ette

assassination: n

his world like I belonged, my puls

reaux, and by sunrise, Lu

flickered across marble floors, drowning in the scent of whiskey and power. He

erthought, the way his enemies feared him more than death itself. Lu

But by the time this night was

g around me like spilled wine. Every step was calculated, a

fel

burning r

t just look at a wo

had already decided I belonged to him. My stomach tig

me closer. And just like th

close enough to breathe in his colo

" he said, voice low, rich,

ed. "No

ere I thought I knew every

ching his slow, deliberate movemen

nterest. "Then what are yo

early brushing his ear.

my knee, testing. "Then you

k I was just another woman drawn

him w

oment he let h

e last woman h

s fingers traced along my knee. Testing, te

a slow smile, tilting my head just slightly so my hair brushed his shoulder. A carefully crafted move-one that

d, his voice a slow drag of whiskey and sin. "And

matching his deliberate movements. "Maybe you'v

A predator who knew a

elf in. I needed that. I needed him intrigued, curious-distracted. Because the longer he was thi

of me. Luca didn't look at her, didn't break his

you make a habit of giv

hed. "Only the

ll for an easy trick. He wanted to see how far

layed t

eye contact. I didn't flinch at the burn of expensive whiskey or

fingertips ghosting along the slit in my dress. "

laugh. "Only when

t his breath warmed my skin. "And

our lips brush in the faintest, most ta

between us was electric

d t

scr

d from the entr

ell sha

ng between me and the chaos, one hand reach

raining taking over. But just as my fingers brus

wrapping aro

Now, bella, what exactly do y

hi

ers pressing into my wrist just

"What does it look like?" I purred, tilting my head slightly, letting m

A pret

might sa

through the club as men in masks stormed in, weapons r

steel. "Funny, because I could've sworn

He hadn't seen the blade. Not ful

to his grip just slightly. "And if I

idn't have to. The weight of his stare said enough

unged toward u

moved

wn weapon, and fired. The man barely had time to react be

s more masked men flooded in. A hit. Someone had come

I wasn't the only one

hi

gun still raised, voice l

e laughed.

ore he could move. His brows lifted slightly-not ma

ncerned. Not desperate. Not eager. Just enough to make him think I was a

ng in his eyes even as bullets flew a

d. He ha

from his grip before sweeping his legs out from under him. He hit the floor hard, and bef

ow, impressed. "

my blade on the dead m

e grabbed my hand without thinking, pulling me behind

uld have broken away. But

st time in my ca

toward m

ke. A de

sn't ready to