AldoThe call came late at night, shattering the fragile quiet that had settled over the Marcello estate. My phone buzzed on the nightstand, jarring me from a restless sleep. Instantly awake, I reached for the warbling device. Pressed it to my ear. “Marcello.”“There’s been an attack,” came the low
So, I wondered, which of those secrets had made him Rossetti’s target?And how has Rossetti learned them?I turned in my seat to regard Ethan. He met my gaze like he knew I was about to ask something of dire importance and seriousness. “How did he know?”Ethan’s dark eyes blinked against the pain.“
Layla“Just talk to him,” I insisted, giving Vanessa’s hand another little tug towards the door of Ethan’s clinic room. It’d been three days since the attack, and he was just about recovered at this point. “You’ll see he’s not a bad guy.”After I’d all but written Ethan out of my life, I couldn’t fo
“But I’m funny and charming,” Ethan said, with a smile that was indeed quite charming. “It’s okay. I don’t blame you for not being able to resist.”I groaned, trying very hard not to smile myself. “This is the worst flirting I’ve ever seen.”“It’s not flirting!” Ethan protested, lifting his hands in
EthanI got to the coffee shop far earlier than was necessary—close to an hour before Vanessa and I had decided to meet—and proceeded to sulk in the corner like a loser, downing coffee.I’d long since stopped smelling the fresh-baked goods layered behind the glass counter, and I was far too nervous
Layla“I’m pregnant.” I gripped the thin purple test stick, fingers white against the flimsy plastic. Shaking a little, from shock and another emotion I couldn’t quite name. “Holy shit. I’m pregnant.”And what a time to find out: twenty minutes before my wedding ceremony. The day my family would off
LaylaI froze. Unable to move, unable to fully process the words. Unable to recognize the cold, unfeeling man towering above me. He wore my Vasco’s face and yet, he spoke as a stranger. “We should get a divorce.”No, this couldn’t be my love. When Vasco smiled, he was the sun itself. But this man …
VascoThe wheel turned soft as butter beneath my callused hands. Of course it did. The Bentley hadn’t come cheap, but I’d settle for nothing less for my Layla.Music hummed from the speakers, soothing and subtle. Jazz, for driving mountain roads, Layla had said when she’d picked the station, and I h
EthanI got to the coffee shop far earlier than was necessary—close to an hour before Vanessa and I had decided to meet—and proceeded to sulk in the corner like a loser, downing coffee.I’d long since stopped smelling the fresh-baked goods layered behind the glass counter, and I was far too nervous
“But I’m funny and charming,” Ethan said, with a smile that was indeed quite charming. “It’s okay. I don’t blame you for not being able to resist.”I groaned, trying very hard not to smile myself. “This is the worst flirting I’ve ever seen.”“It’s not flirting!” Ethan protested, lifting his hands in
Layla“Just talk to him,” I insisted, giving Vanessa’s hand another little tug towards the door of Ethan’s clinic room. It’d been three days since the attack, and he was just about recovered at this point. “You’ll see he’s not a bad guy.”After I’d all but written Ethan out of my life, I couldn’t fo
So, I wondered, which of those secrets had made him Rossetti’s target?And how has Rossetti learned them?I turned in my seat to regard Ethan. He met my gaze like he knew I was about to ask something of dire importance and seriousness. “How did he know?”Ethan’s dark eyes blinked against the pain.“
AldoThe call came late at night, shattering the fragile quiet that had settled over the Marcello estate. My phone buzzed on the nightstand, jarring me from a restless sleep. Instantly awake, I reached for the warbling device. Pressed it to my ear. “Marcello.”“There’s been an attack,” came the low
Vanessa’s fingers squeezed mine again, but she said nothing. Didn’t argue, didn’t agree. Was she, too, thinking of the night I’d saved her? How I’d reacted with such seamless movement, no hesitation, no doubt?I’d taken out a man nearly twice my size without so much as breaking a sweat.“I’ve had de
LaylaI leaned against the marble countertop of the kitchen, watching as Vanessa diced vegetables with growing ease. The aroma of garlic and herbs filled the air, giving the kitchen a warmth I couldn’t feel reflected inside.My conversation with Ethan still sat heavy in my bones, in my heart, in my
I could barely breathe around the sudden panic in my chest. I had no words, nothing I could say, nothing I could add to this conversation.My hands shook.“It’s real evidence, Layla. I could put him away for a long, long time. Right now. I haven’t done anything yet—look. If I don’t do this, someone
LaylaThe knock on my bedroom door startled me from the book I’d been daydreaming over. Why was romance always so much easier in novels? Any fights they had were always petty and over in a few chapters.I sighed, closed the book. “Come in!”Vanessa’s dark hair appeared around the side of the door. H