23. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Alina
Alina wandered deeper into the mansion, coffee mug in hand, trying to pretend she wasn’t hyper-aware of the fact that Dante had slept in her bed. Like a human weighted blanket with a gun.
We’re in trouble, her brain calculated.
We’re already dead, her gut answered, quieter and far more honest.
She stepped into a hallway lined with tall windows. Sunlight spilled across the floor in warm, golden stripes. The place was beautiful in a way that made her feel like she should be wearing silk instead of sweatpants. She muttered, “This house is too pretty for my taste.”
She passed a room with double doors and peeked inside. A gym. Of course.
She kept walking. Next room: a study with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
He reads, her brain noted.
“Oh great,” she whispered. “He’s literate. That’s dangerous.”
She wandered into the library, trailing her fingers along the spines of books she’d never heard of. The room smelled like old paper and cedar—the exact same scent that clung to Dante. She inhaled, then immediately regretted inhaling.
“No,” she told herself. “We are not sniffing things that smell like him.” She left the library before she could embarrass herself further.
The next room she peeked into stopped her cold. An indoor pool. It was ridiculous—blue water shimmering under skylights, lounge chairs lined up like a resort, and a waterfall feature that absolutely did not need to exist. She stared at it.
“This man has a waterfall inside his house,” she said. “I can’t compete with that.”
You’re not supposed to compete with the architecture, her brain deadpanned.
“Shut up.” She dipped her fingers in the water. Warm. Perfect. She sighed. “I could live here.”
You already are, her heart whispered.
She groaned.
She wandered back toward the kitchen, trying to act normal. She failed, because Dante was there, standing at the counter, talking quietly with Luca, looking like he hadn't decided yet whether to stay or break something.
He glanced up the moment she entered. His eyes softened instantly. Luca noticed and frowned. Alina pretended she didn’t see any of it. She grabbed more coffee. Dante watched her like she was the only thing in the room. She ignored him. Badly.
Dante tried to focus on the map spread across the counter. He really did. The Vescari’s supply routes. Their safe houses. Their leadership patterns. Their weaknesses. He needed to be sharp. He needed to be ruthless. He needed to be the man his men followed blindly into war.
But Alina walked into the kitchen, and every thought in his head scattered like gunfire.
She looked soft from sleep. Hair messy, sweatpants hanging loosely off one hip, eyes still heavy. Beautiful. He clenched his jaw. Focus.
Luca pointed to a red-marked route. “We hit this shipment tonight. It’ll cripple their—”
Dante’s eyes flicked to Alina again. She was pouring coffee, slowly, carefully, like she was trying not to spill. He felt something warm and unfamiliar twist in his chest.
Luca snapped his fingers. “Boss.”
Dante blinked. “What?”
“You’re not listening.”
“I am.”
“You’re not.”
Dante exhaled sharply. “Continue.”
Luca leaned in. “You can’t lead a war if you’re distracted.”
“I’m not distracted.”
Luca gave him a flat look. Dante didn’t appreciate the look.
He forced his attention back to the map. “We hit the shipment. Then we move on to their lieutenant.”
“Good,” Luca said. “And Alina?”
Dante’s jaw tightened. “She stays here.”
“With guards?”
“Yes.”
“With you?”
Dante didn’t answer.
Luca sighed. “Boss… you can’t protect her and run a war at the same time.”
Dante’s voice dropped. “Watch me.”
Luca muttered something in Russian that Dante chose to ignore. Alina finished her coffee and slipped out of the kitchen. Dante’s eyes followed her until she disappeared around the corner.
Luca groaned. “This is going to be a problem.”
Dante didn’t deny it. He just said, “She’s not leaving this house.”
Luca raised a brow. “Because it’s safe?”
Dante’s voice softened—dangerously. “Because I need her here.”
Luca stared at him. “You’re in deep.”
Dante didn’t respond. He didn’t have to.