n's

obvious, like every word out of her mouth was laced wit

eason, her anger gnawed at me, and I hated it. It gnawed at me

e. But it was different now. Things were changing

eded her for this mission. The Moretti family needed her too

the heat and the urgency of the place even from the airport. The brig

me for pleasure. No

, away from prying eyes. The moment we stepped into t

g the anger still boiling beneath the surface. She hadn't even glanc

folded in front of me. I didn't need to keep an eye on her; I

-that always seemed to pull me in. And it wasn't just beca

focus on the job we had ahead of us. But som

determined. For a moment, I wondered if she was doing it to

I heard a

e her clutching her hand, a

cursed under

nked her hand away, the stubborn def

d, her voice tight, bu

it sent a strange tightness to my chest. The last thing I want

y tone more irritated than c

gain, glaring at me as if

n," she spat, and I could he

he was so damn proud, and I hated it. I hated how she pushed me aw

bborn," I muttere

el, trying to clean the wound, but I could

step toward her. "Let me hel

id no, Ivan. I don't need you hovering over

because it was the right thing to do, not because I wanted her to feel a

tension in her eyes. She didn't pull away this time. Maybe because she was t

t her down. Her eyes burned with that fiery anger, but beneath

ttered, but there was no re

clean the cut. Adriana didn't look at me, but I could feel her eyes on the side of

she said softly, as I dabbed at the wound.

gry now, just...vulnerable, for a moment. The realization hit me hard, like a punch

ity in my voice. I was so used to pushing people away, to pu

but then-thankfully-Missi barged in, he

on her hips as she surveyed the scene. "I leave you two alone

Adriana's hand, and she instantly snatched it a

kly, wiping my hands on a towel

nd she stood up, muttering

ving us both a disbelieving look. "But don't thi

re I stood. I knew she felt it too. Whatever this was between us, it wasn't

na snapped, her voice sharp

f something in her eyes-a confusion, maybe. She di

in this together. And no matter how much