CHAPTER 23
THE TRAINING If Bella was going to stand beside Dante, she needed to be able to protect herself. That was the realization that came to her in the weeks following her decision to stay. Dante's world was dangerous—not just for him, but for everyone connected to him. She had seen the way people looked at her at the gala, the way Benedetti's eyes had raked over her with predatory interest. She was a target now, whether she liked it or not. And targets needed to know how to defend themselves. "I want to learn," she told Dante one morning over breakfast. He looked up from his newspaper, his eyebrows rising. "Learn what?" "Everything. How to fight. How to shoot. How to survive in your world." Bella's voice was steady, her resolve firm. "I'm not going to be a victim, Dante. I'm not going to
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