Chapter 28

Sophia

The soft hum of the air conditioning was the only sound in the room as I paced restlessly back and forth. The heavy velvet curtains were drawn tight, keeping the late evening light from creeping in, casting the room in a dim, shadowy glow. The clock on the nightstand read 10:07 PM, and I knew Vince was working late in his office. He had been on phone calls going back and forth as he tried to contain whatever chaos had been unleashed within his criminal empire. I should've been glad he wasn't here. It gave me time to think—or rather, to stop thinking.

My mind wouldn't stop replaying the conversation I'd overheard earlier between Vince and Luca. I hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but the moment I heard Reynolds' name, I couldn't stop myself. Vince had killed him—executed him. And the way he had said it, as if it were nothing more than part of a regular day, had sent a chill down my spine. The Vince I knew—was violent in a way I hadn't fully grasped until now.

I stopped pacing and walked to the dresser, my fingers brushing over the smooth surface. The burner phone. Liliana's gift. Or rather, her weapon. It was hidden there, underneath my makeup bag. A constant reminder of the deal I had made with her—a deal that felt like it was squeezing tighter and tighter around me.

It was a stupid idea, but I was desperate. I needed to hear Liliana's voice, needed some reassurance that this wasn't all spinning out of control, that I hadn't lost myself completely in Vince's world. She had promised answers about my parents, and in my weakest moment, I had made a deal with her: information in exchange for my loyalty—or betrayal—depending on how you looked at it.

I pulled the burner phone out and flipped it open, the glow from the screen cutting through the darkness. My thumb hovered over the call button for a moment, doubt creeping in. Vince was always nearby. He could walk in any second. What would he do if he found out? Would he kill me?

The thought made my stomach turn, but I pushed it aside and dialed Liliana's number. After a few rings, her voice came through, smooth and casual as if she had been waiting for me to call.

"Sophia," she purred. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten about me."

"I didn't forget," I said, my voice hushed as I glanced at the door, listening for any sound of movement from the hall. "I've just been… busy."

"With Vince, I assume?" Liliana's voice held a hint of amusement.

I swallowed hard. She didn't know just how close I had gotten to him, and I planned to keep it that way. "Yeah. Things have been… complicated."

"Complicated how?" she asked, her tone more serious now.

I took a deep breath. "I overheard something today. Vince and Luca were talking. About Reynolds. Vince killed him."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. I could almost picture Liliana leaning back, letting the information settle in before she responded. "Interesting. Did you hear anything else?"

"Vince threw a knife straight into Reynolds' eye. Killed him instantly. He also said something… He said it's in his blood. Killing, I mean. He said his father trained him for this."

Liliana let out a low, thoughtful hum. "Well, that's not surprising. His father was a ruthless bastard, just like Vince. Maybe even worse. Sophia, you sound tense, are you having second thoughts about our little deal?"

I hesitated. I hadn't told her the most important part—the part where Vince had moved into my suite, where we'd started sharing a life together. "No," I lied, my heart pounding. "I just thought you'd want to know. That maybe it could help you… I don't know, with whatever you're planning."

"Hmm," she mused. "Good girl. Keep listening. There's more you're not hearing yet. Trust me."

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. My hand was trembling, and I felt sick to my stomach. The truth was, I didn't know if I could keep doing this. Every time I looked at Vince, I felt the weight of my betrayal growing heavier, like a knife twisting deeper into my back. But I needed the truth about my parents. I needed to know what really happened to them. That was the only reason I'd agreed to this in the first place.

"I will," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'll keep listening."

"Good," Liliana said, her voice soft and cold. "Have a good night Sophia."

The line went dead, and I let out a shaky breath. I closed the phone and quickly shoved it back under the makeup bag, my mind racing. I'd expected Liliana to be more… interested, more surprised by what I'd told her, but she had brushed it off like it was nothing.

As I was zipping the makeup bag back up, I heard the door to the suite creak open. My heart leapt into my throat. I turned just as Vince walked in, his broad frame filling the doorway. For a moment, I thought he'd seen me putting the phone away, but his eyes didn't even flicker in that direction.

He looked tired, his tie loosened around his neck and the sleeves of his shirt rolled up, revealing the tattoos on his forearms. Despite the exhaustion etched into his features, there was a sharpness in his gaze that hadn't softened.

"You're still awake," he said, his voice a low rumble as he walked toward me.

I forced a smile, trying to keep my hands steady. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep."

Vince's eyes studied me, searching for something beneath the surface. His brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't press. Instead, he nodded and reached for the lamp on the nightstand, turning it on. The warm glow bathed the room, making it feel smaller, more intimate.

I felt a knot of anxiety tighten in my chest. Tonight was different. It was the first night we'd be spending together since he'd officially moved into my suite. There was no more avoiding the tension that had been building between us for weeks. No more walls to hide behind.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, his fingers tracing over the comforter absentmindedly. "Long day," he muttered.

"Yeah," I said softly, my voice catching in my throat as I stood frozen, unsure of what to do next.

He looked up at me, his gaze locking onto mine, and suddenly, the air in the room felt heavier. The unspoken words between us hung like a thick cloud, suffocating in their intensity.

"Come here," Vince said, his voice low but commanding.

I hesitated for a fraction of a second before moving toward him. He reached out and took my hand, pulling me closer until I was standing between his legs. His hands rested on my hips, grounding me, pulling me into his orbit.

"I can feel it," he murmured, his voice so low I barely heard it. "Something's bothering you."

I swallowed, willing my pulse to slow down. Don't tell him. The truth was sitting like a stone in my chest, heavy and painful, but I couldn't share it. Not now. "I'm just tired," I lied, resting my hands on his shoulders, trying to distract both of us from the swirling tension in my mind. "But I'm glad you're here."

For a moment, Vince studied me, as if trying to decide whether to push or let it go. He didn't press, though. Instead, he sighed softly and brushed a kiss across my belly button. "I'm glad I'm here too. I've been looking forward to this all day."

I stood there, feeling Vince's warmth against me, the softness of his kiss brushing over my stomach, but my mind was elsewhere—far from the intimate scene unfolding. His presence was magnetic, pulling me in closer, but the knowledge of what he was capable of, the memories of what I'd overheard, loomed over me like a shadow.

I ran my fingers through his hair, forcing myself to focus on the moment, on him. But the questions nagged at me: Who am I with? I felt trapped between two worlds—one where Vince was the man who protected me, who made me feel something I hadn't felt in a long time, and the other, the reality that his protection came at a deadly cost.

Vince's hands slid up my sides, gentle yet firm, guiding me onto his lap as he leaned back slightly, his eyes dark and intense. He was searching for something in me, some sign of reassurance that everything was fine. But it wasn't fine. Not with Liliana's call lingering in the back of my mind, not with the constant threat of what would happen if Vince ever found out about the burner phone.

"What is it?" he asked again, his voice softer this time, but no less commanding. His fingers trailed up my arm, sending a shiver through me. He could always tell when I wasn't being honest. That was one of the things about Vince that scared me—how well he knew me, how deeply he could read me.

I closed my eyes for a second, trying to steady my breath. "I guess I'm just overwhelmed," I admitted, finding a partial truth I could offer him. "Everything's changing so fast."

His grip on me tightened, protective and possessive all at once. "You don't have to worry," he said, his voice low, like a promise. "I'll handle everything. You're safe with me."

The words should have comforted me, but instead, they made my chest tighten. Safe. Was I really? Safe from who? Vince's enemies? Or from Vince himself?

I forced a smile and leaned down to kiss him, hoping the physical connection would drown out the spiraling thoughts in my mind. Vince responded instantly, pulling me closer, deepening the kiss, as if it could erase the distance between us that neither of us acknowledged out loud.

But even as I kissed him, my heart pounded with fear and uncertainty. Every moment I spent with him, every second I stayed silent, I was digging myself deeper into a hole I wasn't sure I'd be able to climb out of. And the worst part? I wasn't sure if I wanted to.

When the kiss broke, Vince rested his forehead against mine, his breathing heavy. "I need you," he whispered, the weight of the words sinking into me.

I swallowed hard, forcing down the guilt. "I'm here," I said, my voice steady, even though everything inside me was shaking. And I was. I was here—for now.

But I knew the truth. Every secret, every lie I kept from him was bringing me closer to a point of no return. And when that moment came, there would be no more hiding behind my feelings for him or the answers I sought. It would just be Vince, me, and the choices I'd made. And I didn't know if either of us would survive it.