Chapter 9
My stomach lurched. The phone slipped from my trembling fingers, but Lorenzo caught it before it hit the ground. His jaw clenched as he glimpsed the
screen.
“Pack your bags.” Lorenzo’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and cold as a blade. His eyes never left my phone screen, knuckles white from his grip.
He crossed the path in two swift strides and slammed his foot against the heavy oak door. It burst open with a thunderous crack that made me flinch. Splinters of wood scattered across the marble floor.
The image on my phone burned in my mind.
My chest constricted. I pressed my palm against the wall to steady myself as hot tears blurred my vision.
Then Lorenzo was there, his arms wrapping around me. Before I could process what was happening, his lips crashed into mine. The kiss was fierce, possessive, filled with a rage that somehow steadied my trembling body.
He broke away, cupping my face in his hands. “It’s fine. I’m here for you now.” His thumb brushed away a tear from my cheek. “Fuck all of them.”
The raw intensity in his voice made my breath catch.
“Lorenzo…” I started, but the words died in my throat. A sudden clarity washed over me. What was I doing? Crying over Dominic and that snake Camilla – it went against everything I’d promised myself. I’d sworn to make them suffer, to watch their perfect little world crumble. Tears wouldn’t accomplish that.
I straightened my spine and wiped my face with the back of my hand. The broken door hung off its hinges, but I stepped through it. My heels clicked against the marble floor, each step feeling more confident than the last.
The ghost of Lorenzo’s kiss still burned on my lips. I touched them, remembering the fierce possession in that moment. A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. It had felt… right. Like a match striking in the darkness.
I headed upstairs to my room, pulling out my largest suitcase. Into it went everything I couldn’t bear to leave behind.
When I descended the stairs with my bags, I froze. Lorenzo stood in the foyer, his broad shoulders tense, holding what appeared to be a grenade in his
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right hand. My eyes widened at the sight.
“What are you-” The words caught in my throat as I stared at the explosive device.
“Just leaving a little warning.” Lorenzo’s lips curved into a dark smile.
He tucked the grenade into his jacket pocket and grabbed my bags with his free hand, muscles flexing as he carried them to the waiting car. The trunk clicked open and he arranged my belongings inside with precise movements.
My heart hammered against my ribs as I watched him work. This man, this dangerous, beautiful man who’d turned my world upside down in the span of a day.
Before I could process what was happening, Lorenzo strode back to me. His arm snaked around my waist and he lifted me effortlessly until my face was level with his. My breath caught at our sudden proximity, at the heat radiating from his body.
“Let them see what happens when they hurt what’s mine.” His voice dropped low, sending shivers down my spine. His eyes locked with mine, filled with possessive intensity. “Because that’s what you are now, Valentina. Mine to protect. Mine to cherish. Mine to avenge.”
Before I could respond, Lorenzo pulled the grenade from his pocket. With deadly precision, he yanked the pin and hurled it through the broken doorway. He turned and carried me toward the car, my body still pressed against his chest.
His words echoed in my mind. Mine to protect. Mine to cherish. Mine to avenge.
Heat coursed through my veins, awakening something I’d buried deep inside years ago. That familiar spark, the one I’d felt the first time I’d met him. The electricity that had made my skin tingle whenever he was near. Six years of suppressed feelings crashed over me like a tidal wave.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, fingers threading through his dark hair. His eyes locked with mine, filled with a hunger that matched the inferno building inside me.
Our lips crashed together in a fierce kiss. His grip tightened, pulling me closer as the explosion rocked the ground beneath us. The blast lit up the night sky, casting orange shadows across his face. Glass shattered. Wood splintered. The heat of the flames warmed my body, but I barely noticed.
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