Lethal Desires

heartbeat was so loud that each beat deafened her. She was torn between the suffocating grip of her father's world and the flickering prom

were swift and practiced. His eyes scanned the room for threats as he tried to figure out the next possible place

close to me."

they were cemented to the floor. She watched as every muscle in Luca became tensed, like they were ready for whatever came through that door. His entire bei

r father's world. It was something much deeper, something that had been building

there was a crack in his expression. "Don't make me choose, Sophia." He murmured, and it

hallway, it was slow and deliberate, li

emanating from the approaching figure, it was the same way she had sensed Luca's presence befo

a man, he was tall and broad-shouldered, and his face was obscured by shadows. His

e was deep, and it had a grueling tone. "

ysterious figure. Whoever this man was, he wasn't someone to be tri

is eyes narrowed further as he stood to face the man

antries, Giovanni. I'm h

old as she heard the

e stood, it was rigid, and it told her that this wasn't the first time he'd encountere

uca instinctively moved in front o

Luca growled wit

ad power, the same kind of power her father had, but there w

d, her voice trembled despite her

ome rare prize he was about to claim. "The syndicate doesn't just want your name, Sophia." He s

el Luca's presence, he was like a shield around her. But this man...

" the man continued, as he fixed his eye

ia's veins. What did he mean by tha

hat resembled fury. "You think you can intimidate me in my own

the muscles in his back, and it looked like it was tense with antic

took another step forward again and closed the distance between himself and Luca. The

n said. "Not when the syndicate already has plans for he

n to be passed around. She wasn't some object to be fought over. She wa

rist with gentleness as he pulled her

t voice, but it still tinged with that same dangerous edg

man in front of her making it clear she was nothing more than a prize to be claimed, Sophia knew that every choice she made from here

side her. "What if there's no way out?" she whispered, she was

htened and the look on his face

t deafening. The tension became obvious as they moved toward

e wasn't just anyone. He was part of a world she had n

r, the words of the man echoed in her mind

res skidding echoed from the outside. The building shook

t Sophia recognized instantly: Giovanni

and we don't h