Chapter 7 - The Final Stand
Dante stood over the unconscious form of Marcus Vance, his chest heaving, his shirt stained with dust and sweat. Slowly, he raised his head and looked across the room.
Lia was standing by the marble pillar, her hands trembling violently, staring at the blood on the floor.
In two long strides, Dante crossed the room, grabbed her by the shoulders, and pulled her hard against his chest, burying his face in her dark hair. His usually unshakeable composure was fractured, his grip so tight it practically bruised her ribs.
“Are you insane?” Dante growled, his voice thick with a raw, terrifying panic that Lia had never heard from him before. “I told you to stay in the master suite! You could have been killed!”
“He was going to kill you,” Lia whispered, her voice shaking as tears finally spilled over her lashes. “I couldn't just stand there and watch.”
Dante pulled back, his dark eyes searching her face with an intensity that burned straight through her soul. He cupped her cheeks in his large, warm hands, his thumbs gently wiping away her tears.
“You saved my life,” he said, his voice dropping into a fierce, reverent whisper. “You walked right into the line of fire for a man you claim to hate.”
“I don't hate you, Dante,” Lia whispered back, the truth finally breaking through the walls she had built around her heart. “I hated the cage. I hated feeling helpless.”
Before Dante could answer, heavy footsteps thundered down the hallway as Viktor and a dozen heavily armed enforcers flooded the study, securing the perimeter and hauling the unconscious traitor away.
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Dante didn't break eye contact with Lia. He leaned down, capturing her lips in a deep, fierce, possessive kiss that tasted of gunpowder, survival, and absolute devotion.
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