Page 39

“Breathe.” A single word, but it carries the force of a command. “Tell me where you are.”

I glance around, taking in the faint landmarks. A boarded-up bodega. A graffiti-covered bench. “Near…sixth and Elmont. I think.”

“I’ll find you.” Then the line goes dead.

At the moment, the silence is louder than the gunfire. I grip the phone like a lifeline, leaning against the wall to steady myself. My body’s shaking, adrenaline crashing through me in waves.

A distant engine roars, growing louder with every second. I look up just as a black SUV barrels down the street, its headlights cutting through the gloom. It skids to a stop a few feet away, and the driver’s door swings open.

Remo steps out, and for a moment, I’m not sure if I’m relieved or terrified. His face is stone, his eyes like cold steel. Hedoesn’t speak, doesn’t ask questions. He just moves, crossing the distance between us in three long strides.

“You’re hurt.” His eyes sweep over me, catching on the scraped palms and smear of dirt across my cheek. “Who?”

“I don’t know.” The words tumble out, rushed and frantic. “The guard…he told me to run. Gave me a gun. Then—” My voice catches. “I don’t know what happened to him.”

Remo’s jaw tightens, a flicker of something dangerous flashing in his eyes. “Get in.”

I hesitate. “What are you—”

“Now, Daniela.” His tone leaves no room for argument.

I climb into the SUV. The leather seat is cold against my skin. Remo slides in beside me and slams the door shut. He doesn’t start the engine immediately. Instead, he pulls a phone from his pocket and types something quickly before tossing it onto the dashboard.

“What are you doing?” My voice is hoarse, barely audible.

“Calling backup.” He glances at me, his expression unreadable. “Whoever came for you isn’t getting away from this.”

The weight of his words settles into the pit of my stomach, heavy and cold. It’s not just anger that I hear in his tone. Anger would have been easier to handle, something I could push back against. This is something deeper, something darker. A promise.

I’ve seen what he does to people who make him angry. It’s not something you can unsee. The memory of it lingers, and I don’t need to ask to know what he’ll do now. Whoever’s behind this is already a dead man walking. They just don’t know it yet.

“Remo…” I trail off, unsure of what to say or even how to say it. What can you say to a man like him?

He kidnapped me. That’s how this whole mess started. But somehow, somewhere along the line, the fear I should feelaround him dissolved into something else. Something tangled and confusing.

He dropped everything to come for me. A man who operates in the shadows and rules with fear and violence, yet here he is, inches away from me, close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from him even in the cold air.

“I’m going to have my doctor come look at you.” His voice cuts through my thoughts.

I shake my head. “No, I’m fine.”

He doesn’t look convinced, his sharp eyes scanning me for any sign that I might be lying. It’s a strange thing, being scrutinized like this. He’s not looking for a way to hurt me. He’s looking for a way to protect me.

“I’m fine,” I repeat, firmer this time.

His jaw ticks, the only outward sign of the turmoil simmering beneath his controlled exterior. “Good.”

There’s a long, tense silence between us, broken only by the distant hum of the city. I want to say something, anything, to fill the void, but the words catch in my throat.

What do you say to the one person who sees you? The one who makes you feel alive in a way that terrifies you?

The one person who might understand the chaos inside you because he carries his own?

I glance down at my hands, at the faint tremor I hadn’t noticed before betraying my calm facade. “Why did you come?”

He looks at me like I’ve just asked the stupidest question in the world. “Because you called.”

It’s such a simple answer, but it lands with the weight of a confession.