The Devil's Bargain.

a Neapolitan evening. The streetlights cast a golden hue over the narrow alleyways, their glow dancing off cobblestones slick from a

ut it was hers-and Mateo's. She quickened her pace, mindful of the way shadows stretched and

corner,

. They didn't belong here, their sharp gazes sweeping the street with practiced indifference. One lit a cigarette,

She knew their kind

sappearances that weren't investigated. She clenched her fists, her brother's reckless face flashing i

ean much when men lik

away, they'd find her tomorrow. Or worse, they'd go

e was steady, despite the

es raking over her with a dispassionate calcul

s ask

hough there was no humor in it. "

s the devil of Naples, the heir to an empire built on blood and b

s with him," she said, fo

ed, flicking ash onto the groun

d in her ears. "

or the first time. His voice was cold, cl

ep back. "I'm no

"Look, lady, we're trying to do this the polite wa

away. If she screamed, someone might hear. But would anyone

ing her arm with surprising gentleness for a man of

curb. Its tinted windows gleamed under the streetlights, a sile

s felt different. Bigger. She didn't know what awaited her on the other si

said, her voice

won some unspoken game. He released

interior smelled of leather and danger, and the silenc

deeper into unfamiliar territory. Sophia gripped the edge of her s

g?" she asked, bre

" Luca replied, his

does he wa

a silent conversation passing between them.

eneath the surface. She was tired of being at the me

ne façade loomed in the darkness, lit by warm sconces that did little to soften its imposing

e door opened, and Luca mo

climbed out. The cool night air bit at her skin a

gilded chandeliers, and an air of old-world decadence. A staircase s

turing to a sitting area fi

r hands clasped tightly in her lap. The seconds str

lway. A figure emerged, his presence c

Car

used to having the world at his feet. His dark hair was slicked back, his sharp jawline accentuated by the faintest

silk yet carrying an edge that sent a shive

shrink under his scrutiny. "I don't know what Mat

hat didn't reach his eyes. "Bold of you to a

but she held her ground. "

s he loomed over her. "Your brother owes me a

htened. "I don

t money?" Enzo interrup

ran cold. "Wh

ed to solve. "We'll get to that. But first, let's talk abo