Page 193 of Dante
"You okay?"
I laugh. It comes out watery.
"I think you killed me."
"You're still breathing."
"Barely."
He kisses my forehead. My cheeks. The tip of my nose.
"You're beautiful when you come."
"You're still hard."
He is. I can see it. Feel it against my thigh.
"I'll survive."
"But—"
"This was about you." He kisses my mouth. Soft. Sweet. "I wanted to watch you fall apart."
"Mission accomplished."
He smiles against my lips.
"Bath now?"
I nod. I'm not sure I can stand on my own.
Dante helps me into the tub.
I lean back against his chest.
His arms wrap around me. His chin rests on top of my head.
For a long moment, neither of us speaks.
The steam rises around us. The water laps gently at the edges of the tub. Outside, somewhere in the city, people are hunting us.
But in here, I'm safe.
In here, I'm his.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Dante - A week later
The phone feels heavy in my hand. Lorenzo's voice carries that edge—the one that means he's running on caffeine and rage.
"Alejandro's gone," he says. "Vanished. His entire operation in Denver went dark three days ago."
I pace the length of the penthouse living room. "People don't just vanish. Not cartel leaders with infrastructure."
"Nico's team swept every location we had flagged. Empty. Cleaned out. Professional work." Lorenzo pauses. "It's like he was never here."
"He's regrouping."
