Page 24 of Damon

Before I can speak, his phone rings. The jarring sound cuts through the humid air. He steps back like I've burned him, answering the call without looking away from me.

"Lombardi."

I can hear the voice on the other end, urgent and loud, but I can't make out the words. Whatever it is, it makes Damon's expression go cold.

"When?" he asks. "How many?"

More talking from the other end.

"Fuck. Okay, double the perimeter. Nobody gets within a mile of this place without my knowing about it."

He hangs up and immediately starts walking toward the house.

"What's wrong?" I ask, scrambling off the hot tub ledge and pulling my bikini top back over my breasts, trying to keep up.

"Your father's not the only one looking for you. Get inside now."

"What does that mean?"

"It means whoever hit your family tried to grab one of your cousins. Little girl, maybe ten years old."

My blood turns to ice. "Is she okay?"

"She's alive. But they left a message."

"What kind of message?"

"The kind that says they're not done. The kind that says you're still a target."

We're inside now, and he's moving through the house with purpose, checking locks, adjusting security settings.

"What does this mean for tomorrow night?" I ask. "The meeting with Papa?"

"It means we're moving it up to tonight. We can't wait. If they're escalating, if they're going after kids now, then keeping you hidden isn't going to be enough. They’ll find you."

"What are we going to do?"

He stops in the hallway and turns to face me, and for the first time since I've known him, he looks uncertain.

"I'm going to do something incredibly stupid," he says.

"What?"

"I'm going to trust you."

Before I can ask what he means, he's moving again, heading for what I assume is a weapons cache somewhere in this ridiculously well-equipped house.

Whatever's about to happen, I have a feeling it's going to change everything.

And I'm not sure I’m ready for it.

Chapter 8: Damon

I can still smell the scent of her on my fingers as I move through the house, checking weapons and security systems. The way she looked up at me by the pool, the way she writhed under my hand while I finger fucked the living shit out of her to keep from pulling my cock out and taking her right there.Jesus Christ.It's got me rattled in a way I can't afford to be.

Not when the stakes just got higher.

The call from my cousin was clear, someone tried to snatch little Sofia Bonacci from her private school. Security footage showed three men in a black van, professional equipment, military precision. They failed because her bodyguard was faster than they expected, but the message they left behind makes their intentions crystal clear.