Pain exploded through Aria’s ribs as the bullet slammed into her vest, knocking the breath from her lungs and sending her crashing to the cold concrete floor of Alessandro’s warehouse. The raid had turned into a nightmare of gunfire and shouts, the air thick with smoke and the metallic scent of blood. She gasped, struggling to draw air as the impact radiated through her body like fire.
Dante roared like a wounded animal, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Aria!” He lunged forward, shielding her with his powerful body while returning fire with lethal precision. Bullets whizzed past them as he dragged her behind a stack of crates, his hands trembling slightly as he checked her for injuries. “Stay with me,” he growled, voice cracking with rare, raw fear. “Don’t you dare leave me.”
“I’m o
