Chapter 6 - UNHOLY ALLIANCES
My breath hitched in my chest. "Julian took Sam?"
"Julian doesn't care about your ex," Lorenzo said coldly, analyzing the situation with frightening intelligence. "He took him because he realizes Sam is a loose end he can use to leverage you. He thinks if he threatens your ex's life—or uses him to get to you—he can force my hand."
"Sam is a monster," I said, my voice hardening. "He destroyed my life. I don't care what happens to him."
"I know," Lorenzo replied, stepping closer to me. "But Julian doesn't know that. He assumes you still have feelings or obligations toward the man who fathered your child. He is trying to play on your grief."
Lorenzo paced across the room, his mind clearly mapping out strategic moves like a grandmaster on a chessboard. "Julian wants the cryptographic keys to the Rossi offshore accounts. Without those keys, he can't pay off the capos he turned against me. He's desperate."
"What are you going to do?" I asked, holding Leo tighter.
Lorenzo stopped pacing and turned to face me. "I am going to give him exactly what he wants. A meeting."
"It's a trap, Lorenzo!" I said, using his first name without realizing it. "He tried to burn you alive in your own house! He won't hesitate to kill you the moment he gets those keys!"
Lorenzo walked over and leaned down, placing both hands on the arms of the velvet sofa, trapping me in his magnetic presence. The scent of dark amber and rain radiated from his skin.
"No one traps me in my city, Clara," he whispered, his eyes burning with an intense, dark fire. "Julian made a fatal mistake when he targeted my son. He made an even bigger mistake when he threatened you."
My heart hammered against my chest, but this time, it wasn't out of fear. It was something deeper, something overwhelming that sent a shiver down my spine.
"What do you need me to do?" I asked quietly.
Lorenzo reached out and gently stroked my cheek with the back of his hand, his touch surprisingly soft for a man who commanded an army of killers. "I need you to stay here, behind these doors, where it is safe. I will take my men and end this tonight."
"No," I said firmly, shocking both Lorenzo and myself.
Lorenzo’s eyebrows pulled together. "No?"
"Julian thinks I'm weak. He thinks I'm just a helpless maid caught in the crossfire," I said, determination rising up from the dark depths of my soul. "If you go alone, he will expect a ambush. But if I am there... if he thinks his leverage is working, he will lower his guard."
"Absolutely not," Lorenzo snapped, his voice dropping into a harsh register. "I will not put you in danger."
"I am already in danger, Lorenzo!" I argued, standing up carefully so as not to wake the baby. "My baby girl died because I was helpless. Because I let a weak, abusive man push me around. I am done being a victim. If someone is trying to take Leo’s life—if someone is trying to destroy the only good thing left in this world—I will help you tear them down."
Lorenzo stared at me for a long, silent moment. The coldness in his eyes melted into profound awe and deep respect.
"You have the heart of a lioness, Clara," he murmured softly.
He reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a small, sleek silver handgun, holding it out to me handle-first.
"Do you know how to use one of these?" he asked.
"No," I admitted.
May you like
Lorenzo stepped behind me, wrapping his large arms around mine, lifting my hands so I held the weapon properly. His warm chest pressed against my back, his breath hot against my ear as he guided my finger to the trigger guard.
"Point," he whispered, his voice sending electricity straight down my spine. "Squeeze. Never hesitate. If anyone tries to take what is yours... you put them in the ground."
