Chapter 12 Adrian
December 26
I wake with Mia beside me, her body warm and soft against mine, curled up in a way that makes everything feel... right. It’s ridiculous. This feeling of peace shouldn’t exist in a life like mine, and yet here I am, lying next to her as if I’ve been given a glimpse of a future I never allowed myself to imagine. The woman I have in my arms is my enemy’s sister, but after last night, after feeling her tremble beneath me, knowing I’m her first... hell, I don’t think I can let her go.
I study her sleeping face, my fingers itching to trace the delicate lines of her cheekbones, but I hold back, afraid to wake her, to break this fragile spell. She looks so at peace, and I can almost convince myself that nothing else matters but keeping her safe. But my phone buzzes in the next room, reality intruding before I can lose myself completely. Carefully, I slip out of bed, leaving Mia to her dreams.
I grab my phone, steeling myself for the call. I half expect it to be Massimo, already barking orders, but when I see it’s Ryan, I feel a moment of reprieve. At least I can handle this without tipping off my brother to the storm inside me.
“What’s going on?” I answer, keeping my tone casual.
“No update yet,” Ryan says. “Just wanted to check if you and the little princess were good.”
He means it as a joke, but the possessive anger flares up before I can stop it. My Mia . Not his, not anyone else’s. The idea of another man even looking at her... I force myself to let out a casual chuckle, to hide the truth that’s now crystal clear to me.
I love her.
“It’s a cabin in the woods,” I reply with a smirk in my voice. “There’s nothing to do out here besides babysit and watch TV.”
“Oh, come on,” he laughs. “You mean to tell me you haven’t had any fun with her yet?” I can practically see his sly grin through the phone.
“Maybe she can entertain the rest of us!” another voice chimes in from the background.
It takes everything in me not to snarl at them, to stop myself from telling them to shut the hell up. They don’t know. They can’t know. I force myself to laugh, keeping my tone light and playful, masking the dark possessiveness coursing through me.
“You should know by now that I don’t share,” I growl, injecting a hint of menace. They need to believe I’m still the same cold enforcer who’d treat Mia like any other pawn in this game. They can’t know she’s different.
“Alright, alright,” Ryan says, sobering up. “We’re just giving you a hard time. Let us know if you need help digging out; the snow’s piling up.”
“Got it. Anything else?”
“Actually, yeah.” He lowers his voice, the humor gone. “Vitale hasn’t agreed to the deal, and it’s not looking good.”
My stomach drops. That cold certainty I’d felt when I took this mission is gone, replaced by a sick dread. My hand tightens around the phone. I can’t let them see me sweat.
“You’re telling me he knows we have his sister, and he’s not going to lift a finger to get her back?”
“That’s what it looks like. I think the boss is going to leave you to dispose of her. Maybe try to get some info out of her first, if Vitale doesn’t pull his head out of his ass.”
I close my eyes, fighting the urge to punch a hole in the wall. They want me to hurt her, to kill her if Vitale won’t budge. The image of Mia’s lifeless body flashes through my mind, and I feel a wave of nausea.
“What if... what if we try to turn her? I’ll get her to switch.” The words are out before I can think better of it. “She’s got a sharp mind, knows her family’s secrets. If we can’t have Vitale, maybe we don’t need him. Imagine the message it would send if we got her to switch sides.”
Ryan’s quiet, and for a second, I worry I’ve shown my hand. Then he lets out a low whistle. “You think you can pull that off?”
I let out a dark chuckle. “I have my ways.” My mind races, searching for any way to get her out of this without betraying my loyalty to Massimo. I know it won’t be easy, but if there’s even a chance, I have to try.
“I’ll run it by the boss,” Ryan says. “See if he’ll give you a little more time.”
“Good,” I say, a fierce protectiveness settling in my chest. “Tell him I just need time.”
“Got it.” Ryan hangs up, leaving me alone with my thoughts—and my resolve. I don’t know how, but I’ll find a way to keep Mia safe. I’ll convince Massimo, I’ll play every angle. Because the truth is, I’d do anything for her. She’s worth it. I’d even betray my own family if it means being able to keep her.