Chapter 14
We stepped into the elevator, my mind still reeling from Adam’s phone call. The
silence stretched between us until we reached the parking lot.
“Why do I need protection, Nolan?” I clutched my purse closer. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Nolan’s jaw tightened. He placed a hand on my lower back, steering me toward his car. “The Rossi family’s been circling like vultures. They want to tear down
everything your brother built.” His voice dropped, a dangerous edge creeping in. “And now that you’re back, they’ll use any weakness they can find.”
“Weakness?” My steps faltered.
He spun me around, his hands gripping my shoulders. “You. They’ll come after you to get to him.” His green eyes blazed with an intensity that made my breath catch. “But I
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won’t let them touch what’s mine to protect.”
My heart stuttered at his possessive tone. The way he said ‘mine‘ sent electricity down my spine.
“Your brother’s empire stretches across three continents, Emma. The Rossis would love nothing more than to watch it burn.” His thumb traced circles on my shoulder. “And they’ll use anyone – family, friends, lovers – to make it happen.”
I swallowed hard, caught between fear and something else entirely as his gaze held mine. “Is that why you’re going to be following me?”
“Following, watching, protecting.” He stepped closer, his voice a low growl. “Whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
I stepped back from Nolan, my head spinning with questions about Adam’s empire. “But how did my brother even-”
The screech of tires cut through the garage.
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A black sedan barreled straight at me, headlights blazing. My muscles locked. The world narrowed to the approaching death.
A powerful arm wrapped around my waist. Nolan yanked me off my feet, throwing me over his shoulder in one fluid motion. The car missed us by inches – so close the wind from its passing whipped my hair.
My chest slammed against Nolan’s back as he pivoted, keeping his body between me and the threat. The car’s tinted window rolled down as it sped past. Through my upside–down view, I caught a glimpse of a face I’d never seen.
“Fucking Salvatore,” Nolan growled, his grip on my thighs tightening. The sound rumbled through his body and into mine.
The sedan’s tires squealed as it took the corner, leaving the acrid smell of burnt rubber in its wake. My heart hammered against my ribs, the adrenaline making my fingers tingle where they gripped Nolan’s leather jacket.
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“Put me down,” I gasped, though my body betrayed me by clinging closer.
Nolan practically threw me into the passenger seat, slamming the door before I could catch my breath. In seconds, he was behind the wheel, the engine roaring to
life.
“Hold on.” He gunned it, tires screeching against concrete as we shot toward the exit. My fingers dug into the leather seat.
“Who was that?” My voice shook. The garage lights flashed past in a dizzying strobe.
Nolan took a hard left, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. “Acerbi Salvatore. Right–hand man to the Rossi family boss.” He checked the mirrors, weaving through. traffic with practiced precision. “They’ve got eyes everywhere – must have picked up that you’re back in the city.”
“But I just got here. How could they-”
“Information’s currency in our world,
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Emma. People pay well for it.” He cursed under his breath, cutting across three lanes to take the highway entrance. “The Rossis have moles in every corner of this city.”
The speedometer crept past ninety as we raced back toward the mansion. Buildings blurred past my window, the city lights stretching into streaks of neon. My heart refused to slow its frantic beating.
“They’ve been waiting for an opening like this. Your brother’s been too careful, too protected. But you-” He glanced at me, jaw clenched. “You’re new. Unknown. A crack in the armor they’ve been searching for.”
The reality of my situation hit harder than that car almost had. I wasn’t just Adam’s long–lost sister anymore. I was a target in a game I never knew existed.
Nolan’s phone buzzed. He answered through the car’s bluetooth. “Yeah?”
“Get her back to the Mansion. Now.” Adam’s voice filled the car, cold and commanding.
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“They made their move faster than we expected.”
“Already on our way. Ten minutes out.”
“Make it five.”
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