Dante’s POV
Five minutes. Then six. I checked my watch again, running a hand through my hair. Where the hell was she?
With a tight jaw, I set my drink down and pushed off the counter. My eyes scanned the ballroom, the masked guests moving in a blur around me. Lucia was reckless, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew better than to test my limits.
Another glance at my watch. I never should have let her go back for that damn purse. What if she had tried to run? The thought made my grip tighten around the gun at my side.
No.
She wouldn’t run. Not unless she was truly desperate. And if she was desperate, that meant something, or someone had given her the illusion of hope.
I exhaled through my nose, jaw clenching. If she wasn’t coming to me, I’d go to her.
I moved through the crowd, my patienc
