I jolted awake, heart thudding, skin slick with cold sweat. Awesome. The same damn nightmare. Sofia, reaching for her, voice all ghostly and thin, then—bam—pitch black, nothingness. I dragged in a shaky breath, sat up, wiped my forehead. God, I hated this. Hated how small and useless these dreams made me feel.
Outside—still dark as hell. I squinted at the clock. Six a.m.? Seriously? Way too early. No way I was getting back to sleep after that. I rubbed her temples, muttered something unrepeatable, and decided caffeine was my only hope.
I rolled out of bed, yanked a hoodie over my tank, and padded into the kitchen, my feet silent on the tile. The house was way too quiet. Creepy, almost, compared to the chaos in my head. Coffee gurgled to life. I leaned on the counter, breathing in that bitter, glorious smell, trying to anchor herself.
With two steaming mugs, I hesitated outside Lorenzo's door. Should I? Eh, whatever. I knocked, expecting maybe some grumbling or, you know, actual silence.
Nope. Door swings open, and there's Lorenzo, basically shirtless and straight out some kind of fitness ad. My brain just—stopped. I'd seen him bloody, in expensive suits, radiating boss energy, but this? This was a whole different level. Hair all messy, muscles on display, like he didn't even have to try.
I tried to look anywhere but at his abs. "Uh. Brought coffee," I blurted, voice way too breathy for my own liking.
He grinned, cocky as ever. "Is the Queen blushing?"
"I am not," I snapped, but my cheeks were burning and I knew it.
He laughed, stepped back to let her in. "Early riser now, huh? Didn't see that coming."
I breezed past, dropped the mugs on his desk. "Don't get used to it."
He was still watching me, amusement all over his face, but at least he had the decency to pull on a t-shirt. "Nightmare again?" he asked, like he already knew the answer.
Reina froze, then let out a sigh. "Yeah."
He went quiet for a second, then turned his laptop my way, jaw set. "That's not even the worst part."
my stomach dropped. I leaned in. On the screen—a pop-up. Threat. No, not just a threat. Targeted. Her.
You're next, Reina. Watch your back.
Ice down my spine.
"Lorenzo…"
"Showed up this morning," he said, voice sharp but weirdly calm. "Didn't want to wake you."
I clenched her fists, tried to breathe. "They know I'm here."
"Yeah. They're watching."
my whole body went cold. Fear, again. God, I was so tired of being scared. But then Lorenzo was right there, hands gentle but firm on my shoulders, radiating this weird kind of heat that made everything else fade for a second.
"Nobody's getting to you," he said, voice like iron. "Not while I'm here."
I looked up, pulse hammering—this time, not from fear. His eyes were locked on mine, fierce, almost too much. He meant it. I could tell.
I swallowed, tried for a smirk. "You're insufferable when you're in bodyguard mode, you know?"
"Only for you."
my heart did a dumb little flip. I looked away, fixating on the laptop. "So… what now?"
Lorenzo ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "We track it. Find out who sent it. Make them regret it."
I straightened, fear morphing into something harder. "Good. Let's do it.
Lorenzo's Pov
That stupid invitation had been staring me down for weeks. Just sitting there on my desk, judging me. Normally, I'd toss it in the trash and call it a day—these galas are basically a breeding ground for fake laughter and people pretending to care about anything except their own egos. But, well, Duke is going to be there. And if Duke showed up, Luke would be lurking around too. Couldn't pass up a shot at getting closer to them. Intel like that doesn't just fall in your lap every day.
It'd only been a couple days since that threat message popped up on my computer. You know, the one about Reina? The damn syndicate had gone radio silent since then, which made my skin crawl. I hate when the bad guys get quiet. Means something worse is coming.
I had it all set up. Security at the gala? Ridiculously tight. No weapons, not even a butter knife—so Luke, Duke, Reina, and yours truly, all unarmed. Just brains and nerves. So much for my comfort zone.
Reina wasn't thrilled about coming. Honestly, she looked at me like I'd asked her to eat glass. But she said yes eventually. I had a dress made for her—white silk, killer slit, those tiny straps that look like they'll snap if you breathe strong, totally backless. The whole dangerously-hot-but-classy vibe. She shot me a look when she saw it, but hey, she took it.
So, I'm waiting in the living room, all dressed up in black—tailored coat, shirt, tie, shoes so shiny I could see my own nerves in them. Checked my watch. She's late. Of course.
Then I hear the heels. Click. Click. Click.
I look up and—damn. Air just vanished from the room. There she is, at the top of the stairs, chandelier light turning her into some kind of goddess. That dress? It fits her like moonlight poured over skin. The slit shows just enough to make me forget how to blink, and her back—don't even get me started.
She starts coming down, slow. Heels tapping on marble. Eyes locked on mine. It's a whole movie scene until—bam. She misses a step.
I'm moving before my brain even chimes in. She gasps, lands right in my arms. My hand hits her bare back. Warm, soft, off-limits.
She draws in this shaky breath. My jaw grinds. I should let go, step back, pretend to be a gentleman. I don't.
She looks up, cheeks all flushed, lips parted. And I know, if I don't get my act together, I'm going to do something stupid.
I finally find my self-control and ease her upright, hands off. "Careful," I mutter, voice all gravel.
She straightens, not meeting my eyes. Classic move.
I take another step back, dig in my pocket, and pull out this little box. "One more thing."
She gives me this look, but I'm already cracking the box open—inside, a pendant. Clean lines, nothing too flashy, but there's this tiny engraving hidden in there. I step behind her, sweep her hair over her shoulder (don't ask me why my pulse is racing), and fasten the chain around her neck. My fingers brush her collarbone. She shivers. Pretty sure my mouth twitches at that.
"There," I say, and damn if I don't sound proud. "Perfect."
She turns, face unreadable, then finally says, "You look…" Pause for dramatic effect. "…good."
I grin. "Just good?"
She rolls her eyes, but there's a smile sneaking out. Can't fool me.
We head out—one of my cars, obviously, and tonight it's the black Audi R8. That thing purrs like a jungle cat, and we're gliding through the city before either of us says a word. She sits quiet, staring out at the lights. Whole vibe is thick with stuff unsaid.
Pulling up to the gala, I kill the engine. Place is ridiculous—gold chandeliers, velvet ropes, paparazzi everywhere. I hop out, adjust my cuffs, do the whole "man of mystery" routine, and swing around to open her door. Cameras are flashing, people whispering, but the second I take Reina 's hand, all that noise fades. Her fingers slip into mine—warm, a little shaky. Feels right. Dangerous, but right.
We breeze inside, nodding to people I barely tolerate. Adrian and Zane are already there, waiting like they own the place.
"About time," Zane says, eyeing Reina before turning back to me. "Didn't think you went for this scene."
I shrug. "Usually don't. Tonight's different."
Before he can start digging, I spot Luke and Duke off in the corner, watching us like wolves sizing up dinner. Showtime.
I lead Reina over, keeping my face cool. "Luke. Duke. Been a while."
Luke smirks. "Didn't peg you for a gala guy, Hudson. Thought you hated this crap."
"I do. Sometimes you got to make exceptions," I fire back, watching every twitch of his face.
Duke, the new wildcard, gives me this slow, cocky grin, glancing between me and Reina. "Interesting taste in company."
My jaw goes tight. "Funny, I was thinking the same about you."
The whole thing felt like a high-stakes poker game, honestly. Every word, every look—like chips tossed in, daring someone to call the bluff. Luke leaned in, sipped his drink, and let that smug little smirk crawl across his face. "Heard you've been running into trouble lately," he said, all casual menace. "Unfortunate. Sometimes you got to let go before things drag you under."
Nice. Subtle as a brick, Luke. I didn't flinch. Just took a slow sip, face blank. "I hang onto what matters."
Later, when we slipped away, Reina shot me a look—eyebrows all bunched up. "That wasn't small talk." I just chuckled. "We'll see."
She wasn't buying my chill. "No, seriously." We walked off, burning through every scrap of intel we'd squeezed out of them. As soon as we ditched the crowd, she let out a breath. "They're hiding something."
"Did you catch Luke's face when you brought up shipments?" she pressed.
"Yeah. And he almost said something about the docks. That's where we go next.?"
Before we could hash it out, Zane rolled up again, swirling his drink. "So," he said, all casual, "when are you going to spill your guts?"
I stiffened. "Spill what?"
Zane just laughed. "Don't play dumb. You're head over heels for her."
I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "It's… complicated."
He shrugged. "Always is. But wait long enough, someone else will make a move."
Yeah. Like hell I'd let that happen.
my knuckles went white around his glass. I wanted to shatter something honestly. I shot Zane a death glare, jaw grinding, voice all ice and warning. "Nobody's making a move," I spat, like it was a threat. "Not now, not ever."
Zane just arched an eyebrow, all cocky. "Yeah? Sure, about that? Cause from where I'm standing, looks like you're all bark, man."
That was it. Bye-bye, patience. I leaned in, voice dropping to a downright dangerous growl. "She's not up for discussion, Zane. Don't test me." my eyes? Pure murder.
Zane just grinned, loving the chaos. "Chill, man. I'm just messing—"
Buzz. My phone lit up, and I checked it, muttering a curse. Of course it had to be a board member. Perfect timing. Just what I needed.
I blew out a breath, ran a hand through my hair, looking like the picture of a guy who'd rather punch someone than answer a call. "I got to take this." I shot Zane the kind of look that could probably melt steel. "Try not to start a fire while I'm gone."
I stalked off, barely listening to the call, half his brain still on Reina. Ten minutes—felt like forever then I was back, eyes scanning the crowd.
And guess what he saw?
Yep. Reina. In Zane's arms.
Zane's hand was on her waist. Too familiar. Too damn close. Reina was laughing, head tipped back like Zane was the funniest guy in the room. That laugh? Not for him. My blood went cold and hot at the same time, like someone flipped a rage switch in my veins.
Three steps. That's all it took. I was there, grabbing Zane's wrist with a grip that said I dare you. "Get. You. Hands. Off. Her," he snapped, every word packed with enough venom to drop a horse.
Zane just blinked at him, not even fazed, but he knew he'd poked the bear. "Lorenzo—" he started, but one look at Lorenzo shut him up.
Reina's smile vanished. "Lorenzo, what—"
"Step away from him, Reina," I ordered, voice barely holding back the growl.
Zane lifted his hands, all innocent. "Alright, alright. No need to get all possessive, bro."
I didn't even blink as Zane backed off. I turned to Reina, voice softer, but still that edge—like I was fighting not to drag her out caveman-style. "Come with me."
She hesitated, but one look at his face and she caved.
I took her by the wrist, not rough, but definitely not asking either. Led her away from the noise and chaos. As soon as they had a little space, I turned to her, eyes stormy.
"You're mine, Reina," I said, voice low and raw, every word heavy. "Don't let anyone touch you like that again."
I let go, sort of, thumb brushing her skin. Trying to cool the wildfire burning in my chest. But that memory—Zane's hands, her laughter—yeah, that wasn't going away anytime soon.
Reina, never one to back down, arched an eyebrow. "Newsflash, you can't just drag me off every time someone even looks my way."
I jaw tightened. "He wasn't just looking," I grumbled. My hands flexed, like I was still thinking about putting Zane through a wall.
She crossed her arms, smirked. "Jealous much?"
I looked at her, and for a second, all that cold melted. Something else flickered there. I stepped closer, closing the gap.
"Very," I admitted, voice husky.
Her eyes widened, not expecting me to just lay it out like that. Before she could say anything, I reached for her hand.
"Dance with me," I said—except, let's be real, it wasn't really a question.
Reina rolled her eyes, but her hand slipped into mine anyway. "Oh, so now I'm allowed to dance?" she teased, letting me pull her into the crowd.
I actually chuckled, low and rough, settling my hand on her waist. Right where Zane's had been, but this time, it felt—different. Like it belonged.
"I never said you couldn't dance," I murmured, leaning in. "Just not with anyone else."
Reina hummed, tilting her head. "What if I want to?"
My grip tightened, just a bit. "Guess I'll have to remind you who you belong to."
That sent a shiver right through her, but she masked it with a huff. "Oh, so now I belong to you?"
I didn't even blink. "Yes."
She opened her mouth, probably to argue, but then I spun her, pulling her flush against me. Our bodies just… fit. Like this was always how it was supposed to be.
The music thumped on, people swirling around them, but for me, none of it mattered. I only heard Reina her breath, the hitch in her laugh, the way she looked at me. For the first time that night, all that anger just… faded. Storm is gone, just peace when I looked into her eyes.
Everything else just… faded. Zane? Whatever. The gala? Who cares. The lurking danger? Yeah, that could wait its turn.
Only her. Right here, right now.
Reina caught that weird little softness in his face and, honestly, she couldn't help herself. "Watch out, Lorenzo. You're starting to look kind of… cuddly or something."
My mouth twitched—almost a smile, almost a smirk. I dipped in close, my breath brushing her ear. "Don't tell anyone. It's exclusive. Only for you."
She nearly lost her cool for half a heartbeat, but Reina, being Reina, snapped right back. "Yeah, sure. You just want me to keep dancing with you, admit it."
I grinned, shameless, my fingers drawing lazy circles at her waist. "Busted."
And all that other stuff? Out the window. For once, I didn't give a damn. I just wanted this here, this moment, all of it to stretch on forever.
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