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I give a quiet laugh as I exit the restaurant myself. The idea of being vulnerable, of opening myself up to someone, has always been anathema to me. But with Natalie, the rules I've lived by seem to be in constant flux, leaving me unmoored and uncertain.

The risk is enormous. Loving Natalie could be my undoing, a vulnerability the Mancini Family would exploit without hesitation. And yet, the thought of distancing myself from her, of severing this connection, fills me with a sharp sense of loss.

As I leave the restaurant, the cold night air hits like a slap, a sharp contrast to the warmth inside. And I know one thing.

This isn't a game anymore.

CHAPTER18

NATALIE

I glance at my watch as I wait at a quiet corner bodega, anticipation and unease churning inside me. It's nearly five. Alessa should be here any minute.

I pull my baseball cap a little lower and hike my hood forward over it, too. I took every precaution to evade potential tails on my way to this meeting spot. If Sam Wrighthasbeen tracking my movements, I surely lost him in the winding route I took through side streets and crowded subways.

Still, uncertainty gnaws at me, since I have no idea what Alessa has planned for Elena. This woman has a knack for keeping me off balance.

Right on time, a nondescript sedan pulls up to the curb. The tinted window lowers just enough for me to glimpse Alessa's face.

"Get in," she says briskly.

I hesitate only a moment before opening the rear door. If I've learned one thing about Alessa de Luca, it's that she doesn't wait for anyone.

I've barely closed the door before the car is gliding away from the curb. The young woman in the front seat turns around with a small, shy smile. "Hi. I'm Elena." She offers her hand between the seats and I take it, pressing it warmly.

"Hi, Elena. I'm Natalie. It's great to meet you."

It really is. This is proof in the flesh that helping Alessa was the right thing for me to do. Elena's face is bruised, but I've rarely seen anyone look happier.

Alessa meets my gaze in the rearview mirror as I sit back and put on my seat belt, her eyes unreadable.

"So where are we going?" I finally ask.

"You'll see soon enough."

The last thing I need is more secrets between us. "Alessa..."

She sighs. "Very well. We're going to pay my father a visit."

My breath stalls. "Yourfather?You mean—"

"That's right," she says quickly, with a pointed look. "The family estate on Long Island." Her smile doesn't reach her eyes. "Surprise."

I gape at her, fear and anger warring inside me. "Are you insane? Why didn't you tell me—"

"Because I knew you'd freak out," she interjects calmly, turning on the indicator and changing lanes.

"What's wrong with Alessa's father's place?" Elena asks, turning again to look at me with wide eyes.

Alessa glares at me in the rearview.

"Nothing," I say at last. "I just…don't like Long Island."

"You'll be safe, I promise," Alessa says, and Elena seems reassured by that, at least. "Daddy's lovely. You'll adore him."

I stifle my cackle of disbelief and slump back against the leather seat, pulse racing. Maybe Alessa's right, and I'm overreacting. But every instinct screams that walking right into the home of Johnny the Gentleman—not just a stone-cold killer, but my own personal kidnapper—is a spectacularly bad idea.

But as I think it through, I begin to see Alessa's thought process. At least it's well away from the city, for one thing. "And then what?" I ask.