Chapter 3 - The Vow of Protection
Panic clawed at Elena’s chest like a wild animal.
"I have to pack my things," she said, stumbling backward.
"I have to take Maya and run far away from here."
Lorenzo crossed the room in three long strides and caught her shoulders.
"There is nowhere you can run where they won't find you," he warned.
His grip was strong, yet surprisingly gentle.
"Don Marchesi saw the crest, and by midnight, every assassin in Rome will be hunting you."
Tears finally spilled over Elena's eyelashes, burning the red mark on her cheek.
"Then what do I do?" she choked out in despair.
Lorenzo looked down into her tear-filled eyes, feeling a strange pull in his chest.
He had built his empire on cold logic, yet this woman defied all his rules.
"You stay here," he declared firmly.
"I am the Boss of Bosses, and my estate is a fortress."
Elena looked at him, searching for the catch.
"Why would you risk a war for a maid?" she asked.
Lorenzo brushed a stray curl away from her face.
"You stopped being just a maid the moment your daughter stood up to Valeria," he said.
He knelt down beside Maya, who looked up at him with innocent eyes.
May you like
"No one will touch a single hair on your heads," Lorenzo promised.
It was a vow that would shake the very foundations of the criminal underworld.
