His to break
e night sky like a fortress, cold,
r again, her skin raw where she had fought too hard. But the physic
wn. And if there was one thing Serena De
rm but not rough. She sensed the tension humming through him,
they walked toward a spiral staircase. "No
id of him," s
r his breath. "May
ar would only make her weak, and she couldn't afford weakness in
rs, Santi opened a doo
iture, sleek lines, and no warmth. Heavy floor-to-ceiling windows over
no's
alization he wasn't sending
ping her h
ehind her with
-
be used as a weapon. A fireplace poker rested by the hearth, heavy and
n of being Adriano'
ttered as the do
a shadow wrapped
clinging to him. His dark eyes found hers instantly, and a cruel smile tug
able, I hope,"
s gaze. "If you're waiting for m
you?" He stepped closer, his movements fluid and deliberate
down her spine. "
g her like a puzzle he intended to solve. "You're exac
control me,"
d-slow and danger
-
ould have
him that no one touches what belongs to the Varela cartel. B
orn refusal to subm
t involve dragging his daughter into this. He shoul
rust anyone els
honest, he wa
as she refused to flinch. "Why do you hate him?"
frowned
yes cold. "Why does a daughter so loyal to the De Luc
her face-pain, maybe. But it wa
g is your busi
irritation curled inside him. "Every
-
ered in her ears as
but she refused to give him t
e said, her voice sharper than in
wrong. Even if he doesn't care about
everage," s
act
he way his eyes lingered on her mouth made heat coil in
me," she whispere
anned across her lips. "No," he murmur
tension, crackling like
e stepped back-leaving he
ide otherwise," he said
-
nst the wall, watching the door t
l and back, but this keeping Ser
of losing the control that made him dangerous. And Mateo knew
this," a familia
roaching, her dark eyes glitte
admitted.
breath. "She won't last.
hidden beneath her careless tone. "You
'm not worried. No one
no was already slipping away he held his ton
careful, it would beco
-
mself a glass of whiskey, his mind
all it did was make him want to push harder to
e wors
't want
sure if he