Alessio's POV.
I sit alone in the dark, the adrenaline barely fading. The glass of whiskey in my hand still remains untouched.
Jesus... I almost didn't make it. One wrong turn, one extra minute, and she'd be... she'd be gone. I keep seeing it. That look in her eye when I kicked that door down. Fear, pure fear. Not the kind she wears when she's acting tough. No, the real thing. I don't know how I'd live with myself if I'd been too late.
I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees.
I've always been good at keeping things simple. Business is business. Love? Well, love just complicates things. It's a liability. I've told myself that for years. Then she walks into my life, all stubborn fire and hidden softness, and suddenly all the rules don't mean a damn thing anymore. I can feel it ever
