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Short filmTranscript
00:00I'm elbow deep in a bucket of feed, swearing at a chicken.
00:03Yes, a chicken.
00:04Listen, Nugget, I'm not in the mood.
00:06I mutter as the feathery demon pecks.
00:08At my boot like it's seeking revenge for every omelette.
00:12America has ever eaten.
00:13My phone buzzes inside my back pocket.
00:16But I can't grab it without sacrificing a chunk of denim to this.
00:19Bird's homicidal tendencies.
00:21My life has officially become a sitcom, but like,
00:24the low-budget kind that never makes it past season one.
00:27I'm 26.
00:28Broke.
00:29Stranded on a sun-blasted farm outside Phoenix.
00:32And working for a woman who believes essential oils can resurrect vegetables.
00:36The chickens don't care.
00:37The sun definitely doesn't care.
00:39And the fact that my ex-boss accused me of stealing from the register,
00:43which I absolutely did not do, means
00:45I'm stuck here shoveling feed to pay for room and board.
00:49The phone keeps vibrating.
00:50Hold on!
00:51I hiss at Nugget, snatching it out.
00:53Unknown caller.
00:54Again.
00:55I ignore it.
00:56Then it rings again.
00:58Same number.
00:59Then again.
01:00Okay, seriously?
01:01I answer.
01:02If this is a warranty extension call, I swear to God.
01:06Ms. Porter?
01:07My stomach drops.
01:08The voice is male, smooth and expensive.
01:10Like leather seats and good whiskey.
01:12Uh, who is this?
01:13I ask, glancing around the silent sun-washed yard.
01:17The goats stare like they're invested.
01:19My employer would like a word.
01:21Nope!
01:22I say instantly.
01:23That sounds like the beginning of a documentary about a missing woman.
01:27Hard pass.
01:28I hang up.
01:29Two minutes later, I hear it.
01:31A low thrum in the distance.
01:33A sound that doesn't belong on a farm.
01:35I squint toward the shimmering horizon and freeze.
01:38Dust kicks up in thick golden plumes.
01:40A black SUV tears down the dirt road like it's trying to breach the sound barrier.
01:44Behind it.
01:45Oh no, no, no.
01:46A sleek helicopter drops lower.
01:48Blades cutting through the bright Arizona sky.
01:51Sunlight flashing off its sides like a warning.
01:54You've got to be kidding me.
01:55I whisper.
01:56The SUV screeches to a stop in front of me.
01:59Sending chickens scattering like they've seen the apocalypse.
02:02Three men in tailored suits step out.
02:04Suits.
02:04In 90 degree heat.
02:05On a farm.
02:06Yeah, this is definitely my life ending.
02:09I back up slowly.
02:10Nope, nope.
02:11Wrong farm.
02:12Y'all want the organic cucumber guy down the road.
02:14The tallest one lifts a hand.
02:16Brielle Porter?
02:17I swallow.
02:18Depends who's asking.
02:20We're here on behalf of Mr. Cassian Moretti.
02:23The name slams into my chest.
02:25Moretti.
02:26I've heard it whispered in the back rooms of diners.
02:29Muttered by truckers and hissed by small-time crooks.
02:32The Moretti dynasty runs half.
02:34The West Coast's underworld and owns half the legitimate businesses, too.
02:38If Amazon had a mafia division, it would be him.
02:40Yeah, okay.
02:41I say.
02:42Hands shaking only a little.
02:44Well, you can tell Mr. Moretti he's got the wrong Brielle Porter.
02:48I'm not important enough for mafia attention.
02:50I can barely afford toothpaste.
02:52One of the men steps closer.
02:54He looks like he was carved out of granite and told not to have a personality.
02:57Mr. Moretti insists.
02:59The helicopter lands in the empty pasture behind them.
03:02Grass swirling like a golden tornado.
03:04A goat faints.
03:05I relate deeply.
03:07I'm not going anywhere with you.
03:09I say.
03:10Voice cracking the tiniest bit.
03:12I have chores.
03:14Chores.
03:15I actually said that.
03:16He raises an eyebrow.
03:18You're being escorted.
03:20Voluntarily or not.
03:21Are those my only two options?
03:23Yes.
03:23I open my mouth to scream.
03:26And then the phone buzzes again in my hand.
03:29Same number.
03:29I answer because apparently I hate myself.
03:32A voice slides through the speaker like warm honey with razor edges.
03:36Deep, calm, confident.
03:37Young.
03:37But with the kind of authority that makes your spine straighten.
03:41Brielle.
03:42My knees weaken.
03:43I grip the fence behind me.
03:45Who is this?
03:46I whisper.
03:47You know, he says.
03:49And I do.
03:50Somehow I do.
03:51Cassian Moretti.
03:52The Don.
03:53The man whose name carries fear like a shadow.
03:56I'm not getting into a helicopter for you, I say, trying to sound brave.
04:00That's how people end up on missing posters.
04:03I didn't send my men to kidnap you, he replies.
04:06I sent them to protect you.
04:08From what?
04:09Rampaging chickens?
04:10His sigh is soft, amused.
04:12Someone at your former workplace sold your information.
04:15I intercepted it before it reached the wrong hands.
04:18You need to come with my men.
04:19Now.
04:20My lungs freeze.
04:22You hacked my old job?
04:23I don't hack, he says calmly.
04:25My people do.
04:27Why me?
04:28My voice shakes before I can stop it.
04:30I'm not important.
04:31A pause.
04:32Then.
04:33You became important the moment you stood up to a man I needed exposed.
04:37My brain does a half-skip.
04:39What man?
04:40That's a longer conversation, he says.
04:43And we're running out of time.
04:45My hands sweat.
04:46My heartbeat tries to climb out of my throat.
04:48I look at the helicopter.
04:50Its sleek white body gleaming in the sun.
04:53Its blades flashing like an urgent signal.
04:55I'm nobody.
04:56I'm broke.
04:57I'm covered in chicken feed.
04:58I don't belong anywhere near this man's orbit.
05:01I'm not some damsel, I say, voice trembling more from adrenaline than fear.
05:06I'm not yours to just collect.
05:08His voice drops to a low, lethal softness that sends heat racing down my spine.
05:13I don't collect people, Brielle.
05:14And if I wanted to force you, you'd already be in that helicopter.
05:18A chill races through me.
05:20But I'm offering you safety, he adds.
05:23Not chains.
05:24I swallow hard.
05:25My mouth is dry as dust.
05:27This is crazy, I whisper.
05:29I don't even know you.
05:31You will, he replies.
05:33Bring her.
05:34The call ends.
05:36The suited men approach.
05:37Panic spikes.
05:38I dart backward toward the barn.
05:40But the ground slopes.
05:42My foot catches on a sprinkler hose and I stumble.
05:44Strong arms catch me before I hit the dirt.
05:47I can walk.
05:48I snap automatically.
05:49I don't need...
05:50Hey, put me down.
05:52The man hauling me doesn't even flinch.
05:54Mr. Moretti said not to let you get hurt.
05:56That hose attacked me.
05:58That's not being hurt.
05:59He sets me on my feet near the open helicopter door.
06:02The wind from the blades whips my hair everywhere.
06:05This is insane, I mutter, trying to brace myself.
06:09Completely insane.
06:10One of the men hands me a headset.
06:13You'll be safe, he says.
06:15Mr. Moretti doesn't make idle promises.
06:17Great, I say shakily.
06:19Is that supposed to comfort me?
06:21He shrugs.
06:22Usually does.
06:23I'm sweating.
06:24Shaking.
06:25Half convinced I'm dreaming.
06:26But the other half, the reckless half, the curious half,
06:30the part of me that's always wanted to escape this dead-end life,
06:33is screaming get in.
06:35I take a deep breath, taste dust and sunlight,
06:38and climb into the helicopter.
06:40The men strap me in.
06:41The door shuts with a metallic finality that echoes through my skull.
06:45The helicopter lifts.
06:46Smoothly.
06:47Powerfully.
06:48As if gravity suddenly got the day off.
06:50The farm shrinks beneath me.
06:52The field stretching out like a patchwork quilt under the blazing sun.
06:56My heart pounds.
06:57Then, my phone vibrates.
06:59A new text.
07:00Unknown.
07:01Good girl.
07:02Heat floods my cheeks.
07:04My pulse stutters.
07:05I should be terrified.
07:07I should be planning my escape.
07:08Instead, I stare at those two words and feel something dangerously close to anticipation.
07:14The helicopter banks toward Phoenix's skyline.
07:17Gleaming skyscrapers.
07:19Glittering glass.
07:20Bright heat shimmering off every rooftop.
07:22And I realize something with a jolt.
07:25Whatever's waiting for me down there.
07:27I'm not ready.
07:28But I'm going anyway.
07:29Because the moment Cassie and Moretti decided I mattered,
07:32my life stopped belonging to the farm.
07:34And started belonging to something much, much bigger.
07:36Something I'm pretty sure I'm not walking away from.
07:39Not anymore.
07:40I've been in cars before.
07:42I've even been in one plane.
07:43Once.
07:44When.
07:44I was ten and thought pretzels were gourmet cuisine.
07:47But nothing.
07:48Absolutely nothing.
07:49Compares to stepping.
07:51Out of that helicopter onto the rooftop.
07:53Helipad of a glass building in the middle of downtown Phoenix.
07:57Sunlight blasting off chrome rails.
07:59And a hot breeze whipping.
08:00My hair in every direction, like.
08:02I'm in a shampoo commercial gone rogue.
08:05The second my boots hit the ground.
08:07Two men in gray suits flank me like I'm important.
08:09I'm not important.
08:10I'm a farmhand who got bullied by a chicken two hours ago.
08:13Uh, this feels illegal.
08:15I mutter as they escort me toward the rooftop door.
08:18One of them.
08:19A guy with a buzz cut and a jaw that could cut granite.
08:23Just says,
08:24Mr. Moretti is waiting.
08:25Those words shouldn't make my stomach flip.
08:28They do anyway.
08:29We move down sleek glass hallways.
08:31All bright sunlight.
08:32Marble floors.
08:33And indoor plants that cost more than my entire life.
08:36Every employee we pass stiffens.
08:38When they see us, like.
08:40Standing this close to Cassian.
08:41Moretti's people is a health risk.
08:44Finally, a set of frosted glass doors slide open and I find myself in an office the size
08:48of my childhood house.
08:50Sunlight floods everything.
08:51Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the city.
08:54The desert stretching out far beyond it like a golden sea.
08:57And he's there.
08:59Cassian Moretti.
09:00Sitting on the edge of a wooden desk polished enough to blind someone.
09:03His sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
09:06Revealing the ink winding over his forearms.
09:09Dark.
09:10Sharp.
09:11Elegant.
09:12Tattoos that look custom made.
09:14Like every line was drawn with intention.
09:16His watch gleams under the sun.
09:19Some expensive piece of machinery that probably costs more than my liver.
09:22He's early thirties, tall.
09:24Lean muscle under a crisp white shirt.
09:26Dark hair brushed back with that effortless billionaire precision.
09:29His expression.
09:31Calm.
09:32Controlled.
09:33Dangerous in the quietest way.
09:34And his eyes.
09:35God help me, are on me.
09:37Brielle.
09:38He says.
09:39Like my name is an answer to a question he's been carrying.
09:42I halt so abruptly the guards nearly collide with me.
09:45Hi.
09:46I say, immediately wanting to punch myself.
09:49Uh, thanks for the lift?
09:50His mouth curves.
09:52Not a smile, just the ghost of one.
09:54It was necessary.
09:56I don't know who sold my info.
09:57I blurt before I lose nerve.
10:00Or who wanted it.
10:02But I swear I didn't steal anything from that diner.
10:04I didn't do anything to deserve whatever this is.
10:08No.
10:08He says softly.
10:10You didn't?
10:11Then he stands and wow.
10:12Okay, he's tall, tall.
10:14Broad shoulders tall.
10:16Intimidating enough to make your ancestors.
10:19Sweat.
10:20Tall.
10:21He nods at his men.
10:22They retreat silently.
10:24The doors whisper shut behind them.
10:26And then it's just him and me.
10:27I should be scared.
10:29I should be panicking.
10:30But all I feel is this electric, charged awareness spreading through the room like wildfire.
10:35Start from the beginning, he says.
10:37Tell me what happened.
10:39So I do.
10:40I tell him everything.
10:42From getting fired for a theft I didn't commit.
10:45To the farm job.
10:46To the constant spam calls from that unknown number.
10:49Cassian listens without interrupting.
10:51Hands in his pockets.
10:52Gaze fixed completely on me like I'm the only thing he's focusing on today.
10:56When I finish, he nods slowly.
10:58I knew the moment your name came across my desk, he says.
11:02That someone was setting you up.
11:04For what?
11:05A diversion, he replies.
11:07Someone wanted a scapegoat.
11:09An easy target with less protection than my enemies.
11:12Me?
11:12Why me?
11:13Because you're ordinary, he says gently.
11:16And extraordinary people hide very well inside ordinary lives.
11:20My cheeks flame.
11:22And because you stood up to someone no one else would.
11:25I blink.
11:25Who?
11:26Leonard Hale, your former manager.
11:28I snort.
11:30The guy who microwaves fish during lunch break?
11:32Yeah, I stood up to him because he was...
11:34Screaming at an elderly.
11:35Customer for asking for extra ice.
11:38Cassian nods.
11:39Hale launders money for a rival family.
11:41I've been waiting for him to slip up.
11:43He noticed you watching him.
11:44And he noticed you're not easily intimidated.
11:47My brows rise.
11:48Really?
11:49Because I literally tried to run from a chicken this morning.
11:52That earns a real smile from him.
11:54Wolfish, faint, devastating.
11:57You have courage, he says.
11:59More than you realize.
12:00Okay, my heart needs to calm down.
12:03Right now it's doing some sort of Olympic gymnastics routine.
12:06So what now?
12:07I ask, crossing my arms to look less like I'm melting.
12:11I just stay here, Hyde?
12:12No, he says.
12:14You stay with me.
12:15I choke on air.
12:17With you?
12:18Temporarily.
12:19This is insane.
12:21Yes, he says simply.
12:23But it is the safest option.
12:25I look around his sunlit empire of an office.
12:28Safe for who?
12:29You?
12:29Your enemies?
12:30Or me?
12:31He steps closer, slow, steady.
12:33The kind of movement that makes your breath catch before your brain figures out why.
12:37For you, he says quietly.
12:39Always for you.
12:40And then his phone buzzes.
12:42He answers it with that smooth, low authority that makes grown men fold like cheap lawn chairs.
12:47While he talks, I wander toward the window.
12:50The city spreads below, glittering under the midday sun.
12:53Cars weave through the streets.
12:54People rush along sidewalks, life happening entirely unaware that I'm up here having a crisis with the mafia.
13:01Don who looks like a sinful daydream.
13:03When he returns, his jaw is tight.
13:05What happened?
13:06I ask, nerves spiking.
13:08My rival just made a move, he says.
13:10Hale is trying to disappear within the hour.
13:13Disappear as in...
13:14Leave the country?
13:16Oh, cool.
13:16Totally normal day stuff.
13:18He gives me a look that's half exasperated, half amused.
13:21You're not afraid of me, are you?
13:23Should I be?
13:24Most people are.
13:25Yeah, well, most people don't get kidnapped by your helicopter on a Tuesday.
13:30His eyes narrow slightly, like he's trying to read.
13:32A book written in a language.
13:34He usually masters, but suddenly can't.
13:36It wasn't a kidnapping.
13:38Tomato, tomato.
13:40He steps closer again.
13:41The sunlight catches the ink swirling up his forearm.
13:44You're not leaving my side today.
13:46Because I'm bait?
13:47No.
13:48Because I don't trust anyone else to keep you alive.
13:51My stomach dips way too dramatically for someone who should be terrified.
13:55He extends a hand.
13:56Come with me.
13:58I stare at it.
13:59I promise daylight, he adds softly.
14:01He knows the rules of this moment.
14:04No shadows.
14:05No hidden corners.
14:06No fear disguised as romance.
14:07I place my hand in his.
14:10Electricity, real or imagined, shoots through my arm.
14:14His palm is warm, steady, grounding.
14:16Where are we going?
14:17I ask.
14:18To the ranch outside the city, he says.
14:21The safest place I own.
14:22Of course you own a ranch.
14:24I own five.
14:25I blink.
14:26That seems excessive.
14:28Not when you have enemies.
14:30He leads me out of the office.
14:31Down to the private parking level where a glossy black SUV waits.
14:35The Arizona sun pours over us like molten gold.
14:38Inside the car.
14:39He sits beside me.
14:41Not across, not diagonally.
14:42But right there next to me like he wants to make sure I don't disappear.
14:46As we drive, I steal a glance at him.
14:48He's staring out the window, jaw tight, brows drawn, like he's thinking about a thousand
14:53things at once.
14:55I break the silence.
14:56So, this is your life?
14:58Helicopters and rivals and money laundering diner managers?
15:01He gives a humorless huff.
15:03Pretty much.
15:04And you're just…
15:05Calm about all this?
15:07No, he admits.
15:08I've learned to appear calm.
15:10Is that your superpower?
15:12His lips twitch.
15:13That and buying people's loyalty.
15:16Your honesty is alarming.
15:17Most people prefer it.
15:19I look out the window, too, watching the desert roll by.
15:22Cactus silhouettes.
15:24Dusty hills.
15:25Sun shimmering off the asphalt.
15:27But my attention keeps drifting back to him.
15:30How long do I stay with you?
15:31I ask quietly.
15:33His gaze shifts to me, softening in a way I don't expect.
15:36Until you're safe.
15:37And then?
15:39He considers me carefully.
15:40And then we see what you want.
15:42Heat blooms in my chest.
15:44The SUV turns off the road onto a long private driveway lined with Palo Verde trees and sprawling
15:49desert flowers.
15:50At the top of the hill sits a massive ranch house, white and sunlit, with wide porches
15:55and a breeze that carries the scent of sage.
15:57Guards stand outside.
15:59Horses graze in the paddock.
16:01Everything looks bright, open.
16:03Warm.
16:04Not at all what I expected for a mafia safehouse.
16:07Cassian steps out and offers his hand again.
16:09You first, he says.
16:11You really like giving orders, don't you?
16:13I tease.
16:14He leans closer, lowering his voice.
16:17Only when they keep you alive.
16:19My heart does that flip again.
16:20Inside the house is modern, airy, sun-drenched.
16:24Floor-to-ceiling windows.
16:25Soft leather furniture.
16:27Polished wood.
16:28Sunlight everywhere.
16:29He leads me to a wide living area where maps lie spread across a table.
16:34Brielle, he says gently.
16:35Sit.
16:36I'm not a dog.
16:38His lips twitch.
16:39Sit anyway.
16:40I do.
16:41Mostly because my legs feel like noodles.
16:44He stands across from me.
16:45Someone targeted you because you were alone.
16:48Because you were easy to frame.
16:50Story of my life.
16:51Not anymore.
16:52He says it with a certainty that sends goosebumps racing up my arms.
16:56No more being used.
16:58No more being pushed around.
17:00I won't allow it.
17:01I narrow my eyes.
17:02I'm not your project.
17:04No, he says, voice dropping.
17:06You're something else.
17:08What?
17:09He searches my face.
17:10For once, the dawn looks...
17:12Unsettled.
17:13Unsure.
17:14And that's when it hits me.
17:15I'm not the only one spiraling.
17:17He's fighting something, too.
17:18Something he doesn't want to name.
17:20Before I can figure out what to say, one of his men rushes in.
17:24Sir, Hale's men were spotted heading toward the city.
17:27Cassian straightens.
17:29In daylight?
17:30Yes, sir.
17:31Idiots, he mutters.
17:33Then he glances at me.
17:34Just once.
17:35Like he's checking that I'm still breathing.
17:38We're doing this my way, he says.
17:40No running.
17:41No hiding.
17:42And no shadows.
17:43He turns to the guard.
17:44Prep the team.
17:46Then to me, stay where I can see you.
17:48And he walks out into the blazing sunlight.
17:51Ready to protect me from danger I didn't even know existed yesterday.
17:54And I sit there, heart pounding, realizing one terrifying truth.
17:59I trust him.
18:00God help me.
18:01I trust him.
18:02I don't sit still for long.
18:03Cassian might have said, stay where I can see you.
18:06But the ranch living room feels too big.
18:08Too quiet.
18:09Too bright with all those windows.
18:10Like the sun itself is watching me panic.
18:13And panic I do.
18:14In the most polite, responsible way possible.
18:17Pacing like an anxious poodle.
18:19From outside, through the open porch doors,
18:22I hear Cassian's men prepping vehicles.
18:24Engines revving.
18:26Radio chatter.
18:27Boots on gravel.
18:28It's all happening under that relentless Arizona sun.
18:31The heat shimmering across the ground like the whole world is vibrating.
18:34I want to help.
18:35I want to do something.
18:36But everything about this feels like a movie I wasn't cast for.
18:40Finally, I step onto the porch.
18:42Cassian stands near one of the SUVs.
18:45Sunglasses on, sleeves rolled.
18:47Tattoos catching the sunlight like black fire.
18:49He speaks quietly to his men, hands in his pockets.
18:52Posture relaxed, but lethal in that calm,
18:55controlled way that only he could pull off well.
18:57Planning to intercept a rival in broad daylight.
19:00He turns the moment he senses me.
19:02His eyes, dark, sharp knowing, lock onto mine.
19:05You're supposed to be inside, he says.
19:07But there's a softness in his voice that ruins the scolding.
19:11I'm not good at waiting, I shoot back.
19:13A faint smile touches his lips.
19:15Noted.
19:16His men finish loading gear.
19:18He waves them toward the vehicles.
19:20They move instantly, like well-trained shadows under the sun.
19:24Then Cassian walks up to me.
19:26Close, too close.
19:27Close enough that the heat of the day mixes with the heat rolling off him.
19:31Making me dizzy.
19:32I'm going to handle this, he says.
19:34You'll stay here with two guards.
19:36No.
19:38The word slips out before I can stop it.
19:40His brows lift.
19:42No.
19:43I'm done hiding, I say.
19:44I'm done being the girl everyone
19:46thinks is harmless enough to work on a farm
19:49or take the fall for a diner robbery or get stomped.
19:52Owned by anyone with an ego problem.
19:54His jaw tightens.
19:56This isn't about ego.
19:57It's about keeping you alive.
19:59And this isn't just about me anymore.
20:01I fire back.
20:03Hale tried to frame me because he thought I was the easiest target.
20:06If I keep hiding, I prove him right.
20:09Silence hangs between us.
20:10The bright sunlight.
20:12The heat.
20:13The sounds of horses out back.
20:15It all presses in, waiting for his answer.
20:18Brielle?
20:19His voice is low, rough around the edges.
20:22You're not trained for this world.
20:24Good thing I don't plan on shooting anybody.
20:26He steps closer, his hand brushing mine.
20:29A light, accidental touch that definitely isn't accidental.
20:33You're staying, he says.
20:35And you're bossy, I reply.
20:37A muscle twitches in his cheek, like he's trying not to smile.
20:41I could order my men to keep you inside.
20:43You could, I say.
20:44But you won't.
20:46Why not?
20:47Because you know I'm right.
20:49We stare at each other.
20:50The air between us feels tight, electric.
20:53Finally, he exhales sharply.
20:55Fine.
20:56But you stay in the car.
20:57You don't move unless I tell you.
20:59I grin.
21:00Teamwork.
21:01He scrubs a hand over his face.
21:03God help me.
21:04Ten minutes later.
21:05I'm sitting shotgun in Cassian's SUV.
21:08Seatbelt on so tight it might fuse with my ribcage.
21:11Cassian drives.
21:12The sun floods everything.
21:14Sidewalks.
21:14Rooftops.
21:15Every car that glints as we speed through the outer edge of Phoenix.
21:19His men follow behind us in two more vehicles.
21:21He's silent, jaw set, eyes sharp behind his sunglasses.
21:25I break first.
21:27You okay?
21:27I'm focused.
21:29That's rich guy code for I'm one minor inconvenience away from losing it.
21:33Right?
21:34He glances at me.
21:35Not everything is coded.
21:37Right.
21:38You're super emotionally transparent.
21:40His lips twitch.
21:42You're not afraid of me at all, are you?
21:44Should I be?
21:45Most people are.
21:47Most people didn't get farmhand level humbled by their own chickens before meeting you.
21:52He huffs out something dangerously close to a laugh.
21:55You're unbelievable.
21:57I try.
21:58He shakes his head, but tension eases from his shoulders.
22:01And for a moment, I see it.
22:03The man behind the dawn.
22:04The one who somehow cares enough.
22:06About a broke, farm-dusted woman that he sent a helicopter for her.
22:11We pull into a shopping center.
22:13Middle of the day.
22:14Families walking around.
22:15Teens carrying iced coffees.
22:17A bright, sunlit, aggressively normal setting.
22:20Except Hale's men are here.
22:21Cassian spots them first.
22:23Stay in the car.
22:24He murmurs.
22:25No matter what happens.
22:27He's out of the vehicle before I can answer.
22:29Moving with a purpose that sends every nerve in my body into overdrive.
22:33His men spill out behind him.
22:35Hale is standing near a white pickup truck.
22:37Sweating bullets in the noon sun.
22:40When he sees Cassian, he pales.
22:41Actually, pales.
22:43His knees wobble.
22:43Cassian approaches him like he's discussing brunch reservations.
22:47Not betrayal.
22:49You tried to disappear.
22:50Cassian says.
22:52Hale swallows.
22:53I-I didn't-
22:54Cassian tilts his head.
22:56Don't lie.
22:57It's insulting.
22:58I crack the window to listen, heart hammering.
23:01Hale's gaze darts around and, unfortunately, lands on me.
23:04There she is, he spits.
23:07The girl who caused all this.
23:09Excuse me?
23:10I jump out of the car before I can think.
23:12Cassian turns so fast a bird flying overhead probably flinches.
23:16What did I say?
23:17He murmurs.
23:18I stayed in the car.
23:20I whisper back.
23:21Technically.
23:22Until he opened his mouth.
23:24He presses his lips together like he's fighting both rage and laughter.
23:27Hale points a trembling finger at me.
23:30You got me in trouble with the wrong people.
23:33I step forward before Cassian can stop me.
23:36Dude, I stood up to you.
23:37Because you harassed a 70-year-old.
23:39Woman for asking for extra ice.
23:41Don't make it sound like I launched a coup.
23:43You were watching me.
23:45Hale insists.
23:46Yeah.
23:47Because you counted cash like you were doing interpretive dance.
23:50Behind me, Cassian actually chokes back a laugh.
23:54His men shift, trying not to smile.
23:56Hale's face turns red.
23:58You think this is funny?
23:59You ruined everything!
24:01No.
24:02Cassian says, stepping forward, voice like quiet thunder.
24:05You ruined everything when you targeted someone under my protection.
24:09Before Hale can respond, one of his men reaches for something in the truck.
24:13And everything explodes into motion.
24:16Cassian grabs my arm and pulls me behind him, shielding me with his body.
24:20His men advance instantly.
24:22Sunlight flashing off weapons.
24:24Not guns pointed, but held low.
24:26Ready.
24:27Stop!
24:28Cassian commands.
24:29And the world freezes.
24:31Hale's man lifts his hands.
24:32It's just a phone.
24:34Cassian doesn't buy it.
24:35He steps forward, still keeping one hand behind him, keeping me shielded.
24:40You don't reach into a car when my people are surrounding you.
24:43The man drops the phone like it burned him.
24:46Cassian's men search the truck.
24:48It's clean, one of them calls.
24:50Cassian turns to Hale.
24:51All you had to do was stay quiet, he says.
24:54But you tried to run.
24:56And you dragged her into it.
24:57Hale's panic spikes.
24:59I didn't know she mattered.
25:01Cassian glances back at me.
25:03And the way he looks at me.
25:04Sunlight catching the edge of his smile.
25:07Something raw and complicated stirring in his eyes.
25:10Tells me Hale is wrong.
25:12Very wrong.
25:13She matters, Cassian says.
25:15My breath catches.
25:17And she's coming with me.
25:18He takes my hand and leads me away, leaving Hale to be handled by his men.
25:23As we walk, sunlight warm on my back, my heart hits a dangerous rhythm.
25:28Cassian opens the SUV door for me.
25:30You risked yourself, he murmurs once we're inside.
25:34So did you, I say softly.
25:36He exhales.
25:38That's my job.
25:39And what's mine?
25:40His jaw tightens.
25:42To stay alive.
25:43That sounds like a partnership.
25:45I tease.
25:46He turns to me fully.
25:48It's more than that.
25:49My heart skips.
25:51He takes off his sunglasses and there it is.
25:53His real face.
25:55Nothing shielded.
25:56Just a man who has spent his entire life keeping the world at a distance.
26:00And now he's looking at me like I'm not part of that world.
26:03Like I'm outside it.
26:04Above it.
26:05Brielle.
26:06He says quietly.
26:07If I choose power, I lose you.
26:10My breath stutters.
26:11And if I choose you, I lose everything else.
26:14The world feels still.
26:15Even the sunlight feels suspended.
26:18So choose, I whisper.
26:19He studies me.
26:20Long.
26:21Deep.
26:22Like he's memorizing every breath I take.
26:24Then he reaches across the console and cups my face gently.
26:28Carefully like he's afraid I'll break.
26:30I choose you, he says.
26:32Every time.
26:33Something inside me detonates.
26:34Not fear.
26:35Not danger.
26:36But relief.
26:38Joy.
26:38Hope.
26:39All the things I didn't know I wanted.
26:41He leans closer, his forehead touching mine.
26:44The sun pouring into the car like a blessing.
26:46I don't know how to do this, he admits.
26:49I've never loved someone.
26:51My heart slams.
26:53Well, I whisper, good news.
26:55I haven't either.
26:56So we can be terrible at it together.
26:58His soft huff of laughter warms my cheek.
27:01Then he kisses me.
27:02Sunlit.
27:03Certain.
27:04Devastatingly gentle.
27:05The kind of kiss that rewires your entire life.
27:07When he pulls back, his voice is a rough whisper.
27:10You're not going back to that farm.
27:12I figured.
27:13You're staying with me.
27:15Is that a command?
27:16No.
27:17He threads his fingers through mine.
27:19A request.
27:21I squeeze his hand.
27:22Then the answer's yes.
27:24He exhales.
27:25Like he's been holding his breath since the moment he heard my name on that hacked report.
27:30Outside, his men start their engines.
27:32Inside, Cassian presses a kiss to my forehead.
27:35Sunglasses dangling from his other hand.
27:37We move forward, he says.
27:39Together, I add.
27:40His smile, small, real, makes my chest tighten.
27:44Together.
27:45And as he drives us away under the wide, brilliant Arizona sky.
27:49Sunlight flooding the world with hope and heat.
27:52I realize something.
27:53I may have started on a dusty farm fighting chickens.
27:56But I'm ending here.
27:58With him.
27:59Chosen.
28:00Safe.
28:00Wanted.
28:01And completely, irrevocably his.
28:03I always thought the moment after a life-threatening crisis would feel quieter.
28:09Like the world would give me a break.
28:11Maybe send a rainbow or a coupon for free therapy.
28:13Instead, I'm sitting in the passenger seat of Cassian Moretti's SUV while he drives us
28:18back to the ranch.
28:19With the same calm intensity of a man who multitasks murder investigations.
28:24The way normal people multitask laundry.
28:26The sun is high.
28:28The desert is glowing like a giant heat lamp.
28:30And my heart is doing its best impression of a jackhammer.
28:33I stare at him.
28:35He feels me staring.
28:36He doesn't look away from the road.
28:38You're thinking too loudly.
28:40Sorry, I mutter.
28:41I didn't know my brain had a volume setting.
28:44You're practically shouting.
28:46Well, I'm processing.
28:48I was kidnapped by a helicopter.
28:50Then rescued.
28:51Then kissed.
28:51Then almost shot at.
28:52Which, sorry, still counts as cardio.
28:55His jaw softens.
28:56And I catch the faintest smile.
28:58You handled everything better than half my men.
29:02That's a terrible sign for your men, I say.
29:05He huffs a laugh.
29:06You're not funny.
29:08You're lying.
29:09He doesn't deny it.
29:10We pull into the ranch driveway.
29:12Sunlight bouncing off the white.
29:14Paint and polished metal like we're arriving.
29:17At a very bougie spa.
29:18Rather than a mafia safe house.
29:20As soon as we stop, two guards approach.
29:23Cassian steps out first.
29:24Scanning the horizon with that instinctive alertness that looks more like breathing than effort.
29:29I climb out too.
29:31And he instantly moves to my side.
29:33Hand brushing my lower back.
29:35Not possessive.
29:36But protective.
29:37Grounding.
29:38Irritatingly comforting.
29:40Inside, he murmurs.
29:41I want you where I can control the environment.
29:44What am I, an emotional support cactus?
29:46His gaze flicks to me.
29:48Warm.
29:49Dangerous.
29:50Soft.
29:51Soft.
29:51All at once.
29:52No.
29:53You're the only variable I actually care about.
29:56My cheeks combust.
29:57Again.
29:58Inside, the ranch is bright and open.
30:00Sunlight pouring through every massive window.
30:03Someone brewed coffee.
30:04And the smell drifts through the air like a peace offering from the universe.
30:08Cassian leads me to the kitchen table.
30:10Sit, he says.
30:12I arch a brow.
30:13I'm not a dog.
30:15Sit, Brielle.
30:16My god, you're bossy.
30:17He leans down slightly.
30:18I just watched a rival pull something from a truck while you sprinted.
30:23Toward danger like it was a Black Friday sale.
30:26Sit.
30:26Okay, fair.
30:27I sit.
30:28He stays standing, arms crossed, framed by a beam of sunlight that hits his tattoos like
30:33spilled ink.
30:34His shirt sleeves still rolled up.
30:36His hair perfect in that annoyingly effortless way.
30:39Are you hurt?
30:40He asks, voice low.
30:42No.
30:43Shaken?
30:44Maybe.
30:45He nods once.
30:46Good.
30:47That means you're not numb.
30:48I'm not fragile either.
30:50I snap.
30:51I never said you were.
30:52You treat me like I'm...
30:54I treat you like you matter.
30:56His voice cuts through the room.
30:58Too honest.
30:59Too sharp.
31:00You want to pick a fight?
31:01Fine.
31:02But not about that.
31:03Well.
31:04Okay, then.
31:04He pulls out the chair across from me but doesn't sit yet.
31:07He studies me like he's trying to figure out what to do.
31:10With a live grenade that keeps making jokes.
31:12Finally, he says, eat something.
31:15I'm not hungry.
31:16You haven't eaten since this morning.
31:18And you haven't eaten at all.
31:20I don't eat when things are unstable.
31:22I roll my eyes.
31:23That's not healthy.
31:25Neither is you being targeted by a rival organization.
31:28He counters.
31:29He turns toward the fridge.
31:31And now I'm making you a sandwich.
31:34I blink.
31:34Hold on.
31:35The mafia dawn.
31:37The fear, dangerous.
31:38Whisper his name and people get hives dawn, make sandwiches?
31:41I'm capable of basic motor skills.
31:43He pulls out bread, turkey, lettuce, tomatoes that look suspiciously organic, and some fancy
31:50mustard in a bottle so aesthetic it could have an Instagram account.
31:53I watch, stunned, as he assembles a sandwich with the precision of a man who probably signs
31:58billion-dollar contracts before breakfast.
32:00He sets it in front of me.
32:01I stare at it.
32:04Eat, he says.
32:05Are you going to watch me?
32:06Yes.
32:07This is weird.
32:09Eat anyway.
32:10I take a bite.
32:11It's really good.
32:13He finally sits.
32:14For a moment, we're quiet.
32:16The sunlight glows across the table, catching dust motes that drift like lazy sparks.
32:21Then he clears his throat.
32:22Brielle, I need to ask you something.
32:25My stomach flips.
32:26Is it scary?
32:27Yes.
32:28Oh, great.
32:30He leans forward, elbows on his knees.
32:32When Hale saw you.
32:34When he pointed at you.
32:35You didn't flinch.
32:37Should I have?
32:38You stepped toward him.
32:39Well, someone had to shut down his meltdown.
32:42Cassian shakes his head, almost in disbelief.
32:45You confronted a man trying to run from my organization.
32:48Yeah, well, he was being dramatic.
32:50His eyes soften, sharp edges blurring.
32:53You weren't afraid.
32:54I was terrified, I admit quietly.
32:57I just moved anyway.
32:59He studies my face like that's the most interesting sentence he's ever heard.
33:03That's why you can't go home, he says softly.
33:06I stiffen.
33:07I don't live here, Cassian.
33:09You do now.
33:10No.
33:11You protected me and I'm grateful, but I'm not just going to—
33:14You think this is about gratitude?
33:16He interrupts.
33:17You think I'm asking because it's convenient?
33:20I think you're used to getting what you want, I say.
33:22He leans in, voice low and intense.
33:26Not with you.
33:27Something cracks inside me.
33:29Something small, frightened, hopeful.
33:31I look away.
33:32The sun catches my eyes, forcing me to blink.
33:35I don't want to be your weakness, Cassian.
33:37You're not.
33:39His tone shifts.
33:40Still soft, but deadly serious.
33:43You're the first thing in my life that feels like a choice instead of an obligation.
33:47Oh, oh no.
33:48My heart can't handle that sentence in broad daylight.
33:51Before I can respond, the front door bursts open and one of his men rushes in.
33:56Sir, we have a problem.
33:57Cassian stands instantly, shoulders tightening.
34:00What happened?
34:02One of Hale's associates slipped surveillance.
34:04He left the area before we arrived.
34:06Where is he now?
34:08Phoenix.
34:09Heading toward the farm.
34:10My farm.
34:11My blood goes cold.
34:12Cassian turns to me.
34:14His voice is the calm before an explosion.
34:15Did you leave anything there?
34:18Anything they could use?
34:19I think.
34:20I search my memory.
34:21And then, my old phone.
34:23I breathe.
34:24In the barn.
34:25I dropped it a few days ago and forgot about it.
34:27Cassian's jaw locks.
34:29Then they know where to find you.
34:31Fear spikes through me.
34:32Sharp, instant, primal.
34:34Cassian moves before I can panic.
34:36Get the team ready, he orders.
34:38We leave now.
34:40I stand as he reaches me.
34:42Hands on my shoulders.
34:43Grounding me again.
34:44You're safe, he says.
34:47You're with me.
34:48His thumb brushes my jaw.
34:50I swallow.
34:51Can we make it in time?
34:53Yes.
34:54How do you know?
34:55He steps closer, forehead nearly touching mine.
34:58Because I don't lose the people I care about.
35:01I inhale sharply.
35:02And then...
35:03He kisses me.
35:05Not rushed.
35:06Not desperate.
35:06Just slow, steady certainty.
35:08Sun warm and fierce.
35:10His hand cups the back of my neck.
35:12My fingers clutch his shirt.
35:13When he pulls back, his voice is raw.
35:16Stay close to me.
35:17Do exactly what I say.
35:19I nod, dazed.
35:20Okay.
35:21He turns toward the door.
35:23Let's end this.
35:24Sunlight pours into the entryway as he leads me out.
35:27Toward the vehicles.
35:29The danger.
35:30The confrontation waiting under a blazing Arizona sky.
35:34And as I follow him, heart pounding.
35:36Adrenaline spiking.
35:38One thing becomes crystal clear.
35:39I'm not the girl who got pushed around by a chicken anymore.
35:43I'm the girl the Mafia Dawn will burn the world to protect.
35:46And I'm done running.
35:47If you enjoyed this story, don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe.
35:52It helps more than you know.
35:54Tell me your favorite moment.
35:55Your favorite line.
35:57Or which character you want to see again.
35:58I absolutely love reading your thoughts.
36:01And if you want more sunlit, cinematic Mafia romances just like this one,
36:05make sure to turn on notifications so you never miss a new chapter.
36:09Thanks for listening.
36:10You're the best.
36:10You're the best.
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