CHAPTER 35
MAUREEN
I was already lacing my boots when I heard Matteo’s voice echo down the hall.
“Don’t let the smile fool you,” he was saying. “She’s lovely until you pick up a weapon.”
The gym door opened, and Matteo strolled in with a tall, lean woman beside him. She didn’t walk like she was entering someone else’s space. She moved like the floor belonged to her, like she’d memorized every inch of it in her sleep.
She was dressed in matte black, her sleeves pushed up to reveal lean, corded arms. Her skin was sun-kissed, her jaw sharp, and her hair tied into a clean, high braid.
Matteo gestured toward her with an almost amused smirk. “Maureen, meet Arianna Vale. She’ll be your personal instructor from now on.”
I stood, wiping my palms on my pants, and offered a cautious nod.
Ari
