DANTE’S POV
The rain started before dawn: thin, cold, and steady the kind that soaked into the bones and didn’t let go.
Giovanni was already outside, sitting near the car with a flashlight’s muted beam pressed under his palm. The smell of diesel, wet earth, and rust clung to the air. I scanned the treeline as I stepped out; no movement, no headlights, no distant hum of engines. Still, silence was a liar.
I ran a hand through my hair, forcing the night’s thoughts into a tighter box. Guilt could wait. Strategy couldn’t.
Inside, I heard the soft murmur of Elena’s voice … low, comforting…. as she tried to put Luca into sleep again. He wouldn’t. I knew the sound of a child pretending; I’d done the same once.
Giovanni straightened when I walked towards him. “The east side’s clear. I set up
