two people since I met you.
21:11You keep saying you're protecting me,
21:14but from where I'm standing,
21:15I'm the one standing next to the gun.
21:18His jaw worked,
21:19like he was trying to find words that didn't exist.
21:22You have every right to hate me,
21:24but you're alive because of me.
21:26Alive isn't the same as safe,
21:28he hesitated.
21:30Then he said,
21:31You were never supposed to matter.
21:34That hurt more than it should have.
21:36I tried to walk past him,
21:38but he caught my wrist.
21:39His grip wasn't harsh,
21:41just enough to stop me.
21:42Lena, listen to me.
21:44There's no world where they let you walk away now.
21:46The only way to keep you alive
21:47is to make them believe you belong to me.
21:50Belong?
21:51I snapped.
21:52I'm not your property.
21:54No, he said, voice low, rough.
21:56You're my weakness.
21:58And that makes you a target.
22:00Before I could reply,
22:02the house shook.
22:03Gunfire.
22:04Shouting.
22:05The front windows exploded in a rain of glass.
22:08Down!
22:09Dante yanked me behind him,
22:10pulling a gun from under his jacket.
22:12The sound of chaos filled the hall.
22:14Screams, boots pounding,
22:16bullets whistling past.
22:17They found us again?
22:19I shouted.
22:20He nodded,
22:21eyes scanning the room.
22:23Inside job.
22:24He shoved a second gun into my hands.
22:26You ever shot one of these?
22:28No.
22:29Good.
22:29Don't miss.
22:31We moved through the smoke-filled corridor,
22:33the smell of gunpowder thick and nauseating.
22:36Dante was pure focus,
22:37pure violence.
22:38Every movement was precise,
22:40controlled.
22:41He fired.
22:42Reloaded.
22:43Dragged me through the wreckage
22:44like it was nothing.
22:44We ducked behind a marble pillar.
22:48Stay here,
22:49he said.
22:50Not a chance.
22:52Lena,
22:52if you go out there alone,
22:54you'll die.
22:55And I'm not watching that happen.
22:57He gave me a look that said arguing was useless.
23:00Then keep your head down.
23:02A shadow moved through the haze.
23:04Dante fired twice,
23:05the figure dropped.
23:06Another shot came from the stairs.
23:08I screamed,
23:09the bullet grazing my shoulder.
23:11Pain burned down my arm.
23:12But before I could react,
23:14Dante's arm was around me,
23:16pulling me back.
23:18Blood trickled down my sleeve.
23:19It's fine,
23:20I lied.
23:21He looked down at the wound,
23:23fury igniting behind his eyes.
23:25Not fine.
23:26The next seconds blurred.
23:28He tore through the attackers like a storm.
23:30Every shot he fired felt like a promise.
23:32Touch her and die.
23:34When the noise finally stopped,
23:36I was shaking so hard my teeth chattered.
23:38He dropped the gun,
23:40turned,
23:40and caught me before I hit the floor.
23:43His hands framed my face,
23:44breath harsh.
23:45You're okay,
23:46he muttered,
23:47like saying it could make it true.
23:49I told you not to leave me,
23:51I whispered.
23:53He swallowed hard,
23:54thumb brushing the blood on my arm.
23:57You think I could?
23:58The world was spinning.
23:59Somewhere outside,
24:00sirens wailed in the distance.
24:02Who did this?
24:03I asked.
24:04Lorenzo's men,
24:05he said.
24:06The one I killed before?
24:07His father's making his move.
24:08So what now?
24:10He didn't answer.
24:11Just lifted me in his arms like I weighed nothing.
24:14Now I finish it.
24:15He took me to the car.
24:16The drive was fast,
24:18reckless.
24:19His knuckles were white on the wheel.
24:21When we finally stopped,
24:22it was in front of an abandoned dock.
24:24The air was cold,
24:25filled with salt and tension.
24:27Stay in the car,
24:28he said.
24:30Not again.
24:31Lena.
24:32His tone was final.
24:34Please.
24:35That please undid me.
24:37I stayed,
24:38until the sound of shouting
24:39tore through the silence again.
24:41I climbed out,
24:42heart hammering,
24:43following the voices.
24:45Dante stood in the center of the pier,
24:47gun trained on a man in a dark coat.
24:49The older man,
24:50the one from the office.
24:52His uncle, maybe.
24:53Family turned enemy.
24:55It ends tonight,
24:57Dante said.
24:58You don't have the stomach for it.
25:00You've mistaken mercy for weakness.
25:03The man laughed.
25:04You think that girl's going to save you?
25:06She's the reason you'll die.
25:08My name echoed off the metal walls,
25:10and before I could think,
25:12I stepped out.
25:13Stop it!
25:14Dante froze.
25:15Lena, go back to the car.
25:17The man smirked.
25:18See?
25:19She doesn't listen.
25:20She'll get you killed.
25:22He moved faster than I expected,
25:24pulling a gun,
25:25aiming at Dante.
25:26Dante.
25:26I screamed,
25:28lunged forward,
25:29knocking his arm aside
25:30as the shot went off.
25:31The sound was deafening.
25:33Then Dante's gun fired.
25:35Once.
25:35Twice.
25:37The man collapsed.
25:38I stood shaking,
25:39ears ringing,
25:40staring at the body on the dock.
25:43Dante caught me before I fell.
25:45You shouldn't have come,
25:47he said hoarsely.
25:48You'd be dead if I hadn't.
25:50He looked at me then.
25:52Really looked.
25:53Like he was seeing the part of me
25:54that refused to break.
25:55You're insane.
25:57So are you.
25:58For the first time,
25:59he laughed.
26:00A real,
26:01quiet sound
26:02that broke something heavy
26:03between us.
26:05When he spoke again,
26:06his voice was softer.
26:08It's over.
26:09Really?
26:10I asked.
26:11He nodded slowly.
26:13It will be.
26:14Once they know he's gone.
26:16We stood there
26:17for a long time,
26:18the ocean lapping
26:19against the pier,
26:20the smell of gunpowder
26:21still thick.
26:23Finally,
26:23he said,
26:24You should go.
26:26Start over.
26:27Somewhere far from me.
26:28I can't.
26:30Lena,
26:30I won't.
26:32My voice cracked.
26:33You think saving me
26:34ruined my life?
26:35It didn't.
26:36You did.
26:37The moment you looked at me
26:38like I was something
26:38worth dying for.
26:40His eyes darkened.
26:42Don't say that.
26:43Why not?
26:44Because I'll believe you.
26:45He reached for me,
26:47fingers trembling
26:47for the first time.
26:49I stepped closer,
26:50until I could feel
26:51his heartbeat against mine.
26:53I already do,
26:55I whispered.
26:56The space between us
26:58disappeared.
26:59His hands framed
26:59my face again,
27:01this time not to shield
27:02or command,
27:03just to feel.
27:04When he kissed me,
27:05it wasn't gentle.
27:06It was desperate.
27:08Apology and hunger
27:09and surrender
27:10all tangled together.
27:11When we finally
27:12broke apart,
27:13I said,
27:14So what now, boss?
27:15A faint smile
27:16curved his lips.
27:17Now I keep my promise.
27:19Which one?
27:19The one where I protect you.
27:21Even if it kills me,
27:23I rested my head
27:24against his chest,
27:25feeling the steady thud
27:26beneath my ear.
27:28I don't want protection.
27:29I want you,
27:30he went still.
27:31Then his voice dropped low.
27:33Then you've got me,
27:34weeks passed.
27:35The house was repaired,
27:37the guards replaced.
27:38The city whispering
27:39about a new Ricci in charge,
27:41one with no mercy,
27:42except for the woman
27:43always by his side.
27:45I spent my mornings
27:46in the sunlit library
27:48Dante built for me,
27:49the smell of books
27:50replacing the scent of blood.
27:51Some nights,
27:53I'd catch him watching me,
27:54still half in the shadows.
27:56You're staring again,
27:58I'd say,
27:59making sure you're real.
28:02And when I smiled,
28:04he'd come over,
28:05pull me close,
28:05and whisper,
28:06mine.
28:08He meant it like a vow,
28:09not a possession.
28:11Sometimes I'd ask
28:12if he regretted it.
28:14The killing.
28:15The danger me.
28:16Every time,
28:17he'd give the same answer,
28:18only the parts
28:19that didn't involve you.
28:21And even though
28:21the world outside
28:22still whispered
28:23our names with fear,
28:25I didn't care.
28:26Because somewhere
28:27between the blood
28:28and the chaos,
28:29the girl who once
28:30lived quietly among books
28:31had fallen for the devil.
28:33And somehow,
28:34impossibly,
28:35he'd fallen for her too.
28:37If you were drawn
28:38into their world of danger,
28:40devotion,
28:40and forbidden love,
28:41make sure you like this video,
28:43subscribe to the channel,
28:44and drop a comment
28:45telling where you're
28:46listening from,
28:47your support keeps
28:48these stories alive,
28:49and fuels the next dark,
28:50addictive romance
28:51waiting to unfold.
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